Sisters' Tangled Adventure
by Angelxoxo8
Summary: Rapunzel comes back to Corona and meets her sister, Princess Harmony. They have all sorts of adventures while adjusting to life and each other with their friends as they try to solve the mysteries of their new looks and abilities. I own nothing except my OCs.
1. Before Ever After Part 1

**Angel: Hello everyone, I decided to do Tangled the Series...because I freakin' love Varian XD Anyway, I will be putting him in most of the episodes (yes, you read that right) of season 1...since, you know, the season finale he got put in prison. He does not, however, appear in this movie, because I have to introduce the OC I'm using to you guys. I'm gonna divide this into two parts, and I'll be treating the other specials this way as well. I know it's an hour long special, but it'd be way too long in words for my taste if I left it that way, not to mention all the songs!**

**I already know what's happened in season 2, well, most of it, because I didn't watch the specials again. And for season 3, I had a feeling Varian was gonna take over Corona while Rapunzel was away…**

**And I was freaking right!**

**So...I'm basically caught up XD**

**I'm pretty sure that the show's not returning with Cassandra's Revenge until next year (I had seen that it was supposed to be released in November, but that obviously didn't happen). And it took me a while for me to actually upload this because I was still working on my Big Hero 7 series at the time, and I was finishing school at the same time. I figured to just do my finals first before I even considered uploading this. So that's why it kept getting delayed to those who asked on my other stories, anyway, let's get to it!**

**And lastly...I'm not a songwriter XD So...please don't come after me ^^' If you have any solo songs you think that would be good for Harmony, let me know through pm!**

"_This is the story of how I died...and went to heaven!" Eugene chuckled at the joke. "Okay, so the Kingdom of Corona, to be exact, but hey, let's not get hung up on semantics. Once upon a time, a single drop of sunlight fell from the heavens, but so did...a drop of moonlight—you know what? I'm just gonna give you the rapid-fire shorthand here. The sundrop created a golden flower with healing powers, and the moondrop created an opal. Creepy, old, Mother Gothel sang a song to said flower to regain her youth. Yada, yada, yada, the queen got sick, flower healed queen, queen gave birth to Rapunzel, who was born with the flower's magical healing powers. Everything was all flying lanterns and cheering subjects, until Gothel stole the princess and kept her locked into a tower for 18 long years. Now for the opal, and I know we're getting off track, but get this. King Edmund of the Dark Kingdom left the opal as a gift for the king and queen's youngest daughter for the celebration of her birth after Rapunzel was gone, but she ended up getting its dark power. So they sent the opal back to the Dark Kingdom, and isolated the princess in the castle for 14 years. Then Rapunzel was rescued by a dashing, steely-eyed, suave, smoldering, devilishly charming rouge. Now, some people might have called him a thief, but I always preferred the term 'misunderstood good guy.' You see, it wasn't always easy for young Eugene. Raised as an orphan on the rough streets of-"_

"_Hey, Eugene," Rapunzel interrupted the story. "Focus?"_

"_Huh? Oh, right. Sorry. So, the beautiful young maiden, that's you, and the handsome rogue, that's me, made a deal. We followed some lanterns, I saved you from Gothel, you saved me from death, and then you got arguably the world's most overly dramatic haircut. And then-"_

"_And then I was reunited with my long-lost family," Rapunzel finished for him. "Well...not all of them. But that is where our new story began. Six months had passed, I was loving life inside the kingdom of Corona, and my coronation to officially become princess had finally come."_

"_We all had a few surprises that day. Didn't we, sunshine?"_

_Pascal squeaked at him in laughter. "Laugh it up, frog!"_

"_Now, I know what you're all thinking. Yes, Eugene and I did get married. But make no mistake, getting to the wedding day and our happily ever after would be the biggest adventure we would ever face...including meeting my little sister."_

"_Ooh, that's good."_

_Rapunzel was jumping up and down in excitement as they were waiting in front of the archway of the castle. King Frederic and Queen Arianna were standing behind her, both of them skeptical. They would be happy to see their youngest daughter again, of course, but they didn't know how she would react to Rapunzel being back. She had been away for almost 9 months at another kingdom to help it thrive as it needed her help, and it was the first time that she had been outside of the castle for years. After Rapunzel's captivity...they were worried that the same would happen to their little girl, and they had to send her off with almost half the guards they had. But deep down, they knew that she would be okay..._

"_I can't wait to meet her!" Rapunzel exclaimed happily. "Do you think that she'll recognize me? I mean...I did lose my hair after all."_

"_She was so young when we told her what happened to you," King Frederic reminded himself with a sad sigh. Harmony didn't really know much of that night...all she knew was that her sister was taken, and that no one knew when she would return. Since then, she had been buried into her princess duties, to distract herself of the reminder that her sister was gone..._

"_And she's changed...a lot since then," Queen Arianna gave a small frown._

"_She's my sister! What could be so different?" Rapunzel asked and before they could give an answer, a whinny was heard. They looked up ahead and saw the royal carriage arriving in their direction. She gasped at its appearance. _

"_She's here!"_

_The carriage came to a full stop and they all stood there as the guards surrounded the ride in a straight line._

"_Presenting Princess Harmony of Corona."_

_The doors opened and a blue flat slowly stepped out. Rapunzel watched as the person descended down the stairs. _

_Standing in front of her was a teenage girl who looked to be 14. Her skin was fair with light rosy cheeks, her eyes a chocolate brown inherited from her father. Her eyebrows were also brown and there were light freckles on her cheeks. Her silky brown hair which she got from her mother was in an elaborate twist bun tied with a blue bow. Her dress was a dark blue theme with a grey accent. The corset top was dark blue with a grey ribbon, the skirt being blue with grey highlights. There was a white petticoat underneath. The hemline was above her knees as the sleeves at the top were long with ruffles at the wrists, colored with blue and grey. On her right shoulder was a yellow duckling with a daisy near her ear._

_She scoped her home that she hadn't seen in almost a year...nothing much had changed. It was still the same old castle, same old home that she was stuck in for 14 years...she was surprised that her parents even relented to let her go at first, but it was her duty to help not just Corona, but other kingdoms thrive..._

_A squeal interrupted her thoughts and she was suddenly put into a tight hug by a brown-haired woman._

"_Harmony...! It's me, Rapunzel, your big sister!" She put the girl down and got a good look at her. "Oh, look at you! I love the hair," She lightly touched the bun in her hand. "I can't wait for us to know everything about each other and-"_

_Harmony cleared her throat, getting her attention. She simply curtsied to the woman, confusing her. "Yes, it is very pleasant to see you, dear sister. This is Daisy," Harmony gestured to the duckling on her shoulder. "I hope that Corona was to your liking while I was away. I apologize for my absence, another kingdom had my attention. Now if you will excuse me, I must unpack my belongings. I wish to rest after a long journey."_

_Rapunzel could only stare as she walked past her to reach her parents. "Mother, Father," She curtsied to them as well...and then left._

"_But..." The older princess stammered, baffled at what just happened. She didn't even hug either of them...and there was no love in her voice, either...how could she have changed so much throughout the years?_

"_We...did say she had changed," Frederic sighed a little. "Being in the castle for so long left her to become what you just witnessed. You see, Rapunzel, you recall the Moonstone Opal?"_

"_The...opal that gave her the power of destruction..." Rapunzel murmured in realization. She had heard stories from Gothel during her years in the tower._

"_Ever since your arrival, there were reports that her powers have vanished completely, but...before she left for her journey, Harmony has been reserved, mature, and proper...effectively leaving her with nothing else but those feelings. And the people of Corona...most of them didn't accept her because of her dark powers. It seems that with your presence, they've looked past that, but...give her time," Arianna smiled gently. "After all...she'll be teaching you how to be a princess."_

"_..." Rapunzel stared at Harmony retreating into the castle. She saw how calm, poised, and graceful she had been during the words she spoke. And she could never understand how troubled she must've been being stuck inside the castle and going nowhere else...it was exactly like her life. But she still maintained her heart of gold...though her sister never had one...because of her abilities. _

"_Harmony..." She murmured in sympathy for her. While they were sisters...they were completely different._

_Just how were they going to make this work?_

* * *

Outside of Corona, Rapunzel is riding a brown-haired horse with a black, braided mane and tail, with a touch of white above her hooves and the stripe on her face. She wears a brown saddle with the sun symbol of kingdom of Corona on her saddle bag, and has a red saddle blanket with gold and black trim. Maximus catches up to them with Eugene riding him. They're being chased by black horses and a carriage.

"They're gaining on us," The princess glances behind her, the horses speeding up, but she notices that back-up has arrived. "There's more of them!"

"Good. It'll keep things interesting," Eugene smirks as they ride down a dirt path, the threat still following them. "Man, these guys are persistent."

"So am I," Rapunzel smirks towards him. "I'll meet you at the wall!"

"Sounds like a challenge!" He calls out as the brown house goes up further, the carriage following after them.

"Think you can keep up?"

"Oh, it's not me you have to worry about," He gives a smug look up at her. She looks behind her and sees what he was talking about. "Uh oh."

One of Corona's own guards is behind her and the horse.

"They're your problem now!" Maximus runs between a passage, Eugene noticing two more behind them. "Oh great."

The captain of the guards is right on his trail. "Okay Max, follow my lead—oh, log, log, log!" A tree branch is wedged in front of him. Eugene simply leaps above it and lands back on the horse. The two guards jump above the log, but one of them falls into the dirt below. "Ooh, good thing the ground broke his fall."

Rapunzel and her horse are still in the sights of the carriage and the guard. Looking downwards, she sees a bunch of white bunnies in their path eating carrots.

"Whoa!" Rapunzel pulls on the reins and the horse jumps over them. "Bunny crossing! Fidella, watch out, watch out."

Fidella manages to get past the flock and continues on. "Cute little bunnies," She couldn't help but say. The guard chasing them comes crashes right into the bunnies, the carriage turning right past them. Pascal stretches his tongue and grabs a carrot, biting into it.

The Captain reaches his hand out towards the former thief. "You're not getting away this time!"

Rapunzel suddenly jumps in front of them, startling the horse. "Sorry!" She calls out as the carriage is still onto them. "We're almost there!"

A guard and his horse suddenly jumps in front of the carriage. "Oh come on!" Eugene exclaims at this. Rapunzel just grins and so does Eugene. A stream is in the distance, with both horses jumping over it like it was nothing. The princess lets out a holler as Max lands on the log, causing it to fall. Eugene comes to a stop, turning around to see the Captain getting out of the water. "Looking good, Cap!"

The carriage gains speed and the two horses pulling it jump over the obstacle. Eugene's eyes widen and he follows after his girlfriend. She stops as she sees the wall of Corona, evident by the sun and moon symbols. Fidella glances at the young woman, who gestures for her to move. The horse plants her hooves on the wall, allowing Rapunzel to climb on her head and grasp the edge of the stone. She gets to the top and takes a deep breath, looking at the view.

"Pascal..." She chuckles happily at the sunset, mountains, and water. "Look at that view!"

The chameleon sighs in content.

"Ha ha!"

They turn around to see Eugene standing on Max, who stops abruptly. Eugene lands a few feet away from the princess.

"Okay," He adjusts his vest, "Okay, I know what you're thinking. Now, it may have seemed like you won, but you gotta take into account that my hair is actually longer than yours now, so we gotta factor in wind resistance," Eugene lightly touches his hair.

Rapunzel giggles a little, turning back to the outside world. "Wow...Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?"

He takes a hold of her hand. "Yes...yes I have."

They smile, leaning in towards each other.

"The training's over, your highness. The welcoming ceremony is about to begin," The two turn around to see the Captain and other guards. A door from the carriage opens, Harmony stepping onto the grass while holding her skirt.

"You did well, sister, but not quite there yet. We did manage to catch up to you after all," She gestures to the horses, the guards feeding them some apples for their effort.

"Well, while your sister did catch up to us...again," Eugene deadpans at their odds, "I think we showed those guards who's boss. Now, what do you say we go make you an official crown princess?"

"Oh, is that today?" Rapunzel teases, causing him to laugh.

"Ha ha, very funny. Now come on, we better get you back to the castle before Harmony drags us there for more princess training," He jumps off the wall, hanging onto the edge. "Ooo, maybe I can squeeze in a royal massage...before my daily trim, of course."

"You can worry about your appearance when we return to the castle, Mr. Fitzherbert," Harmony calls out from her spot, the guards chuckling at hearing his last name. Eugene turns around and gives her a tiny glare.

"Listen, your highness, I know that you've put up with us in our training, and I thank you for it, I really do, but come on, live a little!" He gestures towards the wall. "You're 14! A teenager is supposed to be having fun at your age. Not reading etiquette books, taking classes, or sitting in boring meetings!"

"A princess has a duty to her studies, not to 'have fun,' as you say, as I have told you time and time again!" Harmony rolls her eyes, getting into the carriage. Eugene sighs at her. He could never get annoyed with her strict and no-fun personality (she's his girlfriend's little sister, after all), but sometimes she could be a real buzzkill...

Rapunzel glances at Pascal, who just squeaks. She turns back to the view, knowing exactly what he's thinking. "I know, Pascal. We'll get out there soon..."

Ever since she's returned, she's had almost the same restrictions Harmony has had for 10 years...she was lucky that they were able to go out for this training exercise at all.

"Ha!" She jumps back onto Fidella. "Race you back to the castle!" The horse takes off swiftly. Maximus follows second, the Captain sighing at this.

"Your highness?" He looks towards Harmony.

"Let them go. They have earned it for their sufficient work today," She's reading one of her books for Rapunzel's lessons.

* * *

They reach the town of Corona.

_This is life after happily ever after_

Everyone is decorating for the coronation ceremony, where Rapunzel would be named Crown Princess, and Harmony would be officially named the second in line to the throne, but being queen would only happen should anything happen to either Rapunzel or Eugene whenever they were king and queen.

_And it's all just as sweet as the stories say_

A woman puts up a sun/moon lantern by her window. The lantern has the moon symbol on one side, and the sun on the back. By this time, mostly everyone had accepted Harmony as their princess, but there were still some that were...skeptical of having her around. As soon as they would see her, they used to scramble away out of fear of what she'd do—and that was only on rare times she stepped out of the castle. It didn't matter to her anyway...no matter what she did or where she was, there was always someone who was scared of her...

A pale-skinned young woman with dark pink lips, hazel eyes and black bob-cut layered hair with gray highlights is pacing around. She's in a blue and white dress, along with a white headdress. Her eyes widen once she sees the two princesses and Eugene arrive.

_I feel wild, free, as light as can be_

_And ready to explore_

Once they're off the horses, Rapunzel and Eugene are about to attempt another kiss when the woman pulls the princesses away, much to Eugene's dismay.

_With nothing at all standing in my way_

Maximus kisses Eugene's cheek and he wipes it in disgust.

_True, there are certain customs I have to follow_

Upon seeing the princesses, two women pick up their skirts and lower themselves. Harmony follows their example.

"Curtsy," The princess and woman whisper to the inexperienced girl, who curtsies back.

_Several small obligations I can't avoid_

A little girl holds out a flower bouquet to Rapunzel, who plucks one and puts it into her hair. The woman, her lady-in-waiting Cassandra, bends down to her as Harmony keeps walking forward.

"Princess, not the time." They drag her away, Rapunzel waving to the girl.

_A few rules, too well, more than a few commitments by the score_

While walking through the halls of the castle, Harmony stops her sister as they're standing in front of Old Lady Crowley, who points in disdain to the muddy footprints that Rapunzel had caused since she doesn't wear shoes.

She waves sheepishly as her two teachers push her away.

_Aside from all that, though, I'm overjoyed_

She's then escorted down the hall, getting pampered by two female servants. Two other ones are fixing Harmony's bun.

"This way, Princess," Cass guides her.

_And sure there are corsets and buckles and bows_

She feels like she's about to suffocate as someone pulls on her corset strings. Glancing next to her, she sees Harmony getting the same treatment, but she's not bothered by it all. The girl has her eyes closed as she continues walking, make-up being put on her face.

_Plus all those names to recall_

"Jane?" Rapunzel points to the one on her left.

"Ethel," Harmony whispers to her.

"Right!"

_Still I can hardly complain, I suppose_

Pascal gets hit with powder and Daisy, Harmony's pet duckling, gets the same daisy tucked away, but it's shiner.

_This is happily ever after, after all_

Cassandra turns around, seeing how uncomfortable Rapunzel looks at being pampered. "That's enough," She shoos all of them away. "I'll take it from here. How you holding up?" She adjusts the back of Rapunzel's dress.

"Busy," She chuckles, brushing away a bang. "But busy is good. I can't believe you go through that every day, Harmony."

"Not every single day," Harmony replies, staring at the portraits of their parents. "Sometimes they even do it at breakfast."

"I'm glad you think so, Raps, 'cause this welcoming ceremony is just the beginning," She holds up Rapunzel's arms. "Tomorrow's the festival, followed by the royal banquet, and that's all before the actual coronation on Sunday. Oh, come on, really?" She looks towards Rapunzel's bare feet.

"Sister, we have talked about this multiple times," Harmony sighs, gesturing towards the ground.

"Look, Rapunzel, I know this princess thing is new to you," Cassandra pulls down the skirt so that at least it won't be noticeable. "But you've gotta at least try to act the part. Have Harmony's princess lessons taught you nothing?"

"Trust me, Cassandra, little sister, I know how important this is to my dad," Rapunzel lightly touches the portrait behind her.

"As you've requested, your majesty," The Captain places down a miniature plastic guard on a model of Corona, "We've doubled security on both the main gates and the south towers."

"Good," King Frederic nods in approval. "We have guests from all over the world. I want to know that they are safe," He rubs his bearded chin, stepping forward. "Everything for my little girls' coronation weekend must be absolutely..." He opens up the doors to Rapunzel's room. Cass was adjusting her yet again, with Harmony nearby. "Perfect."

"Hi Dad," She smiles at him.

"And now that at last you are here in my arms," He sings, Cass stepping aside so they can hug. Harmony curtsies to her father. "I won't permit you to fall." He pulls back to look at her. "I must protect you, from all the world's harm," He brushes back a brown bang, doing the same with Harmony. "We'll live happily ever after, after all. Now, as princesses, you are not only representing yourselves and the family, but all of Corona."

"Don't worry, Dad. I won't let you down," She rubs her arm a bit nervously, putting an arm around Harmony. "And Harmi's been a great teacher and little sister to me. I've definitely learned a lot."

"Harmony," The princess corrects her. Princesses do not have nicknames.

"But...while we're on the whole crown princess, coronation thingy, I mean, all of these royal activities are great, but do you think I might be able to catch a little downtime soon? So that I can get to know my sister, at least?" With all of these preparations ever since she's returned, she hasn't spent enough time with Eugene or with Harmony. She wanted to get to know her sister better, but outside of princess lessons, she doesn't know the girl at all in terms of her personal life. She definitely doesn't talk about it...

"I know this is all new, but you'll adjust," Frederic kisses the top of her head, bowing to Harmony. "After all, your friend seems to be getting on just fine."

Eugene is staring at himself in the mirror, just in green as he's trying on a black top hat. "Ooh-hoo-hoo, Helmut, my man, this hat ties the whole outfit together." Helmut is silently giggling instead of agreeing with him. He looked...well...like a leprechaun.

"Now I know what you're all thinking," He sprays on cologne while talking to Ulf and Shorty. " 'Why is Eugene such in a good mood today?' I mean, what gives?"

He looks at Big Nose, who's getting a spa treatment. "Now that we're living splendorly." He shaves the cream off Attilla's helmet. "Our dreams fulfilled extendedly." He hands Vladimir two tiny porcelain horses. "Why leave things open-endedly for Rapunzel and moi?" He takes a rose and shows it to Shorty. "Tonight I'll hand this rose to her, kneel down and then propose to her," He shows the ring to Big Nose and Ulf. "And give this ring I chose to her!"

"Nice," Big Nose comments in approval, Ulf fainting.

"Life's gonna be like strawberry sherbet," The man starts dancing with Max. "Once she is Mrs. Eugene Fitzherbert," Then he realizes how bad that sounds, "Okay, not great, but how about this?" He jumps to the couch, stomping it down. "Once she is Mrs. Eugene Fitzherbert~ And what better day to propose to a princess than at her coronation?"

_This is life happily ever after_

Harmony looks out the window, sighing as she looks at Rapunzel's chances of doing this well...it wasn't looking good.

_And it's like I'm teaching a dog old tricks_

She snaps the book shut, looking towards the forest.

_I know that she's been through a lot, and I don't blame her_

_But it shouldn't be so hard to teach her this_

She lightly sighs as she looks at herself in the mirror. It definitely wasn't easy to get to this point...it's like she doesn't remember all that she's taught her.

_Sure, it might be hard to take all of it in_

_Though this is a start of a new begin_

She takes the tiara that's similar to Rapunzel's but smaller. The girl puts it onto her head.

_This is happily ever after, after all_

Rapunzel opens up the window from her room.

"This is life happily ever after," All three of them sing. "And our story has finally reached its end."

Eugene jumps into a chair. "Settling down here."

"Year upon year."

"Month after month."

"Contended and secure," Eugene takes a bite out of his ice cream sundae.

"With dozens of duties we'll have to tend," Rapunzel takes a look at her bed.

"I don't know if we'll do it, but this day has to end," Harmony bites her lip as she opens the door to her room, looking at the portraits.

"And now that we've gotten the dream that we chose. Now that we're in for the haul. Now our adventures can come to a close, living happily ever after, after all~"

Rapunzel looks at the mural she's painted on her wall, depicting her life from the flower up until her return. "Now that I've gotten the dream that I chose..." She lightly touches the part where she's with her family reunited. "Why does my world feel so small? If this is it...and it is..." Her hand wavers in front of the crown. "I suppose...is this happily ever after...after all," She stares at herself in the mirror, slightly worried.

"Okay, no pressure. Just introducing myself to the most important people in the world," She gives herself a pep talk. "Representing my mom, dad, little sister...and the entire kingdom. We got this..."

* * *

A coronation poster is being put up by a little boy. A black rat squeaks, snatching one when the boy's back is turned. It goes into the sewers, reaching a room with a painting of the king in front, a mirror, a chair, a candlestick, and a large chair. The poster is brought to a woman.

"Lady Caine," A hooded figure approaches her. "What is it?"

"Time to pay our respects to our beloved royals..." She then sets the poster on fire.

* * *

Soon, it's time for the princesses to greet the royals that would be attending their coronation. Rapunzel is in a pink dress and Harmony is in a yellow one. They watch as a carriage comes forward. "We're good at making people feel welcome. This is completely doable...ish," She glances around nervously. Harmony leans in towards her ear.

"Remember what I taught you, sister. We do this every single time. Think of it as ripping off a bandaid."

Rapunzel smiles weakly for the reassurance. She sees Eugene in the crowd, who waves, and she waves back eagerly. Frederic clears his throat and she goes back to her normal position. More carriages arrive in the castle and she takes a deep breath.

"Your highness, I present Dame Elizabeth Van Hoskins of Rochester."

As soon as the woman steps up, Rapunzel engulfs her into a bear hug. She couldn't help it, she loves hugs. Harmony pinches her nose, both Cass and Eugene cringing.

"Get in here! So nice to meet you," Rapunzel fixes the woman's hat, but does nothing to her crumpled dress. Pascal shrugs at her while Daisy shakes her head slowly. Dame Elizabeth looks up at the king and princess, the man smiling sheepishly while Harmony just curtsies. She walks off, the older princess waving to her. Arianna brings her back to them.

"Um, didn't Harmony tell you about bear hugs, sweetheart?" Frederic murmurs to her.

"Oh! Right, no bear hugs. Gotcha. Sorry."

"Perhaps you will be better in conversation," Harmony gestures to the next carriage that comes to a stop in front of them.

"I present Lieutenant Commander General James Rutherford-Carver III."

Rapunzel sighs at the long name. "Phew. That's kind of a mouthful. Is it okay if I call you, Jimmy?"

"I'd prefer you didn't," He walks off and she glances at the others.

"Well, uh, welcome all the same!" She calls out.

"Sister," Harmony walks up to her. "Long name or not, you must remember that these are important people that are visiting our kingdom."

"I know, but...I can't help myself," She smiles sheepishly. "I'll get the next one, just wait."

"I present the Duchess of Quintonia." Standing in front of her is a make-up covered lady with a white powdered wig. Harmony blinks twice at her and could already tell that she's snobby and rude...but for some reason, she doesn't recognize that name at all. Ever since being in the castle for 14 years, she's had time to study all the kingdoms around Corona...was Quintonia even one of them?

"Wow, can I just say I love your hair," Rapunzel compliments, brushing a bang behind her ear. "I used to have really long hair too-"

"This is a handwoven coiffure weft from the finest silk and Vacuna fabrics," The 'Duchess' interrupts, "It designates high social status. You think you'd know that."

"Uh, still. Nice to meet you," Rapunzel giggles sheepishly.

She takes one glance at her. "Sadly, not nice enough to wear shoes, I'm afraid," She giggles at Rapunzel's bare feet. "Really. You'd think your own sister would have taught you better by now...but you're a lost cause."

"Duchess of Quintonia, was it?" Harmony gives her a strained smile. "All of us assume by now that those with high social status leave behind a well-liked kingdom. It seems that you are not one of them. And do not presume to know what we do and do not know, because guess what? Princesses are certainly higher in status and more...refined."

She gasps in shock and huffs, storming off.

_Bitch, _Harmony narrows her eyes at her. She needed to check out this woman's background...she might not show feelings from time to time, but no one insults her family.

Pascal glares at her and Daisy chirps in amusement, nuzzling Harmony's cheek for that payback speech. Rapunzel looks towards the ground sadly at her blunders, the queen placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry," She whispers to her sister and father, frowning.

* * *

Later that night, Rapunzel is sitting alone in a boat, staring at the dark water. Eugene comes up behind her.

"So...I think we learned something very valuable today," He speaks up, "There's a time and place for bear hugs." He chuckles and she does too, but lightly. Eugene hops in the boat, landing next to her. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah, great. Why wouldn't I be?" She smiles weakly, but she wasn't. She couldn't help but feel like...there was something more out there than all of these rules and restrictions...and she could understand why, though it almost felt like she was back with...her. At least back then, she had freedom to do whatever she wanted, but here...

Eugene notices her hesitance and gives a concerned look. Obviously, something was bothering her, and not just because of what happened earlier. She gives a sigh.

"It's just...Eugene, is all this everything you dreamed it would be?"

He smiles, taking a hold of her hand. "Rapunzel, you are my dream. So as long as you're with me, that answer's always going to be yes. Why, don't you feel the same way?"

"No Ye-Yes!" She stammers to him, "I mean, of course I do! I love you with all my heart, Eugene," She places his hand on her cheek, frowning.

"Look, I know this has got to be weird. No one's expecting you to take it all in overnight. But believe me, I've been all around the world and it doesn't get any better than this. This castle, our friends, your family, each other." He takes a hold of both her hands. "What else could you possibly want?"

"...Nothing," She chuckles a bit and they lean in to share a kiss when Cass suddenly leans in.

"Time to go."

This startles Eugene to the point where he falls into the water. He swims back up, coughing up water as he glares at her.

"Heh, how's that water feeling, Fitzherbert?" Cass crosses her arms, looking smug. Harmony gives her a look.

"Cassandra," She warns and by the look of her face, she didn't even want to interrupt them.

"Dark and icy...just like you."

She just chuckles and holds out her hand. "Come on, Rapunzel, it's time to head in. You don't wanna be exhausted for tomorrow."

"Right! My morning off!" Rapunzel exclaims in realization, helping Eugene back onto the boat and kissing his forehead. "Sorry."

Harmony curtsies to him as Rapunzel gets up and walks off. Cass smirks at Eugene and follows after them.

"Man, she scares me," Eugene mutters under his breath. It was no surprise that Cass doesn't like him, at all. And he feels the exact same way about her. She was always interrupting him with Rapunzel like now, and she was always coming up with smart remarks...

Harmony is brushing her hair at her vanity when a knock is heard at her door. "Enter."

Rapunzel opens the door and she glances over her shoulder. "Sister," She stands up, placing down the brush. "Has something happened?"

"I...wanted to talk to you," She rubs her arm, gently taking the brush and using it on Harmony's hair. They look at each other in the eyes through the mirror...and notice just how different they really are. "Um...Harmony, do you get...tired of teaching me this stuff?"

"No," She closes her eyes, taking a deep breath. She might've seemed annoyed earlier, but she has to remember that Rapunzel doesn't know any of this stuff. After all, she had been through a lot...both of them had, actually. Just in different circumstances…"You just need to adjust. I may not look approachable to some, but I do have patience. It's only a matter of time before you get the hang of it."

"So you're not mad at me?" The older princess asks hopefully.

"No!" Harmony shakes her head rapidly, opening her eyes. "Sister, I could never be angry with you..."

She smiles softly and hugs her from behind, surprising the girl. "I missed you, Harmi..." Despite the fact that she's only known her sister for a little while, it felt great to have a sibling that she can talk to about these kinds of things. They may be strangers...but they're still family.

The younger princess feels something in her chest, touching her heart as she tries not to smile. It feels...warm...and no one's ever given her a nickname before. It was always Harmony or Princess Harmony of Corona. But for some reason, Rapunzel just had this air around her that Harmony...had never experienced before. It was different...a good different.

"...I missed you just as much," She whispers, hugging Rapunzel's arm.

* * *

The next day, a horn sounds off and everyone turns their attention to the two princesses. "The princesses Rapunzel and Harmony will spend their day about town!"

Rapunzel eagerly steps forward, only to be squished between two guards that escort them around. She's not even walking.

She then waves to the townspeople, who either bow or curtsy. The local butcher waves his cleaver, causing a guard to tackle him, thinking that he was going to attack the princesses. The two cringe and Rapunzel leans in towards Harmony.

"Are they always like this?"

"Not as cautious as just then, no," She shakes her head as she's walking next to her. People hold out their hands, only to be slapped away. Rapunzel looks down a bit sad at this. She didn't think that it would be like this today...

They watch someone juggle fire, blowing it in front of their faces. Rapunzel looks in awe until the fire is doused by a guard.

"He was just doing his job," Harmony glares, gesturing to the street performer. "Is that really necessary?"

"Orders by the king: protect both princesses at any cost!"

A little girl in a braid train waves towards Rapunzel, who recognizes them as the little girls who braided her hair on her first visit to the kingdom. She's about to greet them when a guard starts braiding for the princess, much to her dismay. Harmony places a gentle hand on her shoulder in sympathy. If she was ever allowed to leave the castle, she had guards with her too, but they weren't this bombarding...

They watch as more hands are smacked away. When Rapunzel is cooing at a baby, the guard simply moves her away. Then a local woman offers two cupcakes to them and Harmony smiles just a little, a rare sight. She wouldn't admit it, but she loves sweets. A guard stops them from taking the cupcakes and sniffs it. He pokes at it repeatedly, and holds them out when he deems them suitable, but they're both squished...

The princesses and their two pets glance to each other.

* * *

Cass puts down a cup of tea, Rapunzel sitting on her chair in dismay. "Let me guess. Big day on the town wasn't all you hoped it'd be?" She asks knowingly and Rapunzel heaves a sigh.

"It was...interesting," She smiles weakly, Pascal blowing a raspberry.

"Uh huh, I bet," Cass places a hand on her hip.

"I just wish Dad would let me get out and see the real world," Rapunzel glances at her sister, who was sitting at her bed. "Don't you want that too?"

"Sister, I barely even step out of the castle enough as it is," Harmony sighs a little, crossing her arms. She really did want to see what was out there...but their father would always persist on either having her stay inside or go out supervised...

"You know, if you really wanted, I could get you in and out of here before anyone even knew that we were gone," Cass pushes open the window. Pascal chirps up in excitement, Daisy flapping her wings with a happy chirp. In all of her years with Harmony, she had stayed a duckling and couldn't exactly fly...

"Uh, you mean sneak me out?" Rapunzel stares at her.

"Exactly. What you do when no one's looking is your business," Cass points to them and the two sisters glance at each other. Though...Harmony still looks skeptical.

"Harmi...I know that you've been stuck here for years," Rapunzel places a hand on her shoulder. "But it doesn't have to be like that. You could be more than this..."

"...I..."

Suddenly, there's a knock at the door, interrupting the princess. "The royal banquet is ready to receive the princesses now!"

"Cheer up, Raps, Harmi," Cass walks past them. "Hey, maybe your dad got someone to chew your food for ya."

They just give her a 'really' look.

* * *

The ceilings are decorated with symbols of Corona as six tables are in the room, decorated with gold tablecloths and purple bows. Eugene closes the red box that holds the engagement ring, placing it in his jacket. Suddenly, food remains fall on his cheek and he glances at the little boy. He got stuck at the kids table...

"I'm in charge of the seating charts," Cass walks past him, "One of the perks of the job."

"I don't understand why you're both so upset, sweethearts," Frederic notices the silent daughters. "I said you could do whatever you both wanted. That's exactly what you did."

"Hmm, you didn't say anything about a battalion tagging along," Rapunzel glances at him with a forced smile.

"Why would I need to? You're royalty, making a public appearance," He informs them. "Harmony, you've done this plenty of times. What makes this time so different?"

"Papa," She speaks up, surprising her family that she's being so informal for once. "Sister is right."

"And Dad-"

Eugene clears his throat, getting everyone's attention. "Ladies and gentlemen, uh, dukes and duchesses, Barons and Baronesses, Marquis and, you know, the female version of those, may I share a moment of history with you."

"What is he doing?" Harmony whispers to Rapunzel, who shrugs cluelessly. Clearly, this wasn't part of the banquet...

"Princess Rapunzel, would you join me up here?" Eugene holds out his hand and she glances between it and him. Smiling sheepishly, she stands up, knowing that if she didn't, she'd be embarrassing herself...more than she already feels, anyway. Everyone watches as she holds Eugene's hand. "Tonight, we celebrate our love for the princesses."

Rapunzel glances behind him to look at Cass, who shrugs, just as confused as everyone else. "I, for one, can think of no better way to celebrate the love I have for this woman than this." He gets down on one knee, everyone's mouths flying open.

"Eugene! Wait. Did you drop something?" She looks at the floor, confused.

"Oh no...Eugene, you didn't," Harmony whispers next to her mother, pinching her nose. If she had known about this earlier, she definitely would've talked him out of it!

"No," He holds out the box, opening it to reveal the ring. She beams at it, Frederic standing up in surprise. "Rapunzel, from the moment I first met you and you knocked me out with that frying pan, I knew it was love. You're my light, you're my best friend, and I wanna be your partner in all things." She smiles at the heartfelt words. "I can't wait to laugh with you and share with you. I see us raising our children here, and our children's children, or our nieces or nephews-"

Harmony chokes on her steak, coughing it up into a napkin in utter shock. "And celebrating banquets of our own in this very hall for many, many, many, many years to come. I wanna ride our horses to the Corona Wall together each morning until we're both very, very old and gray."

Her smile drops at those last five words. Here in the castle...with the guards watching after her every single day with no freedom? Never knowing what could be out there?

"I love you, Rapunzel, and I want to spend the rest of our lives here together," He finishes and she looks at her sister, who is biting her lip. She has the same hesitation as her older sister...

"Here? In this...castle...forever?" Rapunzel asks slowly.

"I mean, unless you wanna rent, but I hardly see how we're gonna top this."

She wasn't ready...there was so much more out there that she's yet to discover...it's too soon to settle down, especially all that's happened lately.

_And I wanna spend the rest of my life with you here...and it doesn't get any better than this..._

She stares at his smiling face, glancing at her father, who just stares. _Princesses need to be protected at all times._

Looking towards the guards, and then back at her sister...she couldn't do this. "Rapunzel?"

Eugene's voice snaps her out of it. "Rapunzel?"

She sighs, feeling hesitant. "I've...wow! I...love you, Eugene, but...I-I can't. Just not-not now," She backs away a bit, her body feeling tighter and tighter. "Um, I need some air."

To the shock of all the other guests, she runs out of there, Cass glaring at Eugene. Confused, he looks to Harmony, who just stands up and runs after her sister.

* * *

"Oh, I feel horrible about Eugene," Rapunzel confesses to Cass and Harmony, pacing around in her room. "I do love him, and I wanna marry him someday, but not like this! Ugh! I need to get out and clear my head _without _a fleet of guards tailing me."

"Say no more," Cass stands up with a smirk. "You coming, Princess Stickler?"

"I resent that," Harmony crosses her arms. "And no. Father would be angry."

"No one would have to find out," Rapunzel approaches the girl, sitting next to her. "Please, Harmi. You're my little sister, and we share everything together, including this. Princesses by chance, and sisters by choice. I want you to have adventure!"

Harmony sighs slowly, glancing away. It...would be fun to not be reserved and poised for once...and it was tempting...

"Okay...I'll go."

"Yay!" Rapunzel engulfs her into a bear hug.

Cass opens up a closet door and Rapunzel gasps in surprise at all the weapons. "Whoa. Where's the war?"

"Well," Cass takes off her headdress. "When your dad is Captain of the Guards, you tend to collect...stuff," She waves a dagger in her hand. Rapunzel sees a metal ball and takes it, dropping it when it turns into a ball of spikes. Harmony picks out two cloaks for them, the two looking up to see Cass in her warrior outfit.

"I have a feeling this is gonna be fun," Rapunzel grins, putting the hood over her head. "Pascal, I need you and Daisy to stay here and make sure no one knows we're gone."

Pascal salutes while Daisy just chirps. Harmony bends down to her, using one finger to nuzzle the top of her head. The duckling chirps at the contact.

* * *

Eugene walks up to Rapunzel's room, where two guards Pete and Stan are standing...well, guard. He looks at the portrait of the king and queen before Pete and Stan hold their axes in an X, blocking him from the door.

"The princess' lady-in-waiting made it expressly clear-"

"Lady-in-wa—wait, you mean Cassandra?" Eugene laughs in disbelief, "First off, calling Cassandra a 'lady' anything is being incredibly generous. Secondly, come on, Stan. It's me, your buddy, Eugene. Eugene the fiend! You know Rapunzel would want to talk to me if you let me in."

"Sorry, Eugene," Stan whispers to him, "Orders are orders."

"Alright, just doing your job, I respect that." He starts to walk away, but comes right back. He had to talk to her about what happened. "You sure there's no way to let me in?"

Stan simply looks down and Eugene darts his eyes to his handkerchief, pointing to it. The guard simply smiles.

Eugene opens the doors, finding a dark room. "Rapunzel?"

Daisy and Pascal immediately go into action at his voice. "Rapunzel?" The chameleon grabs a vase, the duckling spinning the lamp so that it shows only the shadow of the 'princess.' "There you are. Um...look, Rapunzel, I am sorry. I am so sorry, I should have never have put you on the spot like that."

He's actually talking to a flower pot for a head behind the screen. Pascal and Daisy struggle to keep it together. "But I want you to know, I-I meant it. I want to marry you, I love you!"

The two pets couldn't help but smile a little at the words. Suddenly a fly appears and Eugene takes the silence to mean that 'she' didn't want to talk to him. "It's okay, you're still upset, I understand."

Daisy moves the stick arms, trying to swat away the fly. "You're not ready to say it back yet."

Pascal tries to catch the fly and eventually does so. "Totally cool," Eugene leans against the pillow on Rapunzel's bed. "Oh man, that is a good pillow! What is that, goose down? Some kind of down? Horse hair? Alpaca?"

Daisy makes the hands so that they're on the hips.

"Alright...look, I know there's still a ton of details we need to figure out...and I may have jumped the gun a little. It's just that...growing up poor and alone, I got used to having nothing," He crosses his arms, the pets trying not to tear up. "But now with you, I finally have something, you know? We have something. Something that is amazing. And I guess tonight I was just trying to keep it that way. And I thought that's what you wanted too...but I guess I was wrong."

Pascal holds up the head, struggling. "Oh come on, say something," Eugene notices that she's been quiet the whole time. The head suddenly falls off, startling Eugene. He quickly moves away the screen to see Pascal and Daisy, both of them embarrassed. "Fantastic. I just poured my heart out to a frog and an ugly duckling."

Daisy chirps in anger at him. "Okay, where'd she go? Or Harmony for that matter?"

The lizard just shrugs, Daisy turning away. "Pascal, Daisy, you both do realize that if the king finds out they're both gone, we're all going to be in big trouble, right?"

Pascal drops his pink hue in realization, Daisy chirping with a small shameful nod.

Pete is giving Stan a disapproving look. "I'm aware it's not protocol, Pete, I just...happen to think it highlights my mustache."

Eugene suddenly opens the door, smiling nervously and hoping that they won't check on her. "Hey Stan, great look! I mean, it really brings out the stache!" He runs off, the guard giving his friend a dirty look. Pete just sags his shoulders in defeat.

* * *

"Alright," A large man stabs a dagger into the table. "You got us all here. What's this plan of yours?"

"Oh, it's not my plan, boys." Pocket approaches them. "It's Lady Caine's plan."

The four all gasp at the name, and murmur in surprise. "Did he say Lady Caine?"

"See, 18 years ago, the oldest princess was taken from Corona, and it was because of her and her sister that the king unfairly cracked down on all those he considered undesirable...us," Pocket gestures to himself. When Rapunzel had been taken from the castle, the king ordered for all criminals to be arrested, not just to incriminate them as possible suspects, but also to protect his youngest daughter from the same fate...

"Yeah...so?"

"Gentlemen, Lady Caine is promising not only to make you all rich, but is offering you the opportunity to exact revenge on the king and his precious little princesses," Pocket throws the apple at the banner behind the four. "So who's in?"

* * *

Cass opens up a door, holding a lantern. The princesses follow behind her into the room.

"I can't believe we're doing this," Harmony murmurs, pulling up the cloak further.

"Oh come on, live a little," Cass tells her while pushing a crate. She then moves a banner, revealing a tunnel entrance. Rapunzel gasps sharply as she removes her hood.

"Is that a secret passage?!" She moves the banner away and it lands on Cass.

"It was before you announced it to the whole castle," Removing it, she sees only Harmony. "Rapunzel?"

The princess simply points to the entrance.

* * *

"Rapunzel?" Eugene is checking all of the rooms, the two pets on his shoulders. "Harmony?" He opens a door, peeking in. "Girls, are you in there?"

He hears someone clear his throat and sees the king approaching. "Is who in there, Eugene?" He asks thinly, still having some feelings over what happened at the banquet. The former thief quickly closes the door, sliding to a stop in front of the king.

"No one! This is just part of my nightly routine. You know? Yeah, checking the castle for intruders, keeping an eye on Rapunzel and Harmony, like I promised."

"Mhm," The king hums slightly as Eugene checks another room.

"Hey, is anyone in there? No? Good! See?" He closes the door. "The system...works...really well, I think-"

"Eugene," Frederic interrupts him, "Where are my daughters?"

"Uh, ah, in their rooms, of course," Eugene gestures to a door in the hallway in front of Rapunzel's room, where two other guards are standing by.

"Good. I'd like to speak with them," He steps forward and the man panics a little. Stepping around, he stops the king.

"You can't! I mean...you can, obviously," He pats Frederic's arm. "You do whatever you want. You're the king! A very large, intimidating, beardy, yet clearly understanding king. It's just...she-she's still upset and she said she needed time alone. And Harmony said that she still needs time adjusting to her sister being here! I was only trying to respect that...but, like I said, you are the king."

He sees Frederic's slight glare. "The very sweet...and non-hostile king."

"...Well," He looks towards the doors. "Maybe they do need some time to themselves," He remembers what they said to him at the banquet. Bothering them now might not do any good and would only cause them to recluse in their rooms... "But when you see both of them, please tell my daughters that I am looking for them."

"Sir, uh, about the whole proposal earlier," He actually had been meaning to apologize about that, since it was kind of embarrassing for the kingdom to endure... "That didn't go quite as I had hoped."

"We'll discuss that later, son," He glances at Eugene over his shoulder. "Much later..."

"Right..." He looks to the two pets. "We all have bigger fish to fry." He runs off to go look for the two princesses.

* * *

At the docks, Rapunzel opens up a vent grate. "That was so fun!" She exclaims in excitement, helping Harmony onto her feet.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to remind you that we're supposed to be sneaking out," Cass replies, putting down the cover.

"Cass, I think you'll discover I can be pretty sneaky when I need to," Rapunzel retorts back, Cass grabbing her. Harmony runs after them as they hide around the corner, two guards appearing in the area.

"Nightly patrols," She murmurs in realization, "We can get by them if we time it right."

"Just have to wait for the right opening," Harmony whispers quietly, peeking at them.

"Wait, how did you know they were coming?" Rapunzel asks curiously. She hadn't even heard them approach.

"I have eyes in the sky," Cass holds out her arm and an owl flies up to them, fascinating Rapunzel. The owl lands on Rapunzel's wrist.

"That is amazing! You have your own owl! What's his name?" She looks at him fondly.

"Owl," Cass replies simply, throwing up her arm so Owl can fly away.

"Does Daisy do that for you?" Rapunzel turns towards her sister.

"No, she cannot fly," Harmony shakes her head. "But I have snuck out before, so I took the time to memorize when and where the guards walk around at night, every single one."

"I thought you don't sneak out," Cass raises a brow at her.

"There is a lot others do not know about me, even you," Harmony winks at the woman. Cass blinks in shock, hands on her hips.

"Guess you're not Princess Stickler at all, huh?"

"Never was," Harmony crosses her arms with a huff. "Just a princess."

Cass clicks her teeth, Maximus coming out of hiding. He sniffs the ground as Fidella walks next to him. "Max!" Rapunzel exclaims in surprise. She didn't think that Max would even want to sneak out, since it's not in his nature.

"Yeah, when he heard I was sneaking you out of here, he insisted he come along," Cass smirks and Harmony approaches the horse, patting his snout.

"Good boy," She holds out an apple for him and he eagerly bites into it. Rapunzel and Cass turn to each other in shock as Harmony pets Max. They've never seen Harmony be so...gentle before. She's usually hiding her emotions, but now...it's like they're looking at a whole different princess.

She sees their looks, confused at how they're staring at her. "What?"

"Nothing," They both say in unison.

"And between you and me, I think he's got something for you-know-who," Cass whispers as she walks off with Fidella, Max whinnying in embarrassment.

"It'll be our little secret," Rapunzel assures him, Harmony nodding in agreement. Cass fires an arrow with a rope attached and it goes flying across the water. She pulls the rope forward with them on a boat past the guards on the bridge. "Hey..." She places a hand on Harmony's back, noticing that she has a frown on her face. "You okay?"

"Yes...though, I am...sorry about what Father did during our morning out," She looks up at the brown-haired woman. "I know how much you wished for that freedom..."

"We'll talk to him about that together," Rapunzel hugs the girl. "I'm just glad we're having some sister time together."

"I am glad as well," Harmony smiles up at her.

"Harmi, you don't have to keep talking like that, you know," Cass speaks up. "It's weird. You're 14 years old, not 64."

Rapunzel laughs a little as the princess crosses her arms with a small pout.

* * *

Frederic stares at a family portrait of him, his wife, and his two daughters, sighing heavily. Arianna is reading a book behind him.

"Aw honey, stop beating yourself up. The girls just need some space," She smiles a little, putting down the book. "Nobody said dealing with teenagers would be easy."

"Teenager or not, Arianna, our oldest will be queen one day, and our youngest eventually whenever her sister can no longer take that role. I have to prepare them for that."

She stares at him, having a feeling this was more than just preparing them for the future. He can still remember calling for the guards when Rapunzel was taken away from him, there on that very balcony he's looking at...

_Guards! Guards! My child! RAPUNZEL!_

He closes the doors, locking them. Arianna steps up behind him. "I just want to protect them..."

* * *

Rapunzel looks past the fog up in front as she's looking at all the trees. She stands up slowly, hesitant.

_R: Seems like I've spent my whole life hoping_

She takes one step on the grass.

_Dreaming of things I've never tried_

She looks up at Max and hugs him.

_Tangled in knots just waiting for my time to shine_

Together, the five walk through the field, looking around. Harmony grips her hood in slight fear. She's snuck out before, but...never like this. Never with anyone besides herself.

**H: I've been so alone my whole life waiting**

Rapunzel places a hand on her shoulder, smiling. Harmony returns it.

**Now I've got friends the whole way through**

Harmony and Rapunzel step forward together, taking a slight breath.

**Racked with emotions, it's now our time**

Rapunzel grips her sister's hand.

_R: What if the doors began to open?_

The two princesses remove their hoods.

_What if the knots became untied?_

Rapunzel glances back at Cass, who's smirking.

_What if one day nothing stood in my way, and the world was mine?_

The wind blows in their hair as they hold out their arms, feeling the cool breeze.

_**B: Would it feel this fine?**_

The two jump onto Max.

_R: Cause I've got the wind in my hair_

Cass follows after the two, Harmony hugging her sister as her skirt and hair go flying.

_And a gleam in my eyes on an endless horizon_

Harmony and Rapunzel lift their skirts, walking through a pond.

_I got a smile on my face, and I'm walking on air_

Harmony points down to the fish in the water, both of them looking in awe.

_**B: And everything life ought to be**_

Rapunzel and Harmony start running in unison, following the fish jumping in the water.

_**It's all gonna happen to us out there**_

Harmony touches the water next to her while running, flicking some on her sister who laughs.

_**And we'll find it, we swear**_

They stand next to a waterfall, the older princess tucking a hair behind her ear.

_**With the wind in our hair...**_

Rapunzel touches the waterfall like Harmony did with the pond, both of them smiling.

_So many roads I've yet to travel_

The three girls appear at two paths, deciding to go right.

_So many friends I haven't met_

A bunny hops in front of them, but a wolf appears.

_So many new adventures just around the bend_

Cass pulls out her sword, only to be baffled when Rapunzel starts rubbing the wolf's belly. Harmony giggles at them.

**So many things I haven't done**

Harmony moves past a wall of leaves, staring at the lake in front of them.

**So many thrills I've missed out on**

Rapunzel and Cass take one look at the teenager's updo, smirking at each other. Together, they unravel Harmony's braided bun, letting it fall loose around her hips. She moves a stray strand behind her ear in surprise, smiling at them.

**So many experiences waiting for me**

The three see fireflies up ahead, beaming at each other.

_Plenty of mysteries to unravel_

Cass moves apart some grass.

_Ton of mistakes to not regret_

Rapunzel also moves some, the fireflies lighting up the whole pond. Harmony opens her mouth in awe.

_So much to see, and to do, and to be_

The oldest princess removes a firefly from her hands, following after it.

_A whole life to spend_

The girls run after the fireflies.

_**And it doesn't end**_

They get back on the horses in excitement. Max jumps besides the moon, Harmony hugging Rapunzel in slight fear before she smiles, loving this feeling that she hasn't had in years...

_**Cause I've got the wind in my hair**_

The two sisters smile as Max keeps going.

_**And a song in our hearts **_

_**And the fun's only starting**_

They jump onto the top of the Corona Walls, the fireflies fluttering around them.

_**We've got a skip in our step and we haven't a care**_

The fireflies fly around them, causing them to spin around. Rapunzel throws a rope down.

**And everything life ought to be**

Stepping up slowly, they look over the grass up ahead.

_Well, I know that it's waiting for me out there_

They glance back at the castle behind them, sure in their decision.

_**And we'll find it, we swear**_

Together, they run up to the edge and jump.

_**With the wind in our haaaaaair!**_

They slide down the rope, and eventually reach a bridge with cracks in it. "Just remember, no one can ever know I took you both outside the walls of Corona," Cass reminds them.

"Don't worry, no one is gonna find out," Rapunzel assures her.

"I won't tell," Harmony waves it off, "Princess' honor."

"Harmi! You spoke a normal sentence!" Rapunzel hugs her proudly.

"I did?" She rubs the back of her neck sheepishly. "I didn't notice...I guess being around you...changes me," She smiles up at her sister, who returns it fondly. The two sisters go first, but the bridge is slowly falling apart with each step. A crack appears underneath Max and he freaks out.

"Whoa, whoa, Max," Rapunzel calms him down. "Alright, this looks dangerous, can you...can you stay here and watch Fidella for us?"

"We promise we won't be long," Harmony smiles at him a little. She, Cass, and Rapunzel walk on the bridge, leaving behind the horses. With two of them, they would've surely broken the bridge for sure...Fidella, however, makes it clear that she does not want to be watched.

A chunk of the bridge falls, the two horses glancing at each other skeptically. "So, what did you want to show us?" Rapunzel asks excitedly as the three walk along the edge of a cliff. Cass looks around for anyone before she decides the coast is clear.

"Believe me, it's better if you two see it for yourselves," She escorts them forward and the two stop walking once they see...black rocks. It seems to be surrounding something on a pedestal...

"They're...beautiful," Rapunzel murmurs at one. "What are they?"

"Don't know," Cass speaks up, "This just kind of sprouted up here about a year ago."

"I've never gotten reports of black rocks anywhere...why am I only now just learning about this?" Harmony whispers in confusion. And Cass' explanation of the timeline is pretty specific...so close to the time that Rapunzel returned.

"And watch this," Cass pulls out her sword before glancing at the princesses nervously. "Uh, y-you both might wanna stand back for this one."

"Oh," Harmony guides Rapunzel back a bit. Cass swings her sword...and it breaks when it touches the black rocks. The two recoil back a bit.

"Wow..."

"They're unbreakable," Cass puts whatever was left of her sword back into the holster behind her. "And wanna know the weirdest part?" The two princesses step forward. "This is where they found the miracle flower that saved your mom, and the moonstone opal that was a gift for you, Princess Harmony."

Harmony recoils back in slight horror, glancing back at Cass. "What?" She murmurs slowly, turning back to the black rocks in shock. So...the same 'present' to her when she was young...was found here...where there are now black rocks sprouting...

She looks at her left palm...which has a moon symbol in black. It was marked on her when she was born...

"And me," Rapunzel whispers, wiping away some of the dust. Harmony joins her side and the black rocks start to glow. Cass looks at the two as they reach their hands out together. The rocks glow brighter in blue and the two sisters touch one at the same time. This sends a blast, knocking them away as there's a large explosion, disturbing the water even.

The three sit up...and the left side of Rapunzel's bangs start to glow gold while Harmony's glows a bright blue. They look at their hair in shock and Harmony's moon symbol glows blue, sprouting a black rock towards Rapunzel.

Harmony slides back in shock, looking at her left hand. Did she...did she do that?

Another one arrives and the girl gasps in shock. The two turn towards Harmony. "How are you-"

"I-I don't know!" She stammers in horror and a bunch of them appear, heading straight towards them.

"Doesn't matter, let's go!" Cass grabs their hands, pulling them away. They take off into a run, the black rocks following them in a frenzy.

"Harmi, what is-"

"Get to the horses as fast as you can," Cass orders the two, "And don't look back, you two!"

Rapunzel grabs her sister's right hand and slides underneath a black rock, the left palm still glowing. Cass glances behind her, seeing more of them.

"Don't stop, princesses, keep going!" She shouts at them and they run past the trees. Cass kicks a branch, causing rocks to fall as she chases after them. Rapunzel's hair glows brighter as Harmony's gets darker. The older princess' hair gets longer until she jumps over a hill...with her blonde hair returning to full 70 feet length.

Harmony's bangs are now a full on turquoise blue.

"Oh..." Rapunzel starts off.

"No," Harmony finishes in dismay.


	2. Before Ever After Part 2

**Angel: I wanna say I'll upload on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I'm only on episode 10, so I can't guarantee an update every single week, especially since it's the holidays. The only reason why I updated yesterday is because I had a lot of people asking me why I hadn't released it XD**

_Harmony here! Previously on Before Ever After, I met my older sister Rapunzel when I returned from helping a kingdom in need...and to be honest, she hasn't adjusted well. She doesn't really know what she's in for...anyway, the royal banquet happened, and Eugene, the former thief that helped saved her, ended up proposing! Rapunzel ran out, and then I ended up being snuck out with her and Cass for a little adventure...hopefully Pascal and Daisy can keep anyone from finding out. We stumbled upon these black rocks, and when we touched them, somehow my sister got 70 feet of blonde hair back, and I ended getting my moon powers returned to me!_

_Oh boy...how are we gonna get out of this one..._

"Um, Cassandra?" Rapunzel calls out nervously.

"We have a problem," Harmony touches her bangs anxiously.

"Keep moving, princesses, we need to get-whoa!" Cass comes to an abrupt stop as she sees the very, very long hair... "What?!"

Harmony glances at her, holding her bangs again. The moon symbol on her hand continues to glow as Rapunzel examines her hair in shock, biting her lip.

"What happened?!" Cass demands once she's snapped out of shock.

"We have no idea! But we'll have to deal with it later," Rapunzel looks up ahead. "Let's go!" She grabs their hands and runs forward with them, the black rocks appearing behind them. Harmony gasps at her hand, waving it lightly to try and make it stop, but it was no use. They step onto the bridge, running as fast as they can to get to the two horses. Maximus stares at Rapunzel, stepping closer for a closer look at her, causing part of the bridge to break away. Now there's a noticeable gap. Another piece breaks, sending the three girls onto the ground.

They quickly get up and run past the moon when Rapunzel is sent backwards. "Cassandra! Harmony! My hair!" She pulls at it, but it's stuck behind a rock. The rocks are getting to their path, Harmony backing away in slight horror. She couldn't believe she was doing this...

"Come on!" Cass grabs her right hand, pulling her over to Rapunzel. The two help her pull as hard as they can as the rocks get to the bridge, breaking almost half of it and sending it into the air above them. They stare up in shock as the slab goes back down, about to break.

The three get onto the feet, staring at the danger...the bridge is now broken into four parts, slowly breaking apart underneath them. Rapunzel grits her teeth as her hair won't budge, Cass running forward. She then sees her broken sword and throws it away. Harmony jumps over the small gap and runs behind Cass, who stops suddenly as the section holding Rapunzel's hair lowers slightly. Rapunzel struggles to keep her footing and the two run back to her.

Suddenly, she's sent flying off the platform until the princess and lady-in-waiting grab her by the cape. "Whoa!" She shouts as they're all struggling. Max jumps over and runs to the end of Rapunzel's hair, trying not to focus on the bridge practically falling apart underneath him. The black rocks appear on the cliff and Max stomps on the rocks holding Rapunzel's hair. The three land on their backs, but are now stuck as both directions have fallen. Max is stuck on the other side, staring at the persistent black rocks. He jumps before he could fall off, running as fast as he can back to the girls. They cringe at the unforgiving abyss underneath them. Max jumps across and they leap for it, Rapunzel and Harmony landing on his saddle. Cass grabs Rapunzel's hair, but lets go, holding onto the edge of the bridge.

The two princesses gasp sharply. "Cassandra!"

She falls, but Fidella catches the back of her outfit with her mouth. The bridge is completely gone now as they hear a thud, the smoke blowing past them.

"See?" Cass asks the panting sisters. "I told you I'd get you in and out without anyone knowing. Piece of cake."

"Piece of cake?" The two question in disbelief.

"Uh, did you see the 70 feet of 'our father's going to kill us' growing from my head?" Rapunzel grips her long locks.

"Or the 'he's going to make sure we never see daylight again' inexplicably coming from my glowing hand and hair?!" Harmony holds out her left hand, the moon symbol still glowing, along with her blue bangs.

"One problem at a time, please," She replies and they go back to the castle, Rapunzel's hair flying behind her. It's early morning as they sneak into the kingdom, seeing the bunch of guards walking around, more so than at nightly patrols.

"We've got a problem. Because of the coronations, they've doubled security at the gates today," Cass peeks around the corner.

"That sounds like Papa, alright," Harmony sighs, crossing her arms.

"And there's no other way in?" Rapunzel asks in worry. If the guards see the princesses like this, they were done for sure.

"Sure, if you wanna walk through the front door in broad daylight," Cass replies obviously. Rapunzel looks around and sees one of the towers.

"Hm, maybe we don't need the front door..."

Maximus sniffs around, hiding around the corner. The guards are still in front of the princesses' rooms. He stands tall and walks up to the guards. He stares them down, seeing the handkerchief that's still on Stan. The guard smiles sheepishly.

"I told him it wasn't protocol, sir," Pete tells the horse, who gestures for them all to leave. They salute and walk down the hall, the horse opening the door. He sees the end of Rapunzel's hair and runs forward, Cass jumping into the window. Harmony follows soon after and her sister pants.

"Okay, quick, hand me the scissors!" She points to the scissors across from them. Cass grabs them and smirks a little.

"So what do we wanna do here? Maybe a bob? How about some layers?"

"Just cut them!" The two say urgently. However, when Cass tries to do so...it breaks once it touches Rapunzel's hair.

"Uh oh."

"Erm," Harmony bites her lip anxiously.

"Uh oh? Why uh oh? There shouldn't be any uh ohs!" Rapunzel turns around and sees the broken scissors. "Uh oh..."

Cass grabs another pair and holds up Harmony's bang, but the same thing happens: they break on contact.

"What?!" She exclaims in shock; even when she got trims, her hair never reacted like...that!

"Was your hair always this strong?" Cass asks slowly as she puts down the pairs of broken scissors.

"What? No! Try again," Rapunzel urges her. She does so with a dagger, but it bends and she frowns at it. "We're gonna need a plan B..."

Cass goes into her satchel that was at Maximus' waist and opens it, revealing a bunch of sharp weapons. She pulls out a cleaver.

"Rapunzel, cover your eyes. Harmony, step back."

They do as asked as Rapunzel's hair lays across the table. Cass slowly steps forward and slams on the hair...but the cleaver breaks in pieces. Harmony gasps in shock, covering her eyes with her arm. A mace is broken off, an axe with the same result, and even a tiny axe does nothing. Then she tries a huge axe, but it breaks the table.

"Forget it! They're just like those stupid rocks," She lightly touches Harmony's blue bang, examining Rapunzel's hair. "They're unbreakable!"

"We can't forget it! Today is our coronation," Rapunzel reminds her.

"We can't go out looking like this!" Harmony gestures to herself and her sister. The door suddenly knocks, causing all of them to silently panic.

"Hey, sunshine, are you in there?" Eugene asks, hoping that she was or else the king would have his hide!

Rapunzel is about to open the door when Cass grabs her arm. "You can't let Eugene see either of you."

"What? Why?" She asks in confusion.

"What's wrong with Eugene?" Harmony points towards the door.

"Everything! He can't know anything about last night. I told you two. If it gets out that I took you both outside Corona, I'm done for."

"But I trust Eugene," Rapunzel slowly places a lock behind her ear.

"He means a lot to her, Cass," Harmony frowns a little.

"Well, I don't trust him! My dad will have me taken off princess detail. We'll never see each other again," Cass looks at them pleadingly and they glance at each other, wondering just what to do...

"Oh come on, we've been looking for you two all night," Eugene calls out. The two frown a little, staring at Cass. She was practically begging them not to tell...they nod silently in agreement and Cass starts gathering around the hair. Harmony tries to hide her bangs, but they're too noticeable...

"Hey, are you okay in there? I can hear you, you know!" Rapunzel tries to help Cass, only to be sent onto the floor because her hair is stuck in the axe. She lets out a yelp, immediately alerting Daisy, Eugene, and Pascal. "Rapunzel!"

Cass pushes hair into a closet, Rapunzel hiding some under her bed. "Rapunzel!"

Harmony tosses some up onto the book shelf, trying to find something to hide her hair with. "Rapunzel!" Max drags a carpet onto a pile of hair.

"Stand back!" Eugene has had enough and breaks the door open. "Are you okay-holy hair!"

The four freeze in alarm as they're all holding strands of Rapunzel's blonde hair. Eugene is shocked while Pascal and Daisy look happy to see the hair in various hiding spots. Then they see the blue bangs from Harmony and the two princess chuckle sheepishly.

"Surprise...?"

He takes a deep breath as Rapunzel sits him down. "Whoo, mama! Ha! Okay, okay...this is new. I mean, no, not new. Right? Because we've seen this, obviously. That whole magic thing is involved again. And the whole blue thing from your younger sister, now that's new, but it's still crazy! This was magic, right? Actually, you know what? You don't need to tell me. I'm just gonna go ahead and say your blonde hair magically grew back, along with this moon symbol and hairdo," Eugene holds up Harmony's left palm, poking at her bangs. "I'm not gonna ask how. Obviously neither of you want to tell me or else you wouldn't have tried to hide them from me. So, I won't ask how it grew back, or how you got your moon powers back, but tell me please, how did they come back? Don't answer that. The important thing is that you're both okay. You're both okay, right? Because as long as you're both okay, I don't care what happened. But I mean, I care, obviously I care, but I'm sure there are reasonable explanations. Where is the war?!"

"Oh boy," Harmony rubs the back of her neck.

"That you'll share when you're both ready."

"Thank you for understanding," Rapunzel smiles softly as he's grinning widely.

"Oh, come on! Really?! I thought we trusted each other, Rapunzel!"

She cringes at his outburst and Harmony slaps him across the face. "Ow! ...You know what, I actually needed that."

"You're welcome," Harmony waves it off.

"We do trust each other, Eugene!" Rapunzel exclaims to him, "I do, it's just..."

"Fine, fine. You know what? I can't make either of you tell me what happened, but obviously you're keeping something from me. But whatever it is," He places his hands on Rapunzel's shoulders. "I-I just want you to know you should never feel like you have to hide anything from me."

She smiles softly at him, the animals looking on fondly. Cass just rolls her eyes and Harmony looks up at them with a grin.

"You don't hide things from the people you love...ever," Eugene smiles at her.

"Rapunzel, Harmony, sweethearts," Arianna's voice calls out from behind the doors.

"Hide your hair, women! You gotta hide your hair," Eugene tells them without a second thought.

"Girls?" The queen is about to open the door. Pascal and Daisy act quickly, slamming the door shut. "May I come in here, girls?" She jiggles the doorknob, and the two weren't sure how long they could hold it. Max comes in to help, and his tail rests about Pascal's hair.

"You can't! I'm...brushing my teeth!" She disguises her voice as if she is doing that.

"And I'm...helping her pick out an outfit!" Harmony opens up the closet.

"Oh, good. But I can still come in, can't I?" Nothing could make her not check in on them...and after the whole ordeal last night, no one had seen the princesses since then.

"Believe me Mom, you do not want to. Morning breath," Rapunzel chuckles nervously. "Wouldn't wanna expose you to that."

"She's right! It's...bad for your pores," Harmony cringes at her excuse, Rapunzel giving the other two a thumbs up. They just shake their heads.

"That's, ah, very thoughtful of you both, and I'm glad you two are spending some quality sister time together, but Dad and I want you two to join us on the terrace for breakfast."

"Um...I don't know. There's a lot of stuff we have to do to get ready," Rapunzel winces, looking at her hair in her hands.

"Girls, well...your father has something very important to share with the both of you. He's...he's been waiting all night."

They glance to each other briefly, feeling a little bit guilty. It hurt to hide all of this...but they had to. "Yeah, sure, um...we will meet you there in a minute?" She hears the queen leave and starts panicking again. "The coronation is in two hours! How are we supposed to cut this hair?!"

"And even if I could cut mine, I can't exactly cut off my own hand. I need my hands," Harmony holds up her left palm.

Cass glances at the hair and then at the horse's tail still on Pascal's head. "I...might have an idea," She smiles a little.

* * *

"Oh, uh...girls, ready for the big day?" Arianna asks slowly as the two stare. Their daughters have large wigs to cover their hair, while Harmony is wearing white gloves. The symbol was still glowing, unfortunately…

"You bet! Already into the princess spirit," Rapunzel smiles a bit as the wig moves around a little due to the weight of her own hair.

"Yeah, since Rapunzel has changed me a lot, I thought I might embrace the look the Duchess had..." Harmony didn't mean that on any level, though. She still thought the woman was a total bitch.

"The bigger the wig, the bigger the princess, right?" Rapunzel asks while adjusting her wig. "So Dad, Mom said you wanted to talk to us."

"Yes," He glances at his wife, who sips her tea. "Rapunzel, Harmony, last night, your mother and I had a discussion," He sighs heavily, getting onto his feet. "I know that I'm not always able to separate the man from the king and separating the father from the king has proven even more difficult."

They watch as he stands at the edge of the gazebo. He lets out another sigh as he sees them playing with their food. "Girls, I know this new life is hard to get used to...and I'm sure that sometimes you wish I would just get out of your hair."

The two cough, choking a little from their food. "Sorry. It's a little, um, dry out here. Anyone else dry?" Rapunzel glances at her sister. "Harmi?"

"Oh, um, yes, definitely," Harmony coughs a bit into her fist, feeling awkward.

"Rapunzel..." Frederic grabs her hand. "You are going to be queen someday, and you might be queen as well, Harmony," He holds her right hand thankfully. "Great queens with a magnificent kingdom. But you two know better than anyone else what a dangerous and evil place the world can be."

A shopkeeper in the market is dusting off a vase and when he examines it, he sees the reflection of a criminal. He suddenly gets grabbed by him.

"And the barrier keeping us safe from that is sometimes more fragile than it appears."

Another thug throws away the cart, and the duo let themselves get caught by the guards.

"When that evil rears its ugly head, it is my job to protect Corona from it."

People run away from the bank in terror, turning around to see another criminal robbing the bank with sacs full of coins.

"And one day, that will be your responsibilities."

The guards appear to take them away.

"And I must teach you two how to carry them."

The thieves surrender to them, which is strange...

"But that is many, many years away."

A jewelry shop is broken into, Pocket stealing a diamond.

"Until that burden is imposed on you, I'm asking you two to trust me that I know how to keep danger as far away from you both and this kingdom as is humanly possible."

Pocket smirks as he and the criminals are all taken away...if anything, they don't look angry that they've been caught.

"Do you understand? It wasn't until last night that I realized that my methods may have at times seemed...strict or unfair or-"

"Does this mean we can have more time to ourselves without having half the royal guard over our shoulders?" Rapunzel interrupts, frowning a little.

"We're old enough to go out the castle by ourselves, Papa," Harmony murmurs quietly.

"Well, this means I'm willing to reconsider those methods...but I make no promises."

"We can work with that," Rapunzel smiles softly and they kiss his cheeks. Two stands from their hair fall and Frederic sniffs them. The two quickly hide their hair. "Well, we should go...we have a lot of princessing up to do."

"Bye!" Harmony pushes Rapunzel away, both of them struggling to move with these giant wigs on top of their heads.

"You're right, Arianna," Frederic murmurs as he stares after them. "Teenagers are a whole new frontier..."

* * *

Eugene arrives in Rapunzel's room to see Cass sewing her dress for the coronation. "How are ya?"

She simply ignores him and continues sewing. He whistles as he examines the room, Pascal opening his eyes. He touches up the flowers a little...but the feeling was nagging at him. He had to know how they got their powers back!

"Oh come on!" He exclaims, turning around. "What is going on with the princesses? I mean, is it something I did?"

"Probably," Cass shrugs a little.

"And since when did Rapunzel start keeping secrets from me?!"

"Hey, Fitzherbert, I need to get this done before the coronation, so do you mind throwing your pity party someplace else?" She asks, and she sounded like she really didn't care...because she doesn't.

"Look, Cassandra, I know you don't like me for Rapunzel," He crosses his arms knowingly.

"Oh, that's not true," She drops the sleeve she was sewing, shaking her head. "I don't like you for anyone."

"I just want what's best for her!"

"You don't say," She replies sarcastically, crossing her arms.

"Of course! I want her to feel safe. I want her to be taken care of and I want her to be happy here. And I want Harmony to feel the same too...she's already like a little sister to me, you know."

"Funny," She chuckles a little, "You seem to have a pretty good handle on the things you want," Cass closes the door and he slowly sits down on the chair. He knew what he wanted...but it seemed like Rapunzel...didn't. He glances to Pascal, who just stares at him.

"Oh, don't you start," He glares a little.

* * *

After Rapunzel is finished adjusting her wig, it drops over her eyes and she picks it back up with a small sigh.

"Um...Harmi, when I was...gone, did you ever use your moon powers like last night?"

"No!" She shakes her head rapidly. "Never...at least, not that I can remember. I try not to use my moon powers because of what it does to everything and everyone around me...I'm really sorry I almost got you two hurt..."

"It's okay," Rapunzel whispers softly, pulling her into a gentle hug. "You couldn't control it, and neither could I getting my hair back," She tilts up Harmony's chin so that they look at each other in the eye. "And I wouldn't think of you as anyone but my sister," She lightly kisses Harmony on the forehead, causing her to suppress a laugh.

"Lame."

"Hey, that was a sentimental moment, missy," Rapunzel teases a little. "So...I don't really know you that well. Tell me something about you that no one else knows."

"Hmm..." Harmony rubs her chin in thought, her eyes widening. There was something...and it was pretty out there... "I...like science and inventing."

"Really?" Rapunzel gasps a little and Harmony motions for her to wait. She runs out of the room and comes back a few seconds later with a sketchbook. Sitting next to her sister, she flips through the pages, showing a bunch of formulas and inventions.

"See? I've got hundreds of things. Alchemy, botany, industrial stuff. Though, alchemy is probably the newest thing I'm into."

"Wow!" She murmurs in awe. "These are amazing!"

"Really?" Harmony rubs her arm sheepishly.

"Yeah! You should embrace it like I do with my painting," Rapunzel smiles at her. "Do you do any other art than this?"

"Well, sometimes I draw...I actually like a lot of stuff," Harmony bites her lip, giggling a little. "I can't believe I'm actually telling someone this. Most people don't even like to get to know me outside the castle."

"Well...you've got someone who wants to genuinely know everything you like and more," Rapunzel holds her hand and they smile at each other. The door suddenly opens and they look up to see their mother.

"Hi sweethearts."

"Oh, hi Mom," Rapunzel waves nervously.

"Hey Mama," Harmony adjusts her hair. She closes the door behind her, holding two boxes.

"Sorry to interrupt sister bonding time again, but you both left so quickly after breakfast, I...I didn't have a chance to give these to you," She takes a seat between the two girls. "I know it's a little early for coronation gifts, but I...thought you might like to see them now."

One box has the sun symbol, the moon on the other. They open the boxes at the same time, to see books and one locket in each box. The sun locket is a golden chain with the sun symbol as a charm, and the crescent moon locket is a blue chain, the charm having a star next to the moon. The two open up the books at the same time, seeing the queen's writing.

"18th of July, we embarked on a safari to the most remote plains of the third continent," Rapunzel reads first, Harmony flipping a page.

"21st of May, had to take shelter in a hidden cave to escape the fury of a violent storm."

"12th of April, helped villagers rebuild their war torn homes. Mom," Rapunzel stares at her in surprise. "Is this yours? Did you actually do all of this?"

"You've had all of these adventures?" Harmony holds up the book.

"Girls, before I met your father...I was so much like you two. I had no idea what I was supposed to have in this world. So I went out and found my own way," She holds out the two other books that look brand-new. The two take hold of them, opening it up to see blank pages. "Your father is right about one thing: you will be queen someday, but only you two get to decide what kind of queen you'll be. And no one can tell either of you the best way to make that decision."

"But how can we if..." Rapunzel stares up at her mother. "Are you suggesting that we should-"

"Sweethearts," She interrupts the older girl. "Find a way to fill those pages. I only ask that you both be safe, be smart, and above all be true to yourself, and also protect each other. Let your bond grow strong."

They smile softly at her and look at the back of the front cover. They see something in black, the same exact words:

**Plus est en vous**

**Love, Mother**

"Plus est en vous?" Rapunzel asks in confusion, mispronouncing the phrase. Harmony giggles at her a little.

"Plus est en vous," Arianna says with a small smile. "It means, there is more in you."

The two princesses smile, engulfing their mother into a group hug.

"Thanks Mama," Harmony whispers gratefully. All her life, no one had ever told her that...

* * *

Soon, it was time for the coronation of the princesses of Corona. The king and queen stand ready to name their daughters as the officiant is holding two crowns: the one that Eugene stole for the crown princess, and a silver crown with three diamonds on top.

Cass struggles to move the massive amount of hair under Rapunzel's wig. "This would have been so much easier with the other girls helping, but they're such gossips, half the kingdom would know about your hair and powers now," Cass adjusts the wig while Rapunzel finishes braiding Harmony's hair back into the bun she was in when she arrived home. The younger princess tucks her hair under her own wig, pulling on the gloves over her hands. Rapunzel is in a big pink dress, and Harmony is in a smaller yellow one.

"Are you sure you can't see it?" Rapunzel asks nervously, Cass pulling up the collar.

"Positive," She nods sharply. "Are you sure you two can pull this off?"

Rapunzel looks hesitant and Harmony bites her lip as they peek out the doors, seeing their parents. Taking one last look at their father, they close the door.

"We have to, Cassandra."

"Just be careful you don't trip on this," Cass bends down to the end of the dresses.

"It's not the dress I'm worried about," Rapunzel points downwards and Cass lifts up the dress to see two pink shoes on Rapunzel's feet. She didn't want to, but it was coronation day... "How do people walk in these things? Whoa!"

"I can see why you don't like wearing them, but we are princesses," Harmony chuckles, remembering to adjust her collar. Cass takes a deep breath, standing up.

"Just relax...this is going to be fine."

They smile at her a little, grateful for the reassurance.

"I just hope my powers can calm down," Harmony looks at her left hand, frowning a little. "I don't wanna risk anyone's lives like I did last night. I swear, I never knew about that kind of power..."

"Hey, it'll be okay," Rapunzel places her hands on her shoulders. "We'll get through this. Princesses by chance..."

"And sisters by choice," Harmony whispers with a weak smile.

"I can't wait any longer," The thief with a skull mask shakes his head impatiently. They had been sitting in the cell for what seemed like hours now. Not to mention, it was cold and damp.

"This better work, Pocket."

"Don't you worry, boys," Pocket smirks a little. "Lady Caine will not disappoint."

Cass nods from the front doors, the princesses taking a deep breath. This was it...the moment of truth.

"Okay..." They return the nod and the doors open, allowing them to see practically everyone from all kingdoms there. Their parents are at the end of the room, waiting patiently. Eugene glances behind him, smiling at the sight of his girlfriend.

"Wow..."

They stand there for a few seconds before holding their heads up high, walking forward. Rapunzel struggles to move in the shoes, cringing. Then her wig starts moving on its own and she has to balance herself out to catch it. Harmony places a hand on her back, trying to usher her forward as her wig is slipping as well.

Harmony tries to keep Rapunzel to go straight, but she sways back and forth.

"How embarrassing for them," The Duchess of Quintonia whispers to Eugene. "This is going to take forever..." Then she silently leaves the room undetected. Rapunzel straightens her wig as Harmony finally gets her moving forward.

The Duchess walks down an empty hallway, opening her fan to reveal blueprints. "Hello? Can anyone help me?" She walks up to the guards standing in front of a door that leads to the dungeons. "Silly me, I must've taken a wrong turn somewhere."

"I'll be glad to help you, madam," One of them walks up to her.

"Oh, you're too kind!" She kicks him down and knocks the other guard into a wall, rendering both of them unconscious.

The thugs hear the door open, looking up to see the Duchess. The biggest one walks up to her. "Hey, Madam Poppycock? The party's upstairs."

She grabs him by the collar and pulls him into the bars. "Meet Lady Caine," Pocket stands up with a small grin.

"Y-You're a lot stronger than you look," The thug stammers to the 'Duchess.' She releases him and pulls off the wig.

"I'm a lot of things." She opens up the door with the keys she stole from one of the guards. "Let the show begin..."

Another guard arrives, pointing his weapon at him. "I'm gonna need you to step back into that cell, pronto," He warns them and the other thugs step out, surrounding the annoyed Lady Caine.

"That there is a nice suit." One of them cracks his knuckles, and the guard looks at himself, dropping his weapon in fear.

* * *

"The wearer of this crown is a shining example of the promise that is Corona," The officiant starts off as the princesses finally reach their parents. "An ambassador of good will to those visiting from afar, and an inspiration to those fortunate enough to live within their borders."

The two turn around, giving a thumbs up to Eugene. Cass walks down the runway, the two pets appearing from her shoulders. Suddenly, they notice Pocket disguised as a guard at the double doors sneaking in.

"But above all, the chief responsibility of the crown is to keep the people of Corona safe," Pocket uses the weapon to lock the door. "From dangers, near and far."

Pascal taps Cass' cheek with his tail, Daisy pointing in the opposite direction with her wing. Cass glances at another entrance of the throne room.

"And there are many."

A large thug also wearing a guard uniform steps up. "This mandate is not to be taken lightly."

"Go find Max," Cass whispers to the two. They jump off her shoulders and she reaches the front. "There will come a day when the walls that surround Corona are threatened by malfeasance."

Cass looks at Eugene and then glances at the fake guard, causing him to open his mouth in alarm. "A day-"

"Attention, please!" A woman's voice calls out rather rudely.

"Lady Caine," Eugene whispers in realization. The thugs storm in and Lady Caine pulls out her sword. This causes alarm in everyone, causing them to run as the gang start chasing after them. Eugene glances around the room and Cass rushes past the crowd. Pocket blocks the front door and they start grabbing guests, taking them hostage.

"Release my guests immediately!" Frederic demands to them.

"What's the matter, Fred?" Lady Caine taunts him. "Am I ruining your little girls' perfect day?"

"The Duchess?" Rapunzel asks in confusion, raising a brow.

"Oh honey, I am no duchess," Lady Caine smirks right in her face, Harmony glaring at her.

"I don't understand," Rapunzel shakes her head, still baffled.

"Rapunzel...she made it up. There's no Duchess of Quintonia, is there?" She narrows her eyes at Lady Caine.

"Oh, we got a little genius here, huh?" Lady Caine points her blade right at the princess' neck. "And the same one who told me off earlier...but of course you wouldn't understand, Rapunzel." Cass and Eugene give her a glare. "Try to follow along. This...is all your fault!"

"What?" Rapunzel demands to her. She's never even met Lady Caine before. Harmony moves the blade away while gritting her teeth.

"We've never met you before today."

"You see, after your untimely...disappearance," Lady Caine rolls her eyes at the word, "Your father locked up every criminal in the kingdom, including a simple petty thief," She flicks the sun and moon symbol from the king's neck. "My father." She walks past them and they stare at her. "I saw him thrown into a cage and hauled off like some animal, never to be seen again...so...I thought I'd come back and return the favor," She points her sword at Frederic, who watches as a carriage is brought in. The banners drop and Lady Caine gestures to it. "Load 'em up, boys!"

They grab the guests and haul them into the carriage. "Your turn, your majesty," Lady Caine calls out teasingly. He hugs his daughters, signaling that he won't go. "Oh, come now, you didn't think we'd leave our prized pig in the pen, did you?"

Harmony's left hand trembles as they take away Frederic. "Dad?" Rapunzel calls out.

"Girls, stay back," He warns them.

"But-"

"No! There's nothing either of you can do. As your father and your king, I command you to stay put." The door shuts and they look on in horror. Eugene is about to step in and help when a blade is shown to his face.

"Don't be a hero, pretty boy."

He glances at the princesses, who nod in unison. He then looks to Cass, who looks back to the two. They take a deep breath, hoping that their father won't be angry...

"Sorry, Dad," They reach up to their wigs, slipping off their shoes at the same time. "We can't stay put."

"Girls!" He shouts and the blonde hair flies around, the brown bun being removed by Harmony. They stand between the thrones bravely, stepping forward as everyone stares.

"That's my girl," Eugene smirks at Rapunzel happily.

"Let. Them. Go," Rapunzel demands, walking past her shocked mother...but then it turns into a proud smile.

"Trust me, Lady Caine, you don't wanna mess with us," Harmony removes her glove, showing the moon symbol. She just laughs at them.

"It's amazing what you can hide under those wigs, aren't they, princesses?" She walks up to the carriage, taking a hold of one of the bars. "Come on! Let's move out," She waves for them to leave, but Rapunzel throws her hair, grabbing hold of the door. Harmony holds out her hand and a black rock bursts out from in front of the carriage, causing it to be tilted forward. The door is popped open and Lady Caine groans, landing on the floor.

"Now, you're just making me angry."

"Good. Because we're just getting started," The two say in unison with narrowed eyes.

"Everyone, out of the carriage," Harmony waves them forward and they do as told, now finding her a protector instead of someone to fear.

"Get those people back here, now!" Lady Caine demands, her minions running forward. The sisters run up to their father.

"Rapunzel, Harmony, your hair and powers!" He exclaims in surprise.

"We know," Rapunzel starts off as Harmony pushes the woman gently. "We'll talk about it later."

"Get Mom and get somewhere safe," Harmony orders him and they run off.

"Girls!" He shouts at them.

"That's my cue," Eugene slams two thugs into each other, grabbing the sword.

"Well, my last day on princess duty," Cass throws off her headdress, grabbing a candle holder. "Might as well go down fighting."

Harmony looks around and sees a quiver equipped with arrows. She kicks it into the air, letting it fall around her back.

Three thugs surround a group of guests, one of them spinning an axe. A golden rope of hair catches it, taking the weapon out of his hand. He looks to see the older princess.

"Leave them alone!" She grits her teeth and traps him into a bundle of hair. Frederic is about to stop her when Arianna places a hand on his shoulder, silently telling him to let them fight.

"So, you sure you can handle yourself?" Eugene asks Cass as they're back to back.

"Oh, I'll manage," She smirks, spinning her weapon and knocking a criminal off his feet. She then grabs another's arm, tossing him to the floor. Eugene ducks from a sword, jumping onto a large pot of flowers. Lady Caine growls and the door is being pounded on from the outside. The real guards are trying to ram it open.

"Get that door open, now!" The Captain orders, watching as they hit the doors with a ram. Eugene kicks a thug from behind, jumping onto another's back. He steps down and ducks his head.

"Heads up!" A guard goes flying above his head, courtesy of Cass. Rapunzel smiles before seeing two other guests in trouble.

"Harmi!" She yells and Harmony readies two arrows towards the ceiling. She pulls them back and fires, watching it break apart, landing on the two thugs' heads, disorienting them. Rapunzel grabs them by her hair and jumps, sending them onto the ceiling. Lady Caine casually approaches Cass, who readies her 'weapon.'

"Aw, cute," She attacks first, Cass backing away until the woman knocks her off her feet. Cass grits her teeth, taking her weapon again. Lady Caine pulls out two fans, spinning around. The princesses run up to a guest in trouble, Rapunzel grabbing a post with her hair and running along the wall. She flies around and kicks them away, the man looking up in shock. They fall into the flowers and Rapunzel stands up, only to have her hair pulled by a thug.

"Rapunzel," Frederic murmurs in worry. She sees a familiar weapon hanging from the caravan.

"Hey," The thug looks downwards to see a smirking Harmony, who punches him in the face, distracting him for only a second. This gives Rapunzel enough time to snatch the frying pan, letting it fly into her hands.

"Since when could you do that?" Rapunzel chuckles to Harmony in shock.

"Hey, you learn a lot of things stuck in one place for years," Harmony smirks up at her. Eugene is fighting a big thug with a sword until it's knocked out of his hands. He glances at his opponent with nothing to fight with until Rapunzel flies past him, placing the frying pan in his hand.

"Thanks Blondie." He uses the pan as a makeshift sword, surrounded by three of them now. He glances around and throws the frying pan, knocking all of them out with one throw. "Ha ha! Now this feels good!"

Cass is still battling it out with Lady Caine, catching one of the fans and throwing it away. Glaring, Lady Caine rushes forward, but Cass gets the best of her, eventually knocking her onto the ground and trapping her arm with her weapon.

"Stay down."

Rapunzel lands near her sister, both of them staring at the woman. "You have no idea who you're dealing with!" She spits at them.

"Believe us, we've dealt with much worse," Rapunzel glares down at her.

"Now surrender, Lady Caine, because we both know you won't be getting away with this," Harmony narrows her eyes.

She frees her arm and backflips towards the front doors. "You think this is over? Ha! I promise you, I'll be back!" She gets the weapon out, which allows the guards and Max to ram down the door, pushing her to the ground.

"Oh," Eugene tsks at her. "Lady Caine, it's impolite to leave in the middle of a party."

"You think you'd know that," Cass mocks her, causing the two princesses to laugh. They walk to Max and the crowd starts to cheer, clapping for their bravery. The four stand there proudly, Max whinnying at them. Lady Caine and the other prisoners are arrested.

"Nice to see ya. Thanks for coming! Nice suit, buddy," Eugene calls out to various guests. "Happy Coronation Day, folks!"

Arianna runs up to her daughters, hugging them both. They open their eyes, frowning as they see their father standing there...and then they're face to face with him later on into the night, both of them silent as Harmony fidgets with her hands.

"So I'm trying to understand this," He speaks up after a few seconds, "You both snuck out last night, went beyond the walls of Corona, where you two touched a mysterious rock, that somehow caused your hair and your powers to return?"

"...Yes," They both say, cringing in shame.

"And you acted alone?"

"Look, we know you're angry, but can't you see? We're okay! We're more than okay, we-"

"Girls," He interrupts the oldest, standing up. They open their mouths at him, wondering what he was going to do... "There's something I need to tell you both." He approaches them and they stare at him with worried looks. "I love the both of you. The night you were taken, Rapunzel, a part of me died, the best part of me. For 18 long and agonizing years, I swore that if somehow, someway, by some miracle the fates decided to show mercy and return you to me, I would never let anything happen to you again, or to my other daughter. And now that these have returned," He lightly touches their hair, "The very reason you were snatched away from me in the first place, I'm afraid I'm left with no choice, sweethearts."

He turns their back on them, putting on his crown. "As of tonight, I'm forced to exercise my martial right as king to forbid you from leaving the walls of this kingdom without my consent."

"Father!" Rapunzel shouts in protest.

"But Papa, these black rocks, I was the one who created them, and no one ever told me! Why couldn't you talk to me and inform me I could do this? W-Why didn't you say anything?" Harmony stammers sadly.

"And know this," He shows their crowns to them. "This is the last time we will speak of mystical rocks or magic of any kind to anyone," He puts the accessories into their hands. "Is that understood?"

Harmony's eyes water as his lack of cooperation. "There is so much more to us than you think," Rapunzel's voice breaks and they leave the room, running past their mother. She stares at Frederic in concern and he just closes his eyes.

* * *

Rapunzel paints her father's sad face in her journal, sighing a little as she sits on her bay window. The door knocks and she shuts her new journal.

"Come in..."

Eugene opens the door. "I believe somebody ordered room service," He smiles gently, holding up a cupcake.

"Eugene," She smiles softly at him. "How did you know?"

"Eh, I had a feeling." He then drops the smile, "Look, I just wanted to clear some stuff up," He joins her at the window, placing the cupcake into her hands. "I haven't had a chance to apologize for putting you on the spot with that proposal."

"Well, looking back, storming out of the room probably wasn't the best reaction," She gives him a weak smile, taking a small breath. "So I'm...I'm sorry."

"No, no, don't apologize," He tells her, "Look, I'll admit, I don't quite understand why you said no..." He sees her guilty look and places his hand on top of hers. "But I promise to do everything I can until I do."

He gives her a gentle smile and she returns it, holding his hands. "Thanks, Eugene."

"In the meantime, we'll stay right here and take things slowly. I miss this," He touches her hair and she grips his hand.

"Hey, promise me one more thing."

"Anything," He grins at her.

"That you'll be patient with me."

"Absolutely." They share a brief kiss. "Goodnight Rapunzel."

"Goodnight Eugene..."

She watches him leave the room and he closes the door.

Arianna is talking to her youngest daughter, hugging her. "Everything is going to be fine, Harmony."

"Mama, I wish someone out there would get me," She murmurs, looking out the window. " Don't get me wrong, I love Rapunzel and the others, but they're all older than me and I feel like a child compared to them. I wanna meet someone my age who won't be scared of me, who likes the same things I do, and understands what I'm going through."

"And everyone so far only has two of those traits...right?" The woman asks softly.

"Yeah," She chuckles a bit, playing with one of her bangs. "Does my hair look...weird to you?"

"No, sweetie," Arianna holds her cheeks. "You're beautiful no matter what you have. And I'm sure you'll find who you're looking for soon enough."

"Thanks. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," The queen kisses her on the forehead and leaves.

Once she's gone, Harmony puts her face into her mattress, hiding it with her arms. She lets out a sigh, looking at her left hand. Well...at least she had some control on them for a little while...but that just left her with a bunch of other questions. Why wouldn't he say anything? What is he hiding? And did she ever show black rocks at some other point? So many things to wonder about...

_Back to life happily ever after_

Rapunzel opens the window to her balcony.

_Stuck inside once again and I'm gazing out_

She looks out at the sky, frowning a little.

_True, I'm in here with those I hold dear_

She glances to her mural.

_Surrounded by their love_

Rapunzel closes her eyes.

_And for some, that's more than enough no doubt_

Harmony crosses her arms on the bannister of the window, sighing.

**Back to life happily ever after **

She lightly touches her blue bangs.

**Trapped in castle walls again and I'm missing out**

Harmony looks at her shoes and slips them off, feeling the cold floor.

**She's back with us once more **

The princess lifts up her skirt, wiggling her toes.

**And I'm beyond feeling, but it's not enough for me...**

The wind blows in both of their hair, their journals opening up to the blank pages. The sisters watch as it goes back to the quote from their mother. The two smile as they remember what it means, stepping onto their balconies.

_**But we've got the wind in our hair and a fire within**_

_**Cause there's something beginning**_

Embracing the open air, they spin around, Harmony's skirt flying.

**I've got a spring in my step, and each one that I take, it's a new horizon**

_I've got a mystery to solve, and excitement to spare_

_**That beautiful breeze blowing through**_

_**We're ready to follow it who knows where**_

_**And we'll get there, we swear**_

_**With the wind in our haaaaair!**_

As they belt out the last note, their hair goes flying next to them, Rapunzel's hair flowing from the tower.


	3. What the Hair!

Pascal and Daisy are running around the halls, looking around. They quickly hide as Rapunzel and Harmony chase after them. They walk past several statues, with Pascal disguising himself on top of a bronze horse statue. Daisy is hiding in the bowl next to him. The girls suddenly appear out of nowhere.

"Boo!"

The two pets fall onto the ground comically, causing the two sisters to laugh. They look up at their owners in annoyance.

It has been one week since Rapunzel was declared Crown Princess, and Harmony was named Princess Harmony in their coronation ceremony. They had been adjusting well...for the most part. Daisy and Pascal blow raspberries up at them, crawling underneath the two to hide again. The sisters smirk at each other and follow after them. They run past their parents and Eugene. The king and queen look at each other knowingly before their daughters come back for a hug. Rapunzel kisses Eugene on the cheek and Harmony hugs him. He just chuckles as they run off and Rapunzel ends up in her room.

She gasps at the sight in front of her because someone is in her room...they're clothed in a black cloak, so she can't tell who it is just by looking at them.

"Hello Rapunzel."

They lift off the hood to reveal Gothel. "Did you think I was gone forever?" She smirks as she has wrinkles on her face. She saunters up to Rapunzel, stroking her face. "What's the matter, dear?" She lightly touches Rapunzel's hair bunched up in a ponytail. "Aren't you happy to see your mummy?" She then holds up her hands and the black rocks appear in front of her.

Rapunzel gasps sharply as they surround her. She tries to run away, but she gets cornered. Panting, the girl looks up, her hair glowing. It unravels, to her horror.

"And look, your hair has returned!" Reflections of Gothel is on the rocks. "Isn't it wonderful? Come now, dear, let's get you back to your tower, where you will be safe and secure. I think I'll take Harmony too. RAPUNZEL!"

She gasps as her hair is flying around loose and Pascal sits up in shock. Her hair falls and she pants slowly.

Harmony sits up in bed, holding her hair. The darkness is above her like a cloud, and she looks up in horror. It was happening again…the cloud goes away after a few seconds. She takes short breaths, sweating a bit. What was that all about? Why did that dream show only Rapunzel...? These nightmares started right after she and her sister touched those black rocks...which indirectly caused her sister's hair to grow back, and for Harmony to regain the evil magic of the Moonstone Opal...which is something she'd never use at any time. She had lost them when Rapunzel had her hair cut at that tower (which she didn't know about until her sister had returned) and because her sister didn't have the powers of the flower in her, she thought it was over...

She looks out towards the window to the town and sits up, letting her hair loose. It's not as long as Rapunzel's, but she made do. She needed to get away...meaning she'd have to sneak out, but she needed alone time.

* * *

Arianna and Frederic are eating breakfast, the king being silent. "Fred?" She speaks up and he looks up in confusion. "You haven't touched your food," She glances at his full plate of oranges, toast, and a pile of eggs.

"No, no, I-I've touched it. I moved my eggs here to here, you see?" He chuckles a bit, but she could notice that something was wrong.

"Oh, sweetheart, it's been nearly a week. Just talk to them," She places her hand on top of his. He sighs slowly.

"You do recall my last conversation with my daughters didn't go quite as I had hoped?"

"Aw, Fred, you can find them to the walls of Corona under Marshall law. If that's a daddy-daughter conversation, I would hate to see what a talking to is," She chuckles a bit.

"Just because it was a difficult choice doesn't mean it was the right one," He looks down towards his food.

* * *

A slender teen with fair skin, shaggy black hair with brown and blue highlights, freckles, two front buck teeth, and light blue eyes walks past some houses in his village. He's wearing a blue-gray shirt with a teal patch sewn onto it, brown pants, a dark maroon apron, black gloves, dark brown shoes, and black-and-gold goggles on his head. He's walking with a box of vial sets, walking past the fence of a farm with a small grin on his face. He stops short when he hears a beautiful sound. He looks around for the source, seeing a clearing with a well made of stone. When he sees the source of the sound, his heart stops beating and he drops his crate. Sitting on the well is a teenage girl his age, with a beautiful blue dress and long brown hair, barefoot. Part of it is tied into a braid at the back as the rest of it is down, with white roses decorating the braid. He stares at her in a trance. She's so beautiful...

A family of geese walk by and the baby one at the end of the line stumbles. The girl stops singing and bends down, helping her back on her feet. The baby geese chirps at her and waddles after her family. The girl smiles, giggling.

"Sweet alchemy..." He murmurs in awe. She's the most amazing thing he's ever seen, and that's saying a lot. Not only is she gorgeous, but she's kind and generous. He lets out a goofy smile as his heart is beating fast. When she's not looking in his direction, he slowly walks over to her, so as not to startle her. He lets out a dreamy sigh as he gets closer...

SNAP!

And then he steps on a tree branch.

The girl turns around and screams at the sudden intrusion, stumbling into the well.

"Oh no!" He rushes over, pulling out some pink balls from his apron. Looking down, he throws them and they fall right past her. The balls explode, turning into a bouncy substance, covering the water that she was approaching. She lands on the make-shift trampoline, flying up to the top. When she reaches the open air, she grips at the stone, glancing down behind her in awe. She had no idea how he did that, but it was amazing...

"Take my hand," He holds out his gloved hand and she immediately grabs it. With all of his strength, he pulls her up and they tumble onto the ground. The girl pants slowly, eyes closed. He lets out a sigh of relief and she opens her eyes, staring into his. The boy who saved her stays silent as he's still holding onto her waist with one arm, slightly on top of her due to the fall. Her chest falls up and down as they stare at each other, hearts fluttering.

He couldn't help but think that he's seen her before...

After a moment, he realizes their position and lets go of her. "A-Ah! Sorry!" He stammers, getting onto his feet. She dusts herself off as the baby duckling chirps at her in worry. She holds out her hands and the duckling jumps into them. The girl stands up and speaks up.

"Thank you."

He turns to her in surprise to see her smiling softly. It's a beautiful sight. "Y-Y-You're welcome," He smiles bashfully, hands behind his back.

"I'm actually grateful that you were spying on me," She raises a brow, a smug smirk on her face.

"N-no!" He stammers immediately, even though he was already caught red-handed. "I-I wasn't...spying, I was w-watching you c-c-cause you're tal...cause you're gorgeo-I-I mean beautiful, I-I-I mean-"

She can't help but giggle at his stammering. The girl then notices something behind him and walks past the boy. He turns to see her bending down to his dropped crate.

"These chemicals...you do alchemy?" She turns around curiously.

"Y-Yes! W-Well, I-I'm no expert..." He joins her side and together, they pack up the crate. When they're done, it's as if he never dropped it. "T-Thanks for-for the help..."

"I had to," She smiles softly at him and he blushes. "You helped me, so I returned the favor..."

"I-I-I-" He stutters, unsure of how to respond to that. She chuckles at his lack of communication.

"Oh!" Her eyes widen as she stands up. "I have to go. Thank you!" The girl scoops up the baby duckling and runs off. He gets onto his feet, holding out a hand.

"W-Wait!" He calls out, but then she's gone. He has a smitten look on his face. Truly a thing of beauty...but he got a tiny feeling that he knows her from somewhere.

* * *

"Come on, Cass!" Rapunzel insists as Cass is in her lady-in-waiting outfit, re-tying the girl's hair. "Those dreams are trying to tell me something. Ever since that night-"

"Shh!" Cass shushes her in case someone was listening in. Ever since Rapunzel's hair had magically grown back, they hadn't mentioned the black rocks since. And Cass wanted to keep it that way. "Raps, I told you, we can't tell anyone about that night."

"Um," Rapunzel chuckles slightly, "I think the secret's pretty much out."

"Yeah yeah, everyone knows the hair's back, but if anyone knew _I _was the one who snuck you and Harmony out when it happened, I would be sent to a convent! Literally a convent," Cass stresses to her.

"Well, I...have to tell Eugene." After everything they had been through, it was wrong to keep something like that a secret from the man she loves.

"No no no no no!" The woman stands up, waving her hands, "As far as he knows, you...just woke up that morning with long hair."

"But Eugene is my boyfriend! We tell each other everything," Rapunzel frowns at her.

"I know it's a lot to ask...but I can't risk it. Please," Cass takes her hands pleadingly. "Don't tell Eugene."

"Tell Eugene what?"

Rapunzel cringes as the man is standing right there in her doorway. "Oh come on, you guys keeping secrets?"

"It's not really a secret, Eugene," Rapunzel crosses her arms nervously as he approaches her. "More like a...sensitive situation."

"Sensitive-" He starts laughing, "Sensitive?! And you think _Cassandra's_ gonna help? Blondie," He places a hand on her shoulder. "I've met glaciers with more warmth and compassion! And move faster, she's slow." He takes her hands gently, on his knees. "Rapunzel, it's me, Eugene. Whatever is going on, you can tell me."

"I know I can, it's-"

"I don't trust you," Cass interrupts to Eugene's annoyance. He'd prefer it if she wasn't in the room right now. "You have a big mouth."

He gasps in hurt. "I do not! Name one time I blew a secret." Cass glances away as she remembers a few instances.

_Rapunzel and Harmony gave their mother a present, smiling. "It's a scarf and hair comb!" Eugene exclaimed from behind, shocking the sisters. The point of a present was that you don't tell the person about it before they open it..._

_Two high-class guests were leaving the gazebo. "Thanks, this was fun. And to think we were dreading it, right?" He was so loud that they had heard him._

"_Surprise!" Eugene stood in front of Cass, who was holding a stack of plates. She yelped and dropped all of them onto the ground, and they broke. "Oh, your surprise party is next week."_

_She growled in annoyance for the mess._

"I said one time," Eugene repeats pointedly. "Rapunzel, you're really not gonna tell me?"

She glances up at him. As much as she wanted to, she didn't want to take the risk of getting Cass into trouble... "I'm sorry," She drags her hands down her face.

"Fine," He holds his head up high. "But you should know that I have things I don't tell you. Lots of things."

"Name one," Cass challenges and his face lights up as he remembers something.

"Pete the Guard is terrified of mines."

Pete just happens to be walking by when Eugene reveals this. "Hey! They see things that aren't there!" He cringes in fear, backing away from the man. Ulf pretends to drag a rope over to Pete, stopping to wave at the others. He continues what he's doing and Eugene realizes what direction he's going in.

"Pete, wait! No, it was a different Pete the Guard! You don't even know him!" He chases after the guard.

Cass gestures to Eugene with a look that says 'I told you so.' "Hey, where is your sister, anyway?" Cass looks around for her.

"She's probably on her way back from Old Corona at this point," Rapunzel rubs her chin.

"What? By herself?" Cass' eyes widen in alarm. "Rapunzel, won't your dad, I don't know, send the guards after her?"

"Relax, she does this all the time, Cass," Rapunzel waves it off with a laugh. "She loves visiting there. In a way...it reminds her of where I was all that time." She gives a wistful look at the memory.

* * *

Eugene and Max walk into the Snuggly Duckling, the former thief busting the door open. "Ah, there they are! A veritable cornucopia of confidants who trust me implicitly and would gladly divulge innermost secrets!" He stops in front of a man he doesn't recognize. "Wait, who is this guy?!"

"That's Hook Hand's brother," Attila explains while cleaning a cup.

"Oh yeah, what's your name? Hook Foot?" Eugene asks sarcastically, but is surprised when the man puts a hook foot on the table. "I gotta admit, I did not see that coming. So where is Hook Hand, anyway?"

Attila points to a poster, which says Hook Hand on World Tour. "Hook Hand went on a world tour?! Does no one share anything with me? Feelings? No secrets? No news? Why won't anyone open up to me?!"

Big Nose suddenly opens the door, sniffing a bouquet of yellow flowers and leaves. "Big Nose! Now there's a guy who knows how to share what's on his nose-mind," Eugene corrects himself.

"Here comes the lover boy with more of his romantic escapades..." Attila mutters under his breath. Every single day, he'd say or do romantic stuff that they didn't wanna deal with, but they have to, because no one else will listen.

"Are those flowers for Assunta? Am I pronouncing that correctly? How is your lady friend, anyway?"

"Oh, I'm glad you asked!" Big Nose throws away the flowers to pull out a notepad. "Perhaps this latest poem I wrote will tell you."

Hook Foot groans, facepalming as Attila looks up to the sky, as if asking why him.

"I call it: Can You Keep a Secret? I Love You. Our love is like a timeless truth, it knows no tick nor tock, our love is a big toe of honesty poking through your favorite sock," Hook Foot places his hook against Eugene in anger of having to hear this.

* * *

"I was thinking about your hair and Harmony's moon opal powers," Cass walks up to Rapunzel, who was writing in her journal. "Maybe we can discreetly try to get some answers, just the three of us. I know someone who can help."

"I still think you're being unfair about Eugene," Rapunzel closes her journal. "But um, who's this friend of yours?" She crosses her arms with a smirk.

"His name...is Varian. And he's some kind of wizard."

Rapunzel gasps in awe, covering her mouth. "Wow! A real wizard?! Do you think he'll have one of those pointy hats, and like a robe, and a staff, and spells?"

"No, I do not," Cass answers, Pascal sagging in disappointment. "Little is known about Varian. What is isn't good. Some say he's dangerous."

"But if we want answers, he's our best bet, right?" Rapunzel asks knowingly. Cass nods with a human and she sighs, getting onto her feet. "Well, sounds like we have a wizard to visit."

"What wizard?"

The two women turn around to see Harmony arriving with Daisy on her shoulder. "Finally!" Rapunzel runs down the steps of the gazebo. "Cass says there's a wizard who could help us with...these whole situations," She gestures to her hair and Harmony's hands. "You went to Old Corona again, didn't you?"

Harmony clears her throat, rubbing the back of her neck at the memory of a certain event that happened there. "...Well...yeah..."

They glance at each other, noticing her nervous stance. "Did something happen?" Cass crosses her arms.

"N-no," She stammers, looking away with a dusty blush on her face. She couldn't help but think of the boy who saved her...his eyes were something she never saw before...

* * *

"We keep no secrets, me and you," Big Nose continues his length poem. Max has an annoyed look near the entrance. "Our love stays fresh like the morning...dew. You see, what I really tried to do is capture oneness of our relationship." Max suddenly notices something outside, bringing Eugene to the window.

"Yep, oneness, got it," He says quickly before looking outside to see Cass, Rapunzel and Harmony riding Fidella past the pub. Harmony has a red cloak draped over her back.

"Cause if you can't share everything with that someone special, then maybe that someone isn't so...special." Eugene turns to Big Nose. He knew exactly what he was talking about. Where were they going? He had to follow them before he lost sight of them.

"Ha ha, I gotta go, this has been great," Eugene opens the door. "You keep writing those words down, because one of these days...you'll have more of them! Bye everybody!" He closes the door, alarming Shorty.

"Good morning!" He greets his friends. "Hey Big Nose. What's going on with that lady friend that you have?"

Big Nose flips a page from his notepad, clearing his throat. The others groan at this. They thought they had escaped from the torture...

Fidella stops near a tree and past a bridge is Varian's home, a cottage. The three walk up the stairs. "So _this _is where Varian lives? It seems cozy...in a 'I wish I had said goodbye to my loved ones before I left' kind of way."

"I don't remember ever seeing this part of Old Corona..." Harmony murmurs in confusion and when Cass is about to knock, the ground shakes. Green smoke comes out from the door, which creaks open. The three glance at each other, deciding to carefully walk in. In front of them is a door with purple smoke emanating from it.

"Just watch your step, Raps and Harmi," Cass warns the two. "Come on, this way," She leads the group, opening the door.

"This is creeping me out," Harmony murmurs, moving her hoodie over her head so that she wouldn't have to look.

"It's just fog," Rapunzel glances around nervously. "I'm sure it's okay." She was trying to assure Cass more than herself. Suddenly Cass steps on something and a tiny little car moves to a vial, causing the liquid to move to a little orb. The orb bounces off and explodes, turning into smoke. The golden-haired woman pushes her sister out of the way on instinct. The three cough, Rapunzel and Cass' feet trapped in a purple sticky substance. "Fine. A booby trap."

"Oh no!" Harmony bends down to the glue, touching it lightly. This material is very fascinating…even she couldn't do this type of work.

"Raps, everything's gonna be-oh!" Cass stops talking as a man with a black and grey coat, and a gray bauta, his eyes glowing a sinister yellow-green color.

"What do you want?" He asks in a hostile tone.

Max and Eugene arrive, hiding behind a tree. "What are they doing?" He asks curiously. This was Old Corona; why would they come here?

"Um...hi," Rapunzel waves anxiously, hoping that he'll go easy on them if she acts polite. "So sorry to bother you, sir. My sister and I...wanted to ask you about my hair and her moonlight powers," She holds her hair, gesturing to Harmony. She holds out a hand and a blue orb comes out of it. However, it quickly fizzled out. The man gasps at this. He couldn't believe what he was seeing...when could anyone do that? "Because you're such a magic expert-"

"Magic?!" He interrupts in defense, "I do not work with magic." He lifts up the mask to reveal himself as the boy who saved Harmony earlier that morning. "I mean, technically, it's not magic, it's alchemy, but yeah, do-don't sweat it." Pascal and Daisy look at him skeptically. "So, uh, who's your friend?" He points to the disguised Harmony.

"Oh, well-" She steps forward but trips.

"Whoa!" He springs into action and grabs her before she could fall. When she looks up, her hood drops to reveal her face. His eyes widen as he stares at the girl he was admiring at that well. "I-It's y-you!"

"You're..." She stares at him in astonishment. "You're the wizard my sister was talking about?"

His mouth goes agape. How could he not notice that she was the _sister _of Rapunzel earlier?! Not to mention...

He's had a crush on the princess for as long as he could remember.

Varian had never disclosed this, but when he heard about the princess and her moon powers...he was immediately attracted to her. At first, it was just for scientific reasons, but over time, he realized that there's more to her...more than other people know about. He's seen her photos around the castle whenever his father visits the king, and thought she looked absolutely beautiful in them. And he has other sources that say she helped saved the kingdom...a girl like that couldn't have been absorbed by the moonstone's evil power.

"Wait, I think you lost us." They turn around to Cass, who points at them. "You two know each other?"

Varian looks between her and Harmony, noticing that he's still holding onto her. He quickly lets go of her, blushing as he rubs his neck. "W-We had just m-met this morning..." Which was true. It was the first time they met face-to-face. Up until today, Varian had never seen her in person, just like how she had never seen him.

"I didn't know that he was the same..." Harmony tries to remember his name, but can't. It was on the tip of her tongue, though. "What was your name again?"

"Oh! V-Varian...my name is Varian," He smiles sheepishly at her.

"Varian..." She smiles softly. "I like that. I'm-"

"Got it," Rapunzel interrupts before Harmony could tell him her name. Varian stops staring at Harmony in favor of being polite to his other guests. "So...what is this?" She lifts up her foot to mean the goo.

"Oh, it's a chemical compound of, uh, my own design," He takes off the coat. "Thank you. In fact, we have a bit of a critter problem out here," He walks up to a raccoon that also got captured. "And through the power of modern alchemy, I have found a humane way to solve the problem," He takes the raccoon outside.

"This is riveting, but could you get us out of here?" Cass calls out. He chuckles nervously, moving his hands around his pockets.

"Where is that neutralizing parti-oh!" He picks up the raccoon who had tried to get back in. "Get out of here." He slams the door and shakes white flakes on the goo, setting them free. "I am so sorry, your highnesses."

"Your highnesses?" Rapunzel questions as the sisters turn to each other in surprise. "You know who we are?"

"Uh, how could I not?" Varian chuckles a little before glancing at Harmony. "Y-You know...the second time around."

Harmony chuckles in embarrassment and Varian gestures to them. "Look at your hair and powers! Your highnesses," He clears his throat, smiling sheepishly. "Y-You're not gonna give me the death penalty for what I did to your sister, are you?" He looks up at Harmony.

"Oh no. No, no," Harmony giggles a little. "No punishment needed."

"And please," Rapunzel waves off the formalities. "Just Rapunzel."

"Harmony," The girl smiles at him kindly. "It's nice to finally meet you, Varian."

"W-Wow, really?" He stammers, clearing his throat. Of course he heard the stories about the youngest princess and how she could destroy others with no sweat. And the fact that she wasn't too friendly with anyone at first meeting. But…the girl that he heard about and the one standing here were nowhere near the same. In fact…she seems quite the opposite. Harmony is…actually nicer…

"Well, it's, uh...nice to properly meet the girl I saved...Harmony," He returns the smile and the two women stare at the two teenagers. Harmony couldn't tell, but they could...there's love in the air!

"Okay," Varian says after a few seconds, hiding a tiny blush. "So fantastical stories of your hair returning and you gaining your moon powers back have spread throughout Corona," He walks around the two sisters, examining Rapunzel's hair. He then holds out his hand towards the princess. "M-May I?"

"You may," She holds out her left palm and he examines it, seeing the moon symbol on it.

"People say they're magic," He lightly touches Rapunzel's hair. "Personally, I don't really believe that. As you have probably guessed, I'm a man of science. Specifically-"

"Alchemy, we know," Cass interrupts him, "Listen kid, we need your help, but let me make something clear. What happens here stays here," She points at his chest, pulling him up slightly by the shirt. "Got it?"

"Cass, let him go," Harmony steps in and she drops him. Varian dusts himself off. "He did save me after all."

"Save you from what?" Rapunzel asks in confusion.

"I was at the well, singing. Daisy was dancing with me, and he approached me. I might have...slipped," She cringes at Rapunzel's semi-stern look. "But luckily Varian here stepped in and saved me with his amazing alchemy."

"He did?" Cass questions, hands on his hips. Rapunzel smiles at Varian gratefully. The boy smiles back bashfully. It wasn't that big of a deal, he just…saved a princess from danger, that's all.

"Thank you for helping her, Varian. She can be a little clumsy."

"If being clumsy and a princess is wrong, I don't want to be right," Harmony waves it off.

"You're welcome," Varian says quickly, turning to the girl in surprise. "You think my alchemy...is a-amazing?" His heart flutters and she nods.

"If you can, I'd like to see it. I'm a budding inventor myself," She gestures to herself. Rapunzel nods in confirmation. Ever since they've had that about her interests, Harmony's sketches of new inventions have been strewn around everywhere. No one really minded, it was actually kind of cool to see her intricate drawings of new possibilities.

"R-Really?!" Varian asks in amazement. This girl was getting more and more addictive by the minute. He never thought he'd meet someone else in the same field as him! He thought he was the only one. "Well, you've come to the right guy!"

He examines the hair and palm with mirrors. "Oh yes. This...this..." He chuckles a bit, "It's very...long. And cool," He glances to Harmony. "Oh no, don't worry, your hi-" He stops himself, remembering what they said. "Rapunzel and Mona. I am sure that I, Varian, can unlock the mysteries of your hair and your powers with the power of science!" He flings his mirror out of the way, but gets hit with one from behind. "Ow! Yeah, no sweat, it's just a little..." He faints onto the ground after seeing the blood on his glove.

Harmony gasps, bending over to him. "Are you okay?"

He opens his eyes weakly to see her enchanting eyes. "Y-Yeah..." He was definitely okay after the sight of her.

"Ugh!" Eugene looks at his pocket watch impatiently. "What is taking 'em so long?" He closes it. "I'm going in," He marches forward to confront the three. An apple hits Max's head and he looks up to see that the two horses are standing underneath an apple tree. He looks at the tree in delight, Fidella just watching him. He steps on a trip wire, causing a chain reaction that shoots another sticky ball at their feet. The two horses attempt to get free, but it's no use. The raccoon from before crawls up Max and snatches an apple. The white horse glares at him and an apple core is thrown at his head. He snorts in defeat.

Varian sits in front of Rapunzel, who has her hair around the back of his head. "Bring back what once was mine...what once was mine," She stops singing and nothing happens. "Better?"

"Oh yeah, no!" He recoils back after seeing the blood still on his hand.

"Huh," She stares at her hair in confusion. "They used to work..."

"Well, silver lining, we, uh, acquired some critical data about your hair. It...no longer possesses its legendary healing power. Progress!" He grins up at Cass and Harmony. "Now, let's figure out exactly what this hair is made of..." He moves away a curtain to reveal a large machine with surgical tools. "This machine can analyze any substance for chemical make-up, bitopic composition, and urgu-structural integrity. I built it myself."

"Nice!" Rapunzel comments with a smile.

"Amazing," Harmony steps up closer.

"T-Thanks," He smiles bashfully at her. "If I'm right, this should tell us all there is to know about your hair. And, when we're done, your moon powers," He gestures to Harmony.

"Raps, are you sure-" Cass sees that the princess is no longer next to her. "Rapunzel?!"

Rapunzel is already in the machine, her hair loose. "Let's do it."

"Someone's eager," Harmony smirks, crossing her arms.

"Okay...Rapunzel...um," He rubs the back of his neck. "This may get a little..."

"Exciting?!" She exclaims in anticipation, not noticing the glowing, deadly tools above her head. Harmony and Varian glance at each other. It was better just to go along with it than to possibly freak her out.

"Um, sure, yeah! That's a good word for it," He pulls the levers and Rapunzel starts to shake. Pascal jumps off and he crawls onto Harmony's shoulder. The woman starts spinning around rapidly, the girls staring as she's placed in all kinds of directions.

"Okay." She spins around again, this time being covered in hair like a mummy. The next time, the arms are pulling at it. "Oh..." A bell goes off.

"And there we are. Done."

"Alright. Not super fun, but it's over," Rapunzel chuckles in relief.

"Ha! Oh, sorry," Varian rubs his neck again. "Yeah, I-I meant done with the first test. But, don't worry, only 86 more to go." He pushes another lever and Rapunzel lays down, a saw coming towards her. "So, Mona-" He covers his mouth as Harmony stares at him curiously. Come to think of it, he said that earlier as well. "I-I mean, H-Harmony. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Oh no," Harmony waves a hand. "It's okay, really. I prefer it. It's nice," She smiles gently.

"I-It is? I mean, yes, it is! Since we're friends now!" He chuckles awkwardly. Why was it so hard for him to talk to this beautiful girl! He only gave that nickname after the most beautiful woman in art. "A-And you can call me anything you want! I won't mind!" Normally, he didn't have a nickname, but for Harmony...he could make an exception. Eugene peeks in through the brick window.

"Ah! Blondie!"

"Okay then...Vari," She grins at his new nickname. His face turns beet red at that. "Vari, why do people think you're dangerous?"

"Oh…you heard the rumors," He coughs awkwardly. "It's just that my creations usually tend to go wrong…but I can assure you, your sister is in good hands…I hope."

"I don't think you're dangerous," Harmony murmurs softly. "If anything, you should stay away from me," She hugs herself. "After all...my powers came from the Moonstone. The power of destruction."

His eyes soften as she looks away, so he wouldn't have to see her sad look. Everyone knew the story of the Moonstone. It had descended to Earth along with the Sundrop Flower. Its destructive powers can cause death, destruction, and chaos to everyone around it, potentially rendering any kingdom inhabitable and devastated. So when Harmony was born with the powers of the Moonstone Opal, most had feared her. Over the recent past months, however, and especially after her sister's return, quite an amount of people had warmed up to Harmony. The ones who did could see that she didn't want to harm them, and despite her dark power, she still maintained her kind personality. He couldn't imagine feeling so isolated from the kingdom that he loved, even if he was royalty.

"Mona…I-"

He then sees that the saw isn't cutting Rapunzel's hair. "Amazing!" His eyes widen and he pulls Harmony out of the way as the saw goes flying off. "You were right, it's absolutely unbreakable!"

Eugene suddenly bursts through the door. "But I'm betting you're not! Let her go!"

Rapunzel is brought up to face him. "Eugene! Hey!" She smiles nervously. Varian beams at the sight of him.

"Blondie, you're okay," He chuckles in relief before his look turns stern. "You wanna tell me what's going on here?"

She cringes, remembering what Cass had told her earlier. Taking a glance at the woman, she sees Cass' unhappy look. Rapunzel laughs at him, saying nothing.

"You know what?! I don't care! I'm getting you out of there," He rushes towards the machine.

"Hey!" Varian suddenly exclaims, "You're Flynn Rider!"

"No, you don't know what you're taking about," Eugene crosses his arms. "I've never seen you before in my life. You can't prove anything!"

Harmony suppresses a chuckle while Varian just giggles. "I am your biggest fan!" He runs over to a dark green curtain and pulls the tassel to reveal the books and wanted posters about 'Flynn Rider.' "See?" He smiles happily.

"Hey now. Flynn Rider, nice that we met," Eugene grins at him. He had stopped going by that name when he stopped being a thief.

"I used to see your wanted posters all the time, you're my hero!" Varian bounces up and down, putting his hands on his face. He couldn't even express how he felt right now.

"Oh, well," Eugene chuckles, "Hero is a bit much."

"I've read every single book about you," Varian brings over a stack of books, which end up on the floor when he bumps into Eugene.

"Well," He takes the book off his head. "You see, that's not actually me. I just took the name from the book-"

"Hey, hey," Varian points a miniature weapon that has green and blue coils around it. "Remember the time you dueled that evil knight blindfolded!" He slices the book into pages.

"No, no, not me," Eugene ducks from the weapon, hiding behind a table. Hero to this kid or not, that thing would surely chop his head off in an instant. "Uh, do you wanna put that down?"

A stone is banging against Rapunzel's hair as Cass just looks on with a smirk on her face. "This isn't right, Cassandra, I have to tell him what's going on," Rapunzel whispers to her. She hated keeping secrets from him, especially about this. If it continued, he'll surely follow her again and might catch on.

"No!" Cass turns around to her. "Rapunzel, I want to trust you and your sister," She places a hand on Harmony's shoulder. "And I trust that you two trust Eugene, but I don't trust Eugene, and if I don't trust Eugene, I can't trust you two and you're just going to have to trust me!" She glances away from them for a second as she thinks about what she just said. "Trust me, that logic tracks."

"Cass, it's not that we don't trust you, it's just that this is Eugene. We've been through a lot with him," Harmony looks up at her with a disapproved frown. "Okay, I'll admit that he doesn't keep secrets well, but how long do you really expect him to be clueless about this? It's not fair for Eugene to be kept in the dark about an important secret. But it's also impossible for him to understand what Rapunzel is going through if she doesn't tell him."

"It's Eugene. He's clueless about everything," Cass retorts back. "And as long as he doesn't know, no one, ie me, will be in trouble. And if people find out that you told him, that trust you've been trying to earn from them will disappear."

Harmony sighs, hugging herself. She looks back to Eugene. "Tell me about how you took on the Earl of Camembert!" Varian exclaims in excitement, still swinging. The girl couldn't help but giggle at how adorable he looked...

"Hm?" Harmony hums to herself, shaking her head. Where did that thought come from? She and Varian barely know each other, and she already thinks he's adorable...

"Also not me," Eugene holds up a finger. "Would someone please explain to me who this child is?"

"I'm Varian!" He accidentally tips over a chemical, which touches another, causing an explosion. His table ends up being split open and the other vials fall. Varian struggles to let go of the sword without harming himself and it ends up flying across the room. The weapon hits one of the Flynn Rider posters, and it explodes into nothing.

"Oh come on!" Eugene complains and the ground starts to shake, alarming everyone. Harmony steps back as a piece of debris lands in front of her. "What was that trembling?"

"Trembling? I didn't notice any trembling," Varian says quickly, hiding his hands behind his back. Harmony stares at him. Everyone felt that, why was he so quick to deny it? "Oh! Ah, almost forgot to get the spectrometric press! It's the only way I can read the results of the test. Flynn Rider! Mona! Wanna come with?"

"Ooo, no," Eugene denies immediately.

"Hey, if you-if you come, I could show you something really special. But, um, you've got to keep it a secret."

That gains his attention. "You want to tell _me _a secret? Do you hear that, everyone?" He calls out to Rapunzel and Cass. "Varitas-Var-"

"Varian!" He corrects with a smile.

He walks away to join Harmony, only to realize that she's no longer where she was standing. "Huh?"

"A complete stranger wants to tell me a secret!" He brags, following after the alchemist. Rapunzel raises a brow towards Cass. Neither of them were sure if it was really the best idea, but Varian practically looks up to the former thief.

"Mona, wait," Varian calls out as he rushes out the door. He immediately sees her on the ground, kneeling as her skirt is spread out underneath her. She's hugging herself and he could hear her crying. "Mona," He walks up to her, sitting down right in front of her. "What's wrong?" He places a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"You know what," She murmurs as she pushes his hand away. "You don't have to take pity on me and be my friend just because you know what I'm capable of."

"Mona," He says in disbelief. "You mean the Moonstone Opal's powers?"

"Yes," She looks up at him. "And it's all true. I can make people die with a song like my sister could heal with her own. No matter how much you can deny it, I'm a beast!"

"No, you're not," He places his hands on her shoulders. "You're a compassionate, smart, and sweet princess of our kingdom."

She shakes her head. "I might be a princess, but I'm impure, damaged, and dangerous. Why would you even want to save me twice, let alone be near me?"

"Because," He takes her hand and intertwines it with his gloved fingers. "I see the girl behind the beast. You might have these powers, but what matters is you want what's best for Corona. Your powers don't define you." He holds her other hand. "Because your power isn't who you are."

She smiles a little as a few tears drip down her face. "Why?"

"Why what?" He asks in confusion, giving her a tissue.

"Why don't you see anything bad in me?"

"There's nothing bad to see," Varian smiles softly at her. He helps her get onto her feet. "Because you're a great princess, Mona. And even if you didn't have the Moonstone's powers, anyone would be lucky to have you as a friend."

She returns the smile. "Thank you, Vari."

Eugene clears his throat and they look at him, realizing that he was standing right there. "Listen buddy, I need to tell me everything that Princess Rapunzel told you, because I already know that Brownie here isn't going to talk," He crosses his arms at Harmony.

"Oh yeah. Well okay, first she said, 'We're looking for Varian,' " He starts acting it out, Harmony chuckling at him. "And then I said 'I am Varian.' Heh, and then she said, 'Uh, hi, sorry to bother you sir, but we wanna ask you about my hair and my sister's moonlight powers.' Wait, oh, sorry, let me back up. Uh, I forgot to mention the raccoon trap. So-"

"Yes, that's great, but what I meant to say is tell me the important stuff she said," Eugene interrupts. He didn't need to know the whole story, just the parts where the parts that she refused to tell him. If Rapunzel was in possible danger, he needed to know.

"Mr. Ryder, when the Crown Princess of Corona, or her sister for that matter," He gestures to Harmony with a small smile, "speak to you directly, every word is important."

The princess chuckles, looking up at Flynn. "Hey, you did ask for everything she told him." She follows after Varian and Eugene facepalms at this logic.

* * *

They end up in a small workshop. Varian looks around the shelves. "I know that press is somewhere, Flynn!"

"Again, it's Eugene," He looks towards Harmony who stands by to simply watch him. "Brownie, you asked this kid for help on this?" Grabbing her wrist gently, he holds up her palm with the moon symbol.

"Varian, and I happen to trust him with it, yes," She grabs her arm back. Varian pulls back a curtain.

"Here it is!" He bends down to a small printing press. "And once the tests are done, it'll print the results on parchment paper-"

"That's muy interesante, but getting back to what the crown princess said-" The shaking happens again and it stops after a few seconds. "Why does that keep happening?"

"Flynn Rider! Mona! I believe I promised you..." He opens up a trap door. "A secret." He grabs Harmony's hands and pulls her forward, allowing her to climb down first. Eugene follows soon after, stopping in an underground tunnel. "Now, if my dad knew I was down here, he'd kill me," He laughs as he leads the way, holding a lantern. Harmony walks next to him. "Of course, if he knew what I was actually doing down here, he'd probably be impressed, or at least, I hope he'd be impressed."

"Quirin, right?" Harmony asks curiously. Over the many days she spent inside the castle, due to her father's fear of losing her as well, she got to know everyone's name...well, mostly everyone. "You must care a lot about him."

Varian glances at her with a smile. "I do." For some reason, he had stopped stuttering around her today. Maybe because he's talking about something amazing, which it is. "These tunnels run through my entire village, which make them perfect for my project."

"What project?" Eugene can't help but ask.

They stop in front of a large machine. "This project."

"Wow..." Harmony murmurs in awe.

"...I don't get it."

"Through the miracle of alchemy, not magic, I have found a way to heat this entire tank of water with a single drop of my new yet to be named compound which I'll call Flynnoelum!" Varian declares, Harmony stepping up closer to the machine to examine it.

"A way to give the people of Old Corona hot water with a single drop of your chemical?" She turns to him in surprise. "Varian, that's amazing!"

He chuckles bashfully, trying not to blush so she wouldn't see it. "I-It's nothing."

"I still don't get it," Eugene repeats in confusion. Harmony facepalms at him.

"I'm gonna surprise my village by bringing the people hot, running water!" Varian gestures to the machine, which lets out some steam. "Ha ha, I've constructed five of these babies all throughout the caverns."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait," Eugene waves his hands, realizing the connection. "These-these tremors, your machines are causing them?"

"Really?" Harmony looks up at the machine in concern now. If they overheat, they could explode, and that'll affect the land of Old Corona greatly.

"No, no, no," Varian says quickly, "My machines are not causing them. The chemical reactions they trigger do." He holds up an eye dropper in front of a red-liquid vat, and puts in a drop. Some fire emanates from it.

"And no one else knows you're doing this? Okay, listen, kiddo, I'm no expert in...whatever this is, but anything that can cause earthquakes can't be safe. We've gotta warn people about this!"

"No, we can't!" Varian denies. If he could just pull this off, his father would be proud of him. "Okay? You gave me your word you'd keep this a secret, and besides, I am an expert, and this is all perfectly safe." Another earthquake happens, causing a bolt from the machine to fly past them and hit rock. "Yeah, it does-does that all the time."

"Brownie, you're okay with this?" Eugene asks Harmony, gesturing to the machine.

"Whether I approve or not, I promised Varian that I'd keep it a secret," She gestures to the boy. "And he saved my life when I was in his village this morning. I'm sure he's got this under control." She could see his good intentions for his home, and he genuinely wanted to help...

* * *

Rapunzel is still going through tests as the table shakes. "Only 12 more tests to go!" She looks towards the birdhouse counter. The table stops and she shivers from the whole ordeal she's been through. "Yaaaaaay..."

"Team Awesome is baaaack!" Varian announces, arriving with the printing press in his arms. Harmony and Eugene follow soon after. "Now, Rapunzel, I know my tests have been a pain in the..." He nods at her knowingly, but she just laughs, waving it off.

"Aw, I wouldn't say pain." Electricity suddenly comes from the top, shocking her hair, leaving it a mess. "Now I would."

"I'd make you hazelnut soup if I could, but uh..." Harmony leans in to whisper. "That's gonna be me after you're done."

They both can't help but giggle. "Inside sister joke, nice. In a moment, this little guy," He pats the press. "He'll give us all the answers we want."

"Woohoo!" Rapunzel cheers at finally getting to know some answers to her questions. "Answers!"

"So, Eugene," Cass grins a little, walking up to him. Pascal and Daisy just watch, wondering if Eugene was really gonna spill. "Got yourself a secret, huh?"

"If you wanna call it that. The kid ha—uh uh, nice try, Cass!"

Another earthquake occurs, causing some debris from the ceiling to fall. Harmony bends down to the press, examining it. "Look, Raps, I think it's time to go, now."

"Now?" Rapunzel asks her boyfriend. "You're kidding, right? This is almost finished." They hear a ding, turning to the countdown to see that there's only 8 left. Eugene walks up to the kids. He couldn't stop thinking about how many people could be in danger because of those...things. Varian could do a lot, but this was too big of a job to maintain.

"Can we talk?"

Varian gets onto his feet, chuckling. "Of course. That's what Team Awesome does." He turns around to Harmony, remembering how clumsy she could be. "H-Here, let me help you, princess."

"None of that princess stuff," She chuckles as she places her hands on his shoulders. He gently grabs her waist and pulls her safely onto the ground. They stare at each other as they're still touching, silent as their hearts were the only thing they could hear. Before they knew it, Eugene was pulling them away from the cottage.

"Those things down there are dangerous!" Eugene insists to the teenagers.

"Dangerous? No, they're not dangerous. I-I have adjusted my calculations for every possible outcome. The margin of error is less than point 56 percent. No wait, or was it point 57?"

He bends down in front of Varian. "I don't know! Look, Varian, I think you're a good kid, a-a smart kid, and you got great intentions like Brownie said, but I'm asking you, pleading with you. For the love of my life, and your entire village, to please shut off those machines until a seisma-quake-atologist can come inspect 'em! Please!" He grabs the boy's arms. "Do it for Team Awesome."

"...Mona?" He glances to her, wondering if she was gonna ask him the same thing.

"Maybe we could meet each other halfway and just lower the intensity of the pressure so that it's not affecting your village that badly," She suggests, placing a hand on his shoulder. "And then when they're inspected, we'll figure it out from there."

He stares at her, noticing her genuine concern...not just for him, a boy she barely knows, but for Old Corona.

The ground shakes again. "Ohhh! I suppose I can turn 'em down a bit," He runs off to the first one, because he has to do the same thing to all of them. Eugene stares after him, glancing back at Harmony before running back into the cottage.

"Varian, wait!" Harmony chases after him. He turns around at her voice and she comes to a stop in front of him. "This is your home, and I wanna help."

"R-Really?" He smiles at her. "Alright! Uh, I have a map of the machines I built. We can go get it."

Eugene bursts into the workshop, seeing that there's 6 tests left. "Alright! 6 more tests, then we can leave, right? Go someplace far away? Really, really far away?"

"Why do you want us to leave so bad?" Cass crosses her arms with a grin.

"Oh no, you can stay. That way, when these things blow up-oh," He realizes that he just gave it away. "Boy, nevermind."

"Wait, what did you just say?" Cass demands and at the moment, the teenagers reach the machine.

"Okay Varian, I-I guess it was point 57," He taps the glass, chuckling nervously.

"This is bad," Harmony looks at him.

"Eugene, what is wrong with you?" Rapunzel asks gently as he's pacing around.

"Okay, you wanna know why we have to go?" Something explodes and Varian accidentally elbows a beaker. Harmony steps back as the chemical narrowly hit her feet.

"Ohhh no. The Flynnoleum!"

There are only 3 tests left. "Look, I tried to show you I could keep a secret, but I can't! This kid-" More earthquakes occur and Varian scrubs at the chemical. The ceiling breaks off and he grabs Harmony, running off.

3 turns into 2 as the others brace themselves. Eugene catches Pascal and Daisy in his hands. "Varian's got five of these huge highly-pressurized underground machines, and they are clearly unstable. I think they could blow up at any minute!"

Pieces of rock crumble, causing the window behind them to crack. "And that minute is now."

"Get me out of this machine!" Rapunzel tries to wiggle out of it, but it won't release her until the tests are done. Only one test left and the machine starts spinning out of control. "Um, guys? Hurry!" Eugene pulls at the levers, cringing towards his girlfriend. Cass pulls out her sword, leaping into action, but it flies out of her hands. Eugene runs over to the weapon Varian was waving around earlier, stabbing it into the machine.

"Give me your arm!" Cass says as she, Eugene, Daisy, and Pascal pull with all their might.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel shouts and he sees the two teenagers running past the window.

"Varian! Harmony! They're gonna get themselves killed!"

"Get her out of here, I'll get the kids," Cass tells him, running out the door just before a wood plank could hit her head.

The last test is finally done. "It's over!" The cuckoo bird sounds off the finished tests, but a piece of debris crushes it. She looks towards the press. "I need those results!"

They look up to see the ceiling very close to caving them in, and the press is destroyed. "No!"

Houses start to be affected as Cass runs past a cottage. She jumps over a fence, an earthquake occurring right near her. Fidella stares after her, whinnying to get her attention as the two horses are still stuck. A black rock flies past Cass as she has the two teenagers in sight. She jumps over a pipe and grabs their arms, causing Harmony to drop the map.

"Listen, kid, we gotta get out of here. Princess, you can't risk yourself like this."

"No, no!" Varian protests, trying to make her let go. "No, we've got three pumps to shut off, and I can't let this happen again!"

"Please, Cass! I have to help Old Corona! This is home to his people," Harmony gestures to Varian. Another explosion occurs, causing a large pipe to fly above them. It goes spiraling over their heads, but Harmony hugs Varian and Cass grabs them.

"Look out!" Eugene looks up at the ceiling, attempting to pull Rapunzel out.

"No, there's no time! Get out of here!" If someone was going to get hurt, she'd prefer it to be her than him. He had already died for her.

"No, I am not going anywhere without you. I love you, Rapunzel," He clasps her hand, staring into her eyes.

"I love you too...more than you will ever know."

The two pets hide in her hair as the ceiling completely breaks, but the couple hold each other tight. After a few moments, everything stops, and there appears to be no sign of them...

But a yellow light bursts out of the pile of debris, which falls to reveal a ball made of golden hair. It falls and Rapunzel is free, with Eugene next to her.

"What the hair?!" Eugene exclaims in surprise. He never remembered Rapunzel being able to do that...

Cass crawls out of the pipe, pulling out the teenagers. "Thank you, milady," Varian smiles at Harmony, who giggles.

"I had to finally return the favor."

"Ugh," Cass rolls her eyes at the romance. It just wasn't her.

"Varian." They turn around to a middle-aged man with brown eyes wearing dark red and brown village clothing. He lifts up a door, looking around for the boy in a panic. "Varian!"

"Quirin, thank goodness you're here," A villager walks up to them, but he ignores him once he sees his son.

"Oh no. It's my dad," He tells the girls. They crawl out of the pipe, with Varian helping out Harmony.

"Are you okay?" Quirin bends down, holding his son's shoulders. He glances behind him to see the princess. "P-Princess Harmony. What are you doing here?"

Luckily he didn't fear her, so she takes a deep breath, stepping up to address everyone.

"Everything will be okay. No one is hurt."

"What happened?" Quirin asks Varian.

"Dad, I'm sorry," He looks away sadly and the man realizes what happened.

"Not again, Varian..." He turns away.

"But, Dad-"

"Is everybody okay?" The man asks the villagers. Varian looks down in disappointment, Cass placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Quirin, what do we do?"

"It was terrible."

Harmony looks to the boy, sighing slowly. "Hey." She steps up to him, giving Varian a hug. He stares at the top of her head in surprise before he returns the embrace. She pulls back to look at him. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. I need to go check on my sister and Eugene."

"Oh no, go on. I understand," He gestures to himself. "Thank you for everything...Mona."

She smiles a bit, looking up at Cass, who leads her away. The girl turns around one last time to stare at Varian. She hoped that everything would be alright the next time she visited.

* * *

Rapunzel shakes the antidote to the goo for Max, setting him free. He whinnies happily. "I'm sorry you didn't get those test results, Blondie," Eugene walks up to her. Those results had meant a lot to her, but now who knows when she'll get answers again? Or Harmony for that matter?

"I should never have kept a secret from you," She puts her hair behind her back. "From now on, no more secrets! Ever."

"Oh yeah? Well what about Cassandra?" Eugene asks in disdain, looking towards the woman, who's petting Fidella.

"That's between her and me. Okay, the truth? You know how I said I just woke up with my hair long? Well, I didn't. And Harmony didn't wake up with moonlight powers either. The night before, Cass kind of helped us break out of Corona."

"Oh, I knew it!" Eugene exclaims happily. "Oh, she's gonna get in so much trouble!"

Rapunzel recoils back in surprise, staring at him pleadingly to not say a word. Harmony stares as Max growls at him as a threat. "That is, of course, if anyone where to find out, which they won't, because this guy is a vault." He puts Rapunzel on top of the horse. Harmony shakes her head with an amused smile, walking over to Fidella with Daisy.

Max hits Flynn with his tail and Eugene climbs on behind the love of his life. Rapunzel leans up, kissing him on the cheek as thanks.

"You should've seen it! It was a crazy night! She showed us these black rocks, and I know it sounds so weird, but I think they're what made my hair grow back and for little sis to get her moon powers back." As she's talking, Max sees the same raccoon who taunted him earlier. He kicks a fence pole, causing the same trap to fire at the animal. It traps him inside and he reaches his tongue towards the apple core, but he's not close enough. Max snorts at him and keeps on walking.

"Hey, after today, nothing sounds weird," Eugene can't help but comment.

"And then when we touched the rocks, they started chasing us, and Harmi was creating them," Rapunzel continues as they walk past a damaged house.

"Rocks chasing you made by Brownie? Now we're back to weird."

Cass and Harmony ride behind them, with Cass unable to hear. The princess smiles to herself. She got saved by a budding alchemist, and he turned out to be the same 'wizard' they were looking for…fate works in strange ways.

"Well, Max was there, and once we got far enough away from them, they stopped growing."

Or at least, so she thought, as behind Corona walls, another black rock grows...


	4. Rapunzel's Enemy

Harmony breathes in the fresh air as she walks down the road of Old Corona. Under her arm is a basket, but its contents are unknown as she has a checkered cloth over it. She takes a quick glance around the village. Everything had looked okay after what happened with the earthquakes...she waves to the villagers and they return it eagerly. Thankfully, Old Corona didn't have anyone who was still wary of her...abilities. Maybe that's why she's here so much...

And also because of a certain alchemist...

After she had to leave him, she hadn't been able to check up on him for almost a week, due to princess duties like preparing for the festival today. She figured that she might properly thank Varian for saving her life, the first time, and she will admit to no one else that she wanted to see him again...he's the only person so far her age that she's friendly with, and she couldn't remember the last time she had someone like that in her life...he doesn't fear her or her powers, or think of her differently because of it...she really appreciated that.

She walks up the front steps and knocks on the door. It opens a few seconds later and Quirin stands in the doorway. He stares at her in shock.

"Princess Harmony," He bows to her. "What do I owe the pleasure?"

"Just Harmony," She giggles a bit. "And I'm actually here to see your son Varian."

"Oh, that is very kind of you. He seems normal. He was chowing down some dark chocolate last night," He chuckles and moves aside to let her in. She steps into the cottage and he leads her into Varian's workshop. Everything was almost back to normal...there was still some debris here and there, but nothing too major that hadn't already been cleaned up. Varian has his back turned to them, leaning over his desk. "Varian, you have a guest."

"Guest?" He lifts up his goggles, turning around to see the angel that he saved. "M-Mona?!" He bumps into his desk, causing two combustible chemicals to touch and they explode behind him. "W-What are you doing here?"

"Hello Vari," She smiles softly at him.

"I'll let you two be alone," Quirin winks at his son slyly, causing the teen to blush.

"I came here to see you," Harmony speaks once his father has left. "I was worried about you after what happened with your hot water invention..."

"Y-You came to see me? Y-You were worried about me?" He runs a hand through his hair, trying to keep calm. The Princess of Corona was actually worried about him, a low-class alchemist. She didn't know it, but she just made his heart beat out of control.

"Yes," She smiles slightly, holding out the basket. "I made ham sandwiches with help from the cooks...I never really had the opportunity to properly thank you for what you did when we met."

He stares at the basket in shock, chuckling in embarrassment. "N-N-No need to thank me. It was...all in a day's work!" He takes the food from her. "But t-thank you, and I'm okay. Everything is fine. We managed to clean up everything." He notices that something is off as she's staring at something. "S-Something wrong?"

"Your gloves..." She steps forward and he stares as she takes one of his hands into her palm. Even when them on, he could still feel the warmth from her own hand. "Can I see?"

"My hands? S-Sure! Who am I to deny the Princess of Corona?" He rubs the back of his neck. She chuckles lightly and slowly grips the end of the glove with her hands. She slowly takes it off, revealing his hand the same skin as his.

"Hm. I like them better this way."

"Heh heh..." He blushes a bit as she's still touching him.

"I'm sorry," She notices his face, letting go of him. "That was too forward."

"It's fine. Really," He smiles at her and she returns it. "So...your first Gopher Grab with your sister. Must be exciting."

"Yeah..." She hoped that Rapunzel would be okay. She had no idea what she would be doing... "She's just as excited as everyone else is. Over the moon, really. Oh," She covers her hand with her mouth in embarrassment at the unintended mention. Varian can't help but laugh and she laughs too, finding his laughter addicting. "I didn't mean it in _that_ way."

Why was she so nervous around him all of a sudden? This wasn't like her at all. If it was another villager, she wouldn't even act this way around them. In fact, she wouldn't even mention her powers, as that could make some people nervously. But with Varian...he truly accepted her, and genuinely wanted to be her friend...

"Are you barefoot, princess?" He notices her toes peeking out from underneath her skirt.

"Oh, yeah," She lifts up her skirt for him to see. "Rapunzel and her free spirit is pretty contagious."

"I like you better this way," He repeats what she said and he rubs his neck. "I-I mean, not that you're terrible. No, no, you're not! I mean, you-I-"

"I got it," She laughs, holding up a hand. It seems that whatever was wrong with her is affecting him too...was it contagious? Despite that, she could really use someone to hang out with during the festivities, as a break. "Are you...gonna be at the festival?"

He blinks at her in shock. This girl was practically asking him to be there? "I-I wasn't gonna go, but...yeah, I guess I could spare a few minutes from my important work to come." He smirks at her flirtatiously.

"I think with Rapunzel, I'm gonna need more than a few minutes. I better go before my father sends a search party," Harmony chuckles before waving. "Bye Vari. I'll see you later."

She walks off and he waves to her, smiling happily. He was gonna see her again!

* * *

It's the 500th anniversary of the Good Will Gopher Grab in Corona. The crowd erupts into cheers as King Frederic is standing before them, with the princesses by his side.

"We have much to celebrate during this year's Gopher Grab. Not only is this the 500th anniversary, but we commemorate this Crown Princess Rapunzel's very first festival, and Princess Harmony's first one with her sister."

The crowd cheers, and he winks at the sisters, who smile up at him. "To mark this joyous event, our princesses have redesigned the Gopher Grab seal of goodwill." He removes a curtain underneath the railing to reveal a painting of a Gopher, which is being held by a claw machine that Harmony created. It moves forward, planting the picture underneath. They applaud and cheer again. "Ladies and gentlemen of Corona, Crown Princess Rapunzel and Princess Harmony."

They smile towards the crowd. "Thank you so much. Aw. You're all too kind."

"We're very glad to be celebrating this event together," Harmony smiles as they share a brief hug.

"Booo!"

The jeer is so loud that it could be heard from the king. However, since Rapunzel is not familiar with this kind of negativity that she takes it positively. "And a booo to you, sir."

"Um..." Harmony tries to tell her what it really meant, but her sister just gives her a one-armed hug, waving towards the ground. The logo is replaced with Rapunzel's and the villagers wave to the princesses as they walk into town.

"I gotta hand it to you, Blondie and Brownie," Eugene speaks up, "The people of Corona love you two."

A little girl hugs them both. "They sure do know how to make girls feel special. I mean, I've never heard so much applause, and someone actually booed me."

Eugene cringes at Harmony, who shakes her head to mean that she didn't tell Rapunzel. "Forget that guy. I wouldn't pay too much attention-"

"I've never even heard that cheer before. It's so exotic!" Rapunzel smiles happily, her boyfriend staring after her in confusion. "Do you think he's from overseas?"

"You don't know what boo means, do you?" Eugene asks slowly.

"Yeah, I do," She smiles confidently, a hand on her hip. "It's a cheer, like Yippee! Hooray! Boo! Right?"

The two wince, glancing away. "No? Alright. So what does it mean?"

* * *

"It means someone hates you."

Rapunzel's eyes widen once she's asked Cass. Someone...hates her? But why? She's been so nice to everyone. What could she have possibly done to that man? Everyone likes her!

"Way to candy-coat it, Cassandra," Eugene replies sarcastically, throwing an apple between his hands. Cass is tending to something.

"Why wouldn't someone love me?" Rapunzel asks dejectedly. "What could I have done to this person?"

"Rapunzel, who cares? Not everyone has to like you. That's part of life," Eugene calls out.

"Imagine how many people hated him when he was stealing," Harmony jerks a thumb to the man. "And besides, not everyone likes me either. Some of them are still hesitant to approach me because of...well, you know," She points to her left palm.

"Eugene and Harmi are right," Cass takes a hold of the gopher she was petting. "Someone could not like you for any number of reasons. For instance, maybe you have a stupid goatee that makes you look ridiculous, and someone might not like you for that," She sends a grin towards Eugene, brushing the animal in her arms.

"Cass," Harmony warns her.

"You know, Cassandra, it's a little hard to take your insults seriously when you're holding that thing," He retorts back, pointing towards the gopher. She glares at him, putting the brush down.

"This 'thing' is important. Gregorio the Goodwill Gopher represents half a millennium of honor and tradition throughout this kingdom," She explains, walking past various pictures that have Gregorio with other ancestors from previous festivals.

"...We're still talking about the rat, right?"

"Gopher!" She corrects him. "For your information, the Gopher Grab is a Corona institution. I was entrusted as the mascot's caretaker because it is a mark of hallowed esteem."

"Yeah, that's special," He replies carelessly, causing her to glare. "He just pooped on you."

She gasps, looking at herself. "Listen, Blondie," He walks past the growling Cass. "You're just gonna have to accept that some people aren't gonna like you."

"I'm sorry that you have to hear it, but it's true," Harmony speaks up. "There's always gonna be someone who is not for the fan of heart towards you."

"Ugh! All I can hear is his gravelly 'boo' over and over in my head," She laments, Eugene placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Rapunzel, I know your feelings are hurt, I get that. But you gotta admit, if Cassandra and I are actually agreeing on something," He sends a smug grin towards the woman, "It's probably worth listening to. Let this one go."

She smiles a bit, letting out a small sigh. "You know what? You're right." He pulls her closer. "Thank you." They share a brief kiss, him and Harmony staring after the woman as she leaves.

"...Yeah no, she's not."

"Nope, not letting it go," Cass says knowingly, still brushing the gopher. Harmony sighs, turning towards the two.

"I'll make sure she doesn't go overboard. You better behave, you two."

"Psh, I can behave," Eugene waves it off. "It's her you should be worrying about."

Cass sends him a glare and Harmony rolls her eyes, leaving the tent.

* * *

"You know, Pascal," Rapunzel speaks up at a café. "Maybe Eugene and Cassandra, and you," She looks at Harmony across from her. "Are right. I shouldn't let this booer bother me. It's not the end of the world because I got booed, right? Happens to a lot of people, I'm sure...has it happened to you?"

"Well, not to my face," Harmony taps a finger against her chin. "Can't remember the last time people actually express hate to me given that they usually run away when they see me. Or at least, just the ones who are still afraid."

"But that means he doesn't like you either," Rapunzel sends a frown towards her. Her sister may have evil magic, but that didn't make it right to hate her.

"Rapunzel, it wouldn't be the first time, and I'm used to it by now," Harmony tells her.

Rapunzel sighs at this. "You know what? I'm not even gonna think about the word boo anymore. Let's just sit and enjoy our afternoon."

"Ba ba boo," A musician walks past them, holding his mandolin. "Ba ba boo."

"Check out my new taboo!" A villager runs past them.

"Boo repair!" The local cobbler walks around holding up a flat. "Boo repairs!"

Everyone that walks past them says boo and Rapunzel groans, planting her cheek onto the table. Harmony pats her sister's head with a strained smile.

"So you're having an off day because someone doesn't like you...it's not the end of the world," She tries to cheer up Rapunzel, but it doesn't really work.

"No, thank yoooou!"

Her eyes widen. That voice. She knew that voice. She looks up to see an elderly man.

"Wow! Thank you," his customer says gratefully.

"My pleasure, son. Spread the goodwill," The man gets into a carriage.

"That sweet little old man can't be the same person who booed me...can he?" Rapunzel asks skeptically. And when he passes by them, guess what he says?

"Booo!"

The three gasp at this.

* * *

Rapunzel paints a red line in her room. "Okay, I'd say that looks like our booer, wouldn't you, Pascal?" He stares at the detailed painting, shrugging. "Now, we just need to go check on Harmony to come back with the villager archives, and we can find out who he is."

"Sorry, can't find him," Harmony shrugs once Rapunzel is in her room.

"What? I thought you recognized him!"

"I said I memorized most of the names. I never said I knew what they looked like," Harmony looks up at her, gesturing to the pile of scrolls. If she couldn't even recognize Varian the first time, who was to say she could tell everyone by their name? "And believe me, I checked these twice."

"Oh," Rapunzel sags a bit. "Well, at least you tried, sis. Someone has to know him, right?"

"Hey," Eugene peeks in from Harmony's door. "Monty!"

She gasps at the name. "Wait, you know him?" She points at the painting and Harmony pulls down a magnifying glass, seeing his name in small cursive.

"Oh, there he is. It's him."

"Of course I-Everyone knows Monty," Eugene steps into the room.

"Well, probably because he's really grouchy and doesn't like anyone, right?" She raises a brow. Maybe he's just like that with everyone and that's why he doesn't like her?

"What? Uncle Monty? He's the sweetest guy in all Corona. If there was someone he didn't like, that person would have to be the most horrible-" He notices Rapunzel and Harmony's looks. "Oh my goodness! That's the guy who booed you, isn't it?"

"Yes," Rapunzel looks away with a sad pout. Harmony elbows Eugene in the arm.

"Wha-wait, wait! Wait a minute! No!" He realizes what he was about to say about her. "Now that I'm looking at it, cause I'm really looking at it now," He chuckles awkwardly, not wanting to hurt her more than she already felt. "Before I glanced at it. That is not Monty. No, that...is...Rude Guy...er. Rude Guyer! Yeah! Oh, boy. Nobody likes Rude Guyer."

Daisy and Pascal give him a look that said 'really?'

"Cause he's such a rude guy..." However, he didn't really mean it, since Monty was very nice to everyone, even Harmony herself.

"Hey, look at that!" They turn around to see Stan entering the room. "Uncle Monty!"

Eugene nervously waves his arms as he stands in front of the painting. Harmony crosses a hand in front of her neck, silently telling him to stop.

"Oh, hi, Eugene, Princess Harmony," He greets, not getting the hints. The princess facepalms with a small sigh. "That's some painting of Uncle Monty, huh?"

"It _is _Monty," Rapunzel turns to her boyfriend with an accusing look.

"I'll say," Stan chuckles a bit, "You know, you don't forget the guy who introduced you to your wife."

"And _everyone _likes him?" She crosses her arms, giving her boyfriend a tiny glare.

"No, no, of course not, don't be silly," Eugene waves it off, Harmony coughing a bit.

"Do you know how many people are in Corona? It's only one guy, Punzie," She rubs her arm nervously.

"Eugene and the princess are right. Everyone _loves _him," Stan corrects them and Harmony walks over to her bed, putting her face into a pillow and screaming.

"Uh, do you know where I could find him?" Rapunzel asks hopefully.

"Monty's a very private person," Eugene places his hands on her shoulders. He really hoped that she would let this go like a normal person would and just move on.

"Oh sure, your majesty," Stan answers eagerly for her. "He has a wonderful little shop in town. Here, let me draw you a map." He takes out a piece of paper, drawing a sketch. Rapunzel gives Eugene a look, snatching the map. "Thank you, Stan."

"Yeah," Eugene rolls his eyes to the oblivious guard. "Thanks so much, Stan."

"No problem," He doesn't notice the sarcasm from the former thief's voice. "And when you see him, tell him thanks for the flowers he sent to my mom when she was sick."

"We'll do that," Harmony gives him a strained smile and he leaves the room. Her sister stares at the map.

"So, listen, Rapunzel..." Eugene starts off, placing a gentle hand on her arm.

"I know. I know. You're gonna tell me to leave it alone, but this is all just a simple misunderstanding. I need to clear things up so me and Uncle Monty can be friends," She walks up to her little sister. "Come on."

"Rapunzel, don't you think you're taking this too personally?" Harmony asks in concern as she stands up.

"Nope! Friends!" Rapunzel smiles, the girl and Eugene both sighing.

* * *

"Ugh" Cass is cleaning Gregorio's purple teeth. "These berry stains are impossible!" Some of the toothpaste drips from his mouth, but the gopher doesn't seem to notice or care.

"I just don't get it, Cass," Eugene paces around. It's a little worrisome of what lengths Rapunzel might go to just to get Monty to like her. He couldn't understand why; he's made lots of enemies while thieving, and he couldn't care less. Heck, Harmony's in a similar situation as him, and she's been used to that kind of treatment for years now! "Why can't Rapunzel let it go? Okay, so one person doesn't like her. Who cares?"

"I know!" Cass surprisingly believes him. "I mean, only one person does like you and you're okay with that."

He smiles fondly. "Exactly-oh, I see what you did there."

"I gotta get some lotion for his paws," Cass looks down at the gopher, holding him up. "Can you watch him for a few minutes?"

"Oh, are you sure I can be trusted with this hallowed Corona institution?" Eugene retorts as he takes the animal, holding it up lightly.

"I was talking to the gopher," She replies as she walks away. He puts the gopher into his hand, deciding to ignore that in favor of getting her the satisfaction with a response. He looks towards the berries and takes a handful, throwing one into his mouth. There was a slight nasty taste, but overall, it was a satisfying taste.

"Oh yeah, I see why you like these..." He eats another, placing some in the gopher's lap. "Wanna go halfsies?" He hums at the third one.

* * *

The princesses are walking through town, trying to find Monty's sweet shop. "Okay, Monty can't be great as everyone says, you guys," She glances to the two pets and her sister. "I mean, this here says that he owns a sweat shop."

"That can't be right," Harmony furrows her eyebrows in confusion. There wasn't even a shop like that in Corona to begin with. "And I still think that you're overreacting~" She sings the last word. Rapunzel shushes her and she looks to see that it's not a sweat shop, it's a sweet shop. Kids are looking around happily and she pouts at this.

"Sweet shop. Yeah, okay, way to spell, Stan..."

"Either way, I wanna check this place out," Harmony shrugs at her. They see the displays from outside, seeing things that are part of Corona: the sun and moon symbols, the ships that they use for travel, the castle, and a flower with a butterfly. Rapunzel couldn't help but stare in awe. All of it looked so real. She opens the door to the shop out of curiosity. Her mouth drops open at all of the candy and decorations. Monty holds out chocolate bunnies and the children eagerly take them. He slides one remaining from the pan, giving it to a little girl.

"Here you go, dear. May you spread the spirit of goodwill throughout Corona."

Rapunzel approaches him from behind. "Pardon me."

"And you, sweetie, how can I help..." He turns around and glares at her. "You...!"

"Hi!" She waves eagerly but anxiously at that reaction. "Monty. Can I call you Monty?"

"Apparently," He replies thinly, smiling slightly at the princess. "How can I help you, your highness?"

Her mouth opens in shock as she looks at her sister. Harmony hums in thought, rubbing her chin. Maybe Varian would like a little something for taking time out of his hands to hang out with her? It was the least she could do...but what would he like? Oh wait, Quirin mentioned that he liked dark chocolate when she came to see him.

"Do you happen to have any dark chocolate?" She plays with her hands nervously as she can tell that Rapunzel is staring at her in disbelief. She thought that he hated both princesses, though now it seems like he likes everyone _but _her.

"Well, sure!" Monty walks over to a shelf. "Bars or malt balls?"

"Malt balls," She calls out and Rapunzel notices some medals on the wall, 9 of them.

"Sooo, I see you're a Gopher Grab fan," She says to try and appeal to him.

"Figured that out all by yourself, huh?" Monty asks sarcastically, handing Harmony a bag of dark chocolate malt balls. "Well, give the girl a lolly." He holds out a large pink and purple stripped lollipop and she takes it, licking the treat eagerly. "Ha! That one fell on the floor!"

She looks down to see it covered with dark particles, which could only mean dirt. Harmony sticks out her tongue in disgust.

"Gross. Can't believe you tried that."

"Easy for you to say! He likes you!" Rapunzel retorts back. "Um...Monty," She steps up closer. "How do I put this? Um, during my speech...somebody booed me, and I was wondering-"

"And what are you gonna do, huh? Huh?" Monty demands from her. "You gonna throw me in the dungeon cause I booed you, huh? Is that why you're here with back-up? To oppress me?"

"No! No!" Rapunzel denies quickly. "I don't wanna oppress anyone. I just wanna know what I did."

"Listen, your highness," Monty holds up a hand. "I don't need to explain myself to you."

"You don't have to. You can tell me," Harmony gestures to herself.

"Nope. I can see right through that, you'll just tell her. But for you, I'll let you have that chocolate on the house, just this once."

Rapunzel gives a dejected look and leaves the shop. Harmony frowns at her, following after the girl.

"Wait, Princess Rapunzel!" She turns around, hoping that he'll ease up and they could fix this whole thing. "...That lollipop wasn't free, you know."

She storms out the door. "I am not giving up that easy, Pascal!" Harmony opens the door. "If he can't see what a likable person I am, well, I will make him see."

"Oh no," Harmony places a hand on her forehead. "Rapunzel, think about what you're doing. If he won't tell you why he hates you, what makes you think that he'll ease up now?" She gestures to inside the shop.

"That doesn't mean I can't try!" Rapunzel places two hands on her shoulders, looking at her in the eye. "What did you do when you got your moon powers back? You tried and you tried, and you ended up controlling them all by yourself! Please, sis. I have to try. I can't stop thinking about why he doesn't like me. I have to know."

Harmony takes a deep breath, nodding slowly. "Alright. I'll help you."

"Yay!" Rapunzel engulfs her into a big hug.

"But I have to leave later. I'm m-uh, helping Cass with the gopher!" Harmony chuckles nervously at the slip-up. She would've told Rapunzel about the fact that she's meeting Varian, but she'd try and push them together as a...couple without her knowledge, and it was a much better decision to just...change the truth a little.

Rapunzel crosses her arms, noticing Harmony's sweating. Cass could take care of Gregorio on her own, she was capable. "Where are you really going?" She leans in with a smirk and Harmony darts her eyes around.

"Nowhere," She denies quickly, trying to keep a straight face.

"Are you...meeting someone?" Rapunzel guesses correctly and Harmony twiddles her feet.

"Nobody."

"Then why did you buy dark chocolate?" She points to the bag in Harmony's hand. "What are you going to be doing, hm?"

"Nothing."

Rapunzel gives a skeptical look, raising a brow. All of this seems very vague and secretive. "Nowhere. Nobody. Nothing. Harmony, just tell me! I'm your big sister!" She frowns in concern. If Harmony was gonna walk off, she deserves to know the real reason. What if she got hurt and she wasn't there to stop it, if needed?

She looks up at her sister's worried look and sighs lowly. How long could she really keep up this charade? If she kept telling lies, Rapunzel might follow her, and she didn't need that.

"Fine. But you have to promise me that you won't interfere...or squeal."

"What?" Rapunzel scoffs, waving it off. "Noooo..." She glances away and Harmony sends her a deadpan look. "Okay, I won't. Now spill."

"I'm meeting Varian later."

Rapunzel is about to squeal when Harmony covers her mouth. "You said no squealing!"

She removes her sister's mouth. "Right, right. Sorry. But I'm really excited for you!" She bounces up and down excitedly. "This is your first friend your age! And Varian is a perfect choice!"

"Thanks, Punzie...and a perfect choice for a _friend_."

"Right." She promised not to meddle, but now she wanted to. _I mean, why wouldn't I? They both like science, they're both 14, and they both love sweets, and they're very kind. Oh, I can't wait to have an opportunity to get them together!_

* * *

"Here's what we know so far. Monty has a candy shop, everyone loves him, and he likes yelling mean things at me," Rapunzel looks at a painting of everything she described. The two pets and Harmony stare at her from across the room, glancing to each other. "Time for Operation Make Stuff." A few candies fall from the chalkboard, the three facepalming.

She makes a green scarf sewn by herself.

A blue bird lands on Monty's shoulder. Rapunzel walks over as he's feeding the birds, putting the scarf around his neck. He gasps at it.

"Look at this, now this is flashy!"

She smiles happily at his comments...but then he narrows his eyes. "I hate flashy. Also, I hate green." He throws it onto her face and she pulls it off when she returns back to the castle. She crosses off scarf from her list.

Then she makes something from the stove, pouring it into a concrete box. She goes to his shop with a huge head of Monty made of chocolate. She beams at him, holding it out, but he pokes one of the eyes.

"Ha! Just I thought. Hollow. In my day, chocolate sculptures were solid, like our values." He closes the door to her disappointed face.

Sculpture gets taken off the list.

When he cleans outside his shop, a red liquid drops on his nose. He looks up to see Rapunzel re-painting his sign. "Wow."

She smiles down at him. "Much better than the one my great-grandfather painted, when he built this shop with his own two hands!"

He shuts the door, causing the sign to fall. She frowns and crosses off paint.

Eugene is still eating berries when Rapunzel walks in with a groan, plating her face into a pillow. "He hates me..." She muffles into it.

"Okay, come on, Raps, give it up," Cass tells her. "Clearly this jerk's got serious problems."

"Only because you don't know him," Harmony walks in, shaking her head.

"But if Monty could just see that I was-"

Cass turns around in shock. "Monty's the guy who hates you?"

"Ugh," Rapunzel lifts her head up. "You love him."

Eugene waves his hands, Harmony silently mouthing 'Please.' The last thing Rapunzel needed was someone else loving him.

"No, me?" Cass gestures to herself. As much as she disliked Eugene, she could agree that Rapunzel didn't need to hear the truth. "Love him? No, I hate that guy." She chuckles nervously, placing a hand on the princess' back. "Look, you'll just have to accept that Uncle Mont-Monty doesn't like you, and there's nothing you can do to change it."

"Cass is right," Harmony places a hand on her sister's shoulder. "He seems pretty bent on keeping his hatred."

"You're right...there is nothing..._I _can do," She smirks as she gets a new idea.

"Why do I feel worried?" Harmony murmurs to Eugene and Cass. They both shrug and the princess leaves the tent. As soon as she does, she bumps right into someone, knocking them onto the grass below. For a princess, she wasn't so graceful...

"I'm really sorry," She holds her head as her eyes are closed. "I am such a klutz sometimes."

"M-Mona?!"

Wait a minute. She'd know that stutter anywhere.

She opens her eyes to see Varian underneath her, holding onto her waist. Her hands had landed on top of his apron. They'd move, but they're too focused on each other's eyes. She stares into the light blue orbs as he stares into her chocolate brown ones. For some reason, her heart was beating really fast all of a sudden...

Someone clears their throat and they look up to see Rapunzel leaning against the tent with a smirk. "Am I interrupting you?"

"N-No!" Harmony stammers, getting off of Varian, to his slight disappointment. She picks up her chocolate, which thankfully wasn't melted. Rapunzel just grins knowingly at them. "Heh heh, let's go, see you later sis, bye!"

She grabs Varian's arm and runs far away with him. Rapunzel giggles at Harmony's face.

"What was, uh...that all about?" Varian asks once they're away from them.

"My sister? I wouldn't worry about it." Harmony looks at the bag, the contents starting to melt. "Oh, here. I stopped by Monty's and your father mentioned that you like dark chocolate."

"T-Thanks..." He takes the bag slowly, looking up at her. "I-I have something for you too!"

He digs through his pockets before shyly holding out a box. She opens it and sees a slice of blueberry pie in a box. "Oh, I love blueberry pie! Thanks, Vari. How'd you know?"

"I, uh, asked around. Well, people who were willing to tell," He smiles sheepishly, though he was glad to see her happy. When she talked to him about her powers...she looked so sad. He never wanted to see that again, not if he could help it.

"Ah, the stammering finally ceases," She smirks, closing the box. "I wonder why."

Varian can't help but chuckle a little. "S-Sorry if that bothered you. I must've sounded like a dork."

"I don't mind," She shakes her head. "Come on, let's go get some snacks. I saw that they had Gopher Grab food."

* * *

"So." Harmony speaks up as they're eating and walking together, taking in the sights. "Did you like the sandwiches?"

He's so busy staring at her that he didn't even register what she said. Until today, he didn't have a reason to love dark chocolate, but now he does...it reminds him of Harmony's eyes...

"Varian?"

"Huh?" He snaps out of it. "Oh, yes! Yes, I did, but you didn't need to go through all that trouble for me, princess."

"I couldn't help myself," She giggles a bit. "You've already done so much for me and my sister…" Her eyes turn sad and he stares at her again. She looked so upset when she mentioned Rapunzel.

"You must really care about her."

"Of course, she's been through a lot, especially with the hair and now Monty hates her for some reason-"

"Wait, wait, wait," Varian interrupts her in surprise, standing in front of the princess. "Monty? As in from Monty's Sweet Shoppe? Why?"

"I wish I knew…but my sister…I don't even know her. She was gone for my whole life, Vari. I'm basically with a stranger. And it's not her fault, she was locked in a tower by a selfish woman. I just wish…that it didn't take this long to get to know her. My big sister…"

Varian glances away for a second before giving her a gentle smile. "Mona, you have her now. And living in the past isn't going to help you. You're still adjusting, that's all. Trust me, she loves you. Who wouldn't?"

She smiles softly. "Thanks, Varian. You're very sweet."

"M-Me? Just…trying to help," He chuckles awkwardly as he turns around, bumping right into a sign. He tumbles onto the ground and Harmony gasps a little. "I am okay!"

They continue walking until they see a woman in orange, brown hair, and glasses. "Oh no," Harmony murmurs at this. "Rapunzel, you didn't!"

"I can see this is the first time she's dealt with someone who doesn't like her," Varian comments knowingly.

"You guessed it...come on."

"Can I help you, young lady?" Monty asks as Rapunzel comes in.

"Good afternoon, sir." She trips on the chocolate sculpture she had made and Monty catches her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, are you alright?" He notices Varian and Harmony entering. "Princess Harmony! Varian! Please, help yourselves to anything you want and I'll be right with you!"

"Oh, don't worry about me, I'll be fine," Rapunzel dusts herself off.

"I got that thing as a gift, and I'm trying to find a good use for it, but it's not even useful as a doorstop," He explains as the four stare down at the sculpture.

"Yeah, dumb and totally useless thing..." Monty looks up at her, the teenagers glancing at each other. She scoffs lightly, "I hope the foolish, though fairly well-intended person who made it regrets it," She lightly kicks it away. "Even though it probably took her, or him, hours to get it...just right."

"She made that?" Varian whispers to Harmony.

"She got crazy trying to please him with gifts," She whispers and the two chuckle. Rapunzel gives them a look and they stay quiet.

"Yes...right, well, what can I get for you, Miss...um..." Monty stops speaking as he doesn't know her name.

"Um...Miss Missy-Misty! Miss Misty! And I will have some jelly beans...every kind but green because I-I hate green," Rapunzel crosses her arms.

"Ha ha!" Monty places an arm around her. "A girl after my own heart. I'll tell you what, I've got a personal stash where I've already picked all the green ones. Let me get them~"

She smiles as she watches him leave and Harmony whips around to her sister. "What are you doing?!"

"If he warms up to me, I'll find out why he doesn't like me!" Rapunzel whispers to her.

"Or you could just ignore it," Varian suggests to her. "I mean, you are the crown princess. It's not the end of the world if one person doesn't like you."

"I have to know!"

He turns to Harmony, who just shrugs. If she was bent on doing this, who were they to stop her?

* * *

Gregorio is sitting in a castle, Cass looking at her pocket watch. "Two hours till the big race. Munch o'clock." She holds out the bowl that Eugene ate from, only to notice that it's completely empty. "Eugene, did you eat all the bimberries?"

"No!" He has bimberry residue on his teeth. "No! Of course not," He hides his mouth, but she can still see it. "Okay, so I ate some. I offered to split. Is it really such a big problem?"

She chuckles lightly. "Okay well, let's think. If Gregorio doesn't get his bimberries before the race, he'll be lethargic, and if he's lethargic, he won't want to run, and if he doesn't want to run, the Gopher Grab will be ruined. AND I CAN'T HAVE THAT!"

"So I'm gonna go with big problem?" Eugene asks nervously. She grabs his collar, pulling him close so that he can see her glare.

"Find me some bimberries, now," She growls angrily at him, causing him to smile anxiously.

* * *

"And I'm telling you, my great grand-dad would've won the Gopher Grab that year...but he was running the wrong way!" He laughs and so do the others, eating some jellybeans.

"That Grab means a lot to you, huh?"

"You know, Misty, kids," Monty gestures to the two teenagers. "I've never told this to anyone, but I feel like I can trust you. I come from a long line of Gopher Grab champions. Oh, they used to say that our family had the gift for Grab, and it was my dream to carry on our family tradition...but no matter how hard I tried, that little rascal always managed to slip from my fingers." He looks up at the medals. "And while I've never admitted this out loud before, sometimes...deep down...I can't help but feel ashamed." He places down the gopher chocolate he had in his hand. Rapunzel places a hand on top of his, causing him to smile. She smiles back.

"It's okay, Monty. It's actually kind of cool that your family has that legacy," Varian tells him.

"You'll make them proud in your own way," Harmony offers a small smile.

"Ah, that's enough of my weepies. Hey, I know, I've got just the thing to cheer us up."

* * *

His idea of that is throwing tomatoes at a statue of Rapunzel. "Yes! Right in the royal kisser! Excuse my language, your highness," He bows slightly to Harmony.

"It's fine. I can accept that not everyone is going to like my sister," She crosses her arms, giving Rapunzel a look. She smiles widely and Varian shakes his head. Monty throws more tomatoes and Rapunzel laughs a little.

"Wow. You really don't like the Crown Princess."

"Well, I wouldn't say I don't like her, or you," He glances at Harmony. "But I would say I can't stand her!" He tosses another tomato.

"Why?" Rapunzel asks in slight agony, "I mean, why?"

"You wanna know why I don't like her? I don't like the Crown Princess because-"

A bell goes off, interrupting him. "It's Gopher Grab time! Come on, Misty, kids, let's go!" He runs off and Rapunzel holds out a hand.

"Sure you don't wanna finish that sentence?"

"Rapunzel-"

"It's Misty," She interrupts Varian, crossing her arms.

"...Misty," Varian relents after a few seconds, "You'll have time later to figure this all out, but you don't wanna miss the Gopher Grab!" He grabs Harmony's hand, surprising her. "Come on!" He runs after the man, Rapunzel following close behind.

"You know, we could watch the Gopher Grab, but it's also not too late to sign up," She suggests and they come to a stop.

"Wait...you want me to compete?"

"Ah, trust me, Monty," Rapunzel waves it off. "Sometimes you've just gotta say, the heck with it!"

"Maybe...but I couldn't. No, I mean I-I don't even have a partner." Where would he even find one on such short notice?

"Well, guess what?" She places a hand on his shoulder. "You do now!"

He smiles happily, the teenagers looking on with small smiles. "What about you guys?" He turns to them.

"Oh, it wouldn't be fair," Varian waves it off, gesturing to himself. "I can easily figure out how to catch it with alchemy!"

"And this should be just for you. We don't wanna stand in your way," Harmony gestures to them. Not to mention she didn't want to be involved when this plan backfires...

* * *

Everyone is gathered at the Gopher Grab, Cass pacing around in a tent. It's about to start and Eugene had yet to return. She should've known not to trust him with this kind of job.

"Did someone ask for dimberries?" He holds up the dish of berries.

"You sure took your own sweet time getting them," Cass retorts as she takes the bowl. "Don't you realize the Gopher Grab is about to start any minute now?" She sighs wearily at his smug grin. "I hope these aren't store bought..."

"Well, you know, for someone careless enough to leave ol' Gregorio alone with someone who would eat all of his berries, you're being really particular."

"Okay Gregorio," Cass holds out a berry. "Time to eat." She tries to feed him, but he doesn't want to until she puts it in successfully. "Oh boy, this could take a minute..."

"Ladies and gentlemen," The announcer's voice booms. "It is nearly time for this year's Gopher Grab!"

"Hey hey, don't worry," Eugene tells the panicking Cass. "I'll handle it," He leaves the tent and as Gregorio eats, his eyes get all crazy before turning back to normal.

"Attention, ladies and gentlemen!" Eugene announces to the crowd. Varian and Harmony see him, the girl leaning in towards the boy.

"What is he doing?" She whispers in confusion and he shrugs helplessly.

"I know we're all anxious to see Gregorio the Gopher do his thing, I know I am," He chuckles before continuing, "But before we get started, I'd like to say a few words about the true meaning...of goodwill." The crowd murmurs, causing him to glance around. He spots the teenagers eyeing him weirdly.

Cass sighs, putting the bowl into her hand. "Okay, Gregorio, time to um...get ready!"

He pulls on the bowl, shocking her. "Wow! Oh, you are a little hungry guy, aren't ya?" She places him in his cage, his eyes swirling around.

"I mean, you gotta ask yourself, am I spreading goodwill? Or am I spreading good-won't?"

"Does he even know what he's talking about?" Varian whispers to Harmony.

"Most likely not," She shakes her head. Then the doors open and he sees Cass with the gopher.

"So in conclusion, spread goodwill, thank you for your time, bye!" Eugene says quickly, walking away. Rapunzel and Monty smile widely, the two teenagers waving at them from their front seats. Cass holds up the cage, the crowd cheering. She places it down and a song plays. Rapunzel smiles as the stairs expand, Cass walking over to Eugene. The doors open and a royal servant blows a whistle. However, nothing happens, causing confusion to everyone.

Cass cringes and runs up to the cage. "What the-"

Gregorio's eyes swirl and he runs right past Cass, causing her headdress to fall off.

"Cass!" Harmony calls out, the two friends jumping out of their seats and bending down to her.

"Are you okay?!" Varian asks her in surprise. They all look up at the gopher as he bares his teeth with a roar. It sprints pasts the contestants, who circle in on him. He runs around in a speed that's never been seen before, shocking the crowd. He trips a pair before two more jump out of the way. He then runs over to Rapunzel and Monty, who catches him in his hand and then barely knocks off Rapunzel's wig. She giggles sheepishly, the crowd cheering.

Eugene just laughs while holding a bowl of berries, Cass looking disappointed. "Oh boy."

Varian's eyes widen in alarm. "Whoa!" He pushes Harmony onto the ground as Gregorio flies over their heads. Cass and Eugene duck just in time. "You guys really undersold this whole Gopher Grab thing."

"He's not supposed to react like that," Harmony gestures to the animal as Varian helps her up.

"I just don't understand it. Why would Gregorio react to bimberries like this?" Cass murmurs and Harmony looks at her friend, silently asking him if he had that trap from when they met him. He slowly shakes his head.

"You mean dimberries," Eugene throws a berry in his mouth.

"Dim what? No! Bimberries. I thought you said-"

"No. Wait. You've been talking about-"

"What do you mean?"

The four duck again and Harmony glares up at Eugene. "Did you give him dimberries or not? Yes or no?"

"Yes!"

"These were supposed to be bimberries!" Cass growls at him.

"You know, for someone who is careless enough to leave-"

They duck again. "Don't you know dimberries cause hyperactivity in rodents?!" Cass asks him in disbelief.

"Yeah, who doesn't?" Eugene asks with a grin, even though he didn't know.

"Mr. Rider, you're never supposed to give a gopher that! It'll cause...well, that," Varian points to the gopher. "Ruddiger accidentally ate one once and oh boy, it was a mess..."

"Is there anything we can do to stop him?" Cass asks Varian.

"He'll wear himself out eventually...but right now, he's too hyper."

Gregorio slips past the other contestants. "Good boy, good boy, good boy," Rapunzel tries to calm him down and he pushes them to the ground. They grab hold of him, but lose their grip. "Yup, not so fun..."

Growling, the gopher runs to the edge and digs underneath it, surprising the guards as it sprints off. Monty bursts open the door. "Come on, Misty, kids! Let's show these youngsters how a gopher should really be caught!"

Rapunzel grabs the teenager's hands, running off with Monty. They end up in the woods and the crown princess hears growling.

"Look!" She clears her throat. "There!" She points towards a line of dirt dragging around on the grass. Gregorio makes a hole, bursting out of the dirt below them. Stepping closer, they see him run around a tree and then land near a river. When they reach the tree, he is nowhere to be found. "Where did he go?"

Monty shushes her, seeing the gopher hugging a rock on the river. "There it is," Harmony whispers to them.

"How are we gonna get it?" Varian murmurs to himself.

"All we gotta do now...is hop."

"On that?!" Harmony hisses in surprise. If they made one wrong step, they could lose him for good.

"No, no, no, no, let's take that bridge," Rapunzel notices a slightly broken bridge not too far away. "We'll catch him on the other side."

"She's right. Those rocks could be slippery and then we won't be able to find him," Varian whispers in agreement.

"Sorry Misty, kids, I can't take that chance. I think you were right. Sometimes you just gotta say the heck with it!"

They look on in concern as they watch him run off. "Monty!" Rapunzel calls out.

"Oh, he's gonna get himself hurt," Harmony frowns as the man eyes the gopher. He snaps the straps on his apron, stepping closer and hopping onto a rock. Gregorio jumps onto another one. Monty jumps again, only for Gregorio to land on another rock. Monty jumps again, but this time, he actually lands in the water.

"Monty!" The three shout as he hugs the rock with the gopher on top.

"Forget me!" His fingers start to slip. "Get that gopher! No, no, don't forget me! I was trying to sound brave!" He starts moving backwards. "It backfired! No!"

They run alongside the river and get onto the bridge, but the railing starts to break. Glancing behind them, they see a waterfall!

"Who puts a bridge near a waterfall?!" Harmony exclaims as Monty waves his arms. Rapunzel's mouth opens in shock as he gets closer and closer.

"Your hair!" Varian whispers to her. "It may be the only thing that can save him!"

"I can't!" Rapunzel tells him, holding out her hand and grabbing the man. Harmony and Varian rush in to help, holding onto him. "Hold on, Monty! I got you!"

Their grip slips and then he starts to fall. "Monty!" The two teenagers shout and Rapunzel breaks another piece of the bridge as she jumps. Monty lands on a branch, breaking it as he falls again. Rapunzel swings around on her hair, going back onto ground and falling onto the grass. Varian and Harmony take one step, with Harmony's foot falling through the wood.

"Mona!" Varian grabs her and pulls her out, running to the grass just before the bridge broke off completely. Monty peeks up through the blonde hair.

"Princess Rapunzel...?"

She chuckles nervously. "Surprise...!"

Monty sits on a rock, frowning deeply as Varian is tying Harmony's leg into a cast. "I told you I'm fine..."

"No you're not," He frowns up at her. "If you leave it untreated, it's gonna swell..."

Harmony looks away with a small blush over his concern. Rapunzel grins at them as the moment looks so adorable.

"Your majesty, you went through all of this just to win my favor?" Monty asks in disbelief after a few seconds.

"I know, I know," She starts off, tying her hair back into her braid. "It's a little crazy, but...I just had to know why you booed me." She takes off the disguise.

"Fine...you wanna know why I booed?"

She bends down to him as Varian brings Harmony over, his arm over her waist. "Uh huh, uh huh."

"The seal," He simply says.

"Wait...the Goodwill Seal?" She asks in confusion.

"Yes, the Goodwill Seal!" He holds up the new seal, "You redesigned a perfectly good seal!"

"Did not see that coming," Varian whispers to Harmony.

"I-I'm sorry?" She stammers, as she had did it for her first Gopher Grab.

Monty gets back up onto his feet. "Ever since you returned, everything's changed. I mean, come on, a royal in bare feet? Pug thugs in the castle? The list goes on! It's like you and your free spirit have a total disregard for tradition!"

She glances to her sister, who bites her lip. "...And then I realized that, well, maybe that spirit, the heck with it attitude aren't so bad after all..."

Rapunzel smiles towards him, nudging her sister. "I mean, you did inspire me to achieve my life's dream..." He lifts the apron pocket, revealing a normal gopher, just like Varian said.

"See? I told you that we-"

"But _then, _you put on this deceitful charade and made a complete fool of me! And you were in on it!" He points to the teenagers.

"Wait, so...are we friends again? But please, don't blame Harmi or Varian, it's not their fault."

"Of course not! And we, Rapunzel, will never be. Because I don't like you. Not everybody has to like everyone, your majesty," He starts to walk off.

"You know what? Now that I'm thinking of it, I don't like you so much either! No, no, wait, wait, I _know _I don't like you!"

He stares at her and she offers her hand. "Friends?"

Monty shakes it with a glare. "Not friends!" The two storm off in different directions, nodding to each other as they walk off. Varian just sighs at them and turns to Harmony.

"I'll take you back to the Gopher Grab."

"Vari, you've already tied up my leg-"

He carries her bridal style, surprising her as she instinctively wraps her arms around his neck. Blushing, she nuzzles her cheek into his shoulder, causing him to smile widely, walking down the path.

* * *

"Alright, alright, as you all know, the Gopher Grab is a scared tradition," Frederic announces to the crowd once they've all returned.

"So, Blondie," Eugene starts off, "Feeling okay about how you left things with Monty?"

"Yeah. I mean...you guys were right. I just had to accept that not everyone is gonna like me," She smiles a little.

"Oh thank goodness," Harmony sighs in relief.

"The winner of this year's Gopher Grab is good old Uncle Monty!"

The crowd cheers and he smiles, shaking someone's hand before standing on the stage to receive his medal.

"Booo!" Rapunzel suddenly shouts to everyone's shock. "What?" She smiles up at Eugene. "Not everybody has to like everyone...you know?"

Monty hangs up his medal with the new seal and a flower on the bottom right corner...


	5. Fitzherbert PI

**Angel: I have news! Apparently the newest episode is called Pascal's Dragon, and it's not coming out until January 12th of 2020. I'm not even on the season finale, so there's no way I'll catch up until then...but at least the special is coming out the week after Pascal's Dragon! As for the question I got, I won't spoil. Sorry! I haven't even started Queen for a Day yet. I do have 8 episodes left to write for the 1st season, though.**

**Happy Holidays, everyone! See you Thursday!**

"Okay guys..." Rapunzel puts on a flower headband. "Wait for it...how's this?" She's sitting on the ground holding a guitar near books and incense burning near her.

"Well...it's not...bad," Varian rubs the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Hmm, too bohemian," Cass rubs her chin. Rapunzel sighs at this, turning towards Harmony who also had a flower headband, but was holding a sitar. Her sister shakes her head slowly, taking the books and balancing them on her head.

"What about this?" She has glasses over her face, holding an open book near a bouquet of flowers. Pascal puts his own book on top of his head. Harmony sits on top of a stack of her own books, opening her journal. Daisy is nestled into her hair, holding a feather.

"Way too uptight."

"Not to mention it doesn't say you," Varian offers Harmony a small smile. Rapunzel hums as she and Harmony gesture to busts.

"Too..."

"Lighten up, Cass," She turns around to Eugene, who's throwing up an apple in his hand. "It's just a painting."

"It's more than a painting, Eugene. This is the princess' royal portraits," Cass gestures to Rapunzel holding a tennis ball racket.

"Mr. Rider, we're literally standing in the hallway full of portraits, I mean, come on," Varian chuckles a little.

"I keep telling you, it's Eugene."

"They're right, I mean every one of these portraits says something about what made that particular king or queen unique," Rapunzel gestures to a queen's portrait.

"It's tradition, and they've gotta decide on their looks soon. The Giovanni gets here in two days, and from what I hear, that guy is as famous for his temper as he is for his art," Cass smirks a little in amusement.

"Even though I never did mine since my sister was...well," Harmony glances away sheepishly. "I still have no clue on what I'm gonna do..."

"I'm sure you'll figure something out, Mona," Varian smiles at her slightly. "If anyone can figure this out, it's you."

"Thanks Vari," She returns the smile.

"Well, look at this guy," Eugene gestures to the portrait behind him. "He's not doing anything, and he seems pretty happy."

"Whoa, careful!" Cass rushes over as he had tipped it over. "These paintings are priceless, especially that one. That's the only known painting of Robin the 11th."

"Wait," Rapunzel comes over, "This kingdom had 11 Robins?"

"Nope. Just this dud," Cass points to the painting. "They called him Robin the 11th because the only thing interesting was that he had nine, ten..."

"11 fingers," Rapunzel finishes for her. "That's right, I remember reading about him."

"Listen Raps, Harmi, if you're trying to find your defining activity, don't listen to this dud," She jerks a thumb to Eugene, "Whose whole work history is being a two-bit hood."

"Cass, don't you know how many battles he's been in?! Flynn Rider is-is a legend!" Varian immediately defends and Harmony shakes her head at the lady-in-waiting.

Eugene just laughs at her. "Two-bit hood?! Hold the pastry, I'll have you know _Cassandra_, Flynn Rider was a legend, just like he said."

She chuckles at this. "Key word being 'was.' And what is it you do now?" She smirks, crossing her arms.

"I, uh, I do many things. You know, important things. So important, you wouldn't understand them. Sometimes, I don't even understand them! Tell her, Blondie, Brownie," He gestures to the princesses. Rapunzel tries to think of something while Pascal is bouncing off of the tennis racket.

"What?" She asks in confusion.

"Well...um..." Harmony rubs her chin.

"He, uh..." Varian glances at her, clueless on what does he do. Besides being a thief...he doesn't really have a job. Cass looks at Eugene smugly.

* * *

He goes to the Snuggly Duckling, laughing as he paces around. "Can you believe that Cassandra? Two-bit hood? I mean, she acts like the only things I've ever been good at are lying, cheating, and stealing. Which, in fairness, I am very good at."

"Hmm," They all murmur, staying silent. Hook Foot, Big Nose, Shorty, and Ulf are all playing cards.

"So you guys agree with Cassandra?" He asks with a frown.

"No, no, no, no, no," Big Nose waves his hands rapidly. "We don't _agree_ with her. We've simply arrived at a nearly identical assessment, is all."

"Oh, okay," He nods slowly. "Okay, I see how it is. You know, I am capable of being more than a handsome, devil-may-care rouge. In fact, I can be a handsome, devil-may-care anything I want!" His eyes widen at a new idea and he smirks. "Maybe I'll just have to find a way to prove it. Boys, Eugene Fitzherbert is gonna find his new calling!"

He gets no response whatsoever.

"Does no one in this kingdom have an attention span? Come on!" He replies as he leaves the establishment.

"Brownie!" Eugene bursts into Harmony's room, stopping short. The princess is surrounded by chemicals, sitting at a table in front of Varian.

"Um...Vari, I like this idea for my portrait, but...um...it's too much."

"No, it's fine," He chuckles at her, "I get it. Now that I'm looking at it...you should go simple."

"Kids!"

They turn around to Eugene. "I need your help."

"Did you clog your toilet again? I told you, you have to tell the maids that, not me," Harmony rolls her eyes at the memory.

"No..." He pauses for a second. "No! I need a job."

Their eyes widen at him, gasping in surprise.

* * *

The two lead him to where job listings are posted and he decides to try to be a baker's assistant...then he messes it up badly as smoke fills the room. Harmony and Varian cough, exiting the kitchen.

"Well, you said bake the pie at 300 degrees for an hour, but I figured save time and do 600 degrees for a half hour! Math!" The baker opens up the door to see a badly burned pie. "Hey hey!" He winces under the baker's glare.

The next poster is for cab driver. He comes to a stop in front of an elderly woman, helping her inside. "Thank you," She smiles, waving across to Harmony and Varian. "Oh, what lovely children you have."

"Oh, no, we're not related to him or each other," Varian waves his hands, "We're just here to support him."

"Well, isn't that sweet? You and your little girlfriend helping a friend."

Both of them blush profusely and they have no time to correct her as Eugene snaps the reigns.

"Hi yah!"

He takes off so fast that the two teenagers have to hang onto the carriage. He stops in an area of Old Corona. "Record time!"

The woman stumbles out of the carriage, all three heads spinning. Eugene takes off and she stares at the cottage in front of her. "But this isn't my house..."

After many blunders with the other postings, the last one is for cobbler...and actually, he makes a perfectly good shoe. He hands it to Feldspar.

"Impressive clobbering," He stares at Eugene and glares. "Whoa, whoa, wait a minute! Now I know where I know you. You stole a crate of boots once!" He pushes the boot into Eugene's hands, causing his friends to facepalm.

"Does this mean I'm getting the boot?"

"No, it means you're getting fired!" Feldspar snatches the boot from him.

* * *

Pascal lands on a pillow, nuzzling into it to take a nap. Suddenly the door opens, causing him to wake up.

"Who knew having a job would be so much work?!" Eugene asks tiredly, slumping into the chair.

"Hey Pascal," Harmony smiles at him, nuzzling his head with her finger.

"I mean, with all those rules and responsibilities. You should've heard some of these guys I worked. Like hey buddy, who died and made you boss?! Ugh," He puts his head into his hands. "Maybe Cassandra was right...ugh, just saying those four words sent bile into my mouth, oh that-ugh!"

"Oh come on," Varian pats his back. "It's not that hopeless...even though you've tried every single job and you failed at them...not to mention some of them you ended up stealing from..."

"It's true," Eugene puts a fist to his cheek. "Maybe the only thing I was meant to be was a-"

"Thief!" They all suddenly hear a woman's voice, looking out the window. "Stop, thief!"

A man in a dark cloak is running through the castle courtyard, holding a sack over his shoulder. Eugene notices the direction he's going in.

"I know where he's headed," He murmurs, looking at the teenagers. "I know where he's headed!"

They glance to each other before running after him. The guards are in the crowd, trying to find him. "Guys, he's headed for the dock!" Eugene informs the Captain.

"We'll handle this, Rider, and besides, he ran in the opposite direction, genius," He retorts back.

"Captain, wait!" Harmony calls out after him, but he doesn't listen.

"No one calls me genius and gets away with it! Come on, kids!" Eugene declares, running towards the dock. Varian grabs Harmony's hand and runs after the former thief.

The thief gets onto the dock just like Eugene had predicted, glancing behind him with a smirk once he sees that no one is following him. A black boot suddenly appears in front of him, tripping the man onto the wooden planks. He looks up to see Eugene and the teenagers. Eugene kicks a knife into his hands, cutting a rope. This releases a bunch of fish and a net onto the thief.

"Psh, amateur," Eugene scoffs at him.

"That was so cool!" Varian exclaims in excitement, Harmony chuckling at him.

"Rider, what are you doing here? And you brought kids with you?" The Captain shows up with the other guards, and stares at Harmony and Varian.

"Well, Captain, I don't wanna say I just did your job for you, but I just did your job for you. It was the old distract-and-run-to-the-dock-to-catch-the-last-ferry tactic. I know because I invented it. Nice hustle, though. Keep your chin up," He walks past them smugly, Varian bouncing after him. The princess smiles lightly, following after them.

"I don't believe it. Flynn Rider on the side of law and order," Stan comments, causing Eugene to beam in realization.

* * *

"You're gonna become a royal guard?" Rapunzel asks her boyfriend in surprise.

"It makes total sense, right?! I tried to have a normal job, but I'm just not great with authority. Being a guard, I am the authority! Plus I'd look great in a uniform!"

"Varian, Harmi, you agree with him?" Rapunzel points towards the two.

"You should've seen him Rapunzel!" Varian smiles widely. "It was typical Flynn Rider thinking!"

"Well, he did seem to know how to catch the thief," Harmony offers and then Eugene notices something.

"What's all this?" He sees that the crown princess is surrounded by books, an easel, vases, flowers, instruments, and more. She lets out a sigh, glancing at her journal.

"I was having a lot of trouble picking just one interest for my portrait and then it hit me. I'll pose with all of them, right?! What do you think?"

Eugene offers a small smile, the teens glancing at each other. "Umm," Harmony rubs the back of her neck, unsure of how to think about the idea. It seems a little...much.

"We, uh..."

Eugene turns to the duckling and chameleon. "Pascal? Daisy?"

The two pets offer no help whatsoever. "Maybe not your best idea, but I've heard worse."

"Like you becoming a royal guard?" He frowns, turning around towards the woman in the doorway.

"Ho...How long have you been standing there?!" Eugene demands to Cass.

"Long enough to know you're about to make a fool of yourself. You really think you have what it takes to be a guard?"

"Hmm," He taps his fingers against his cheeks. "Let me think...superior athletic ability, razor sharp acumen, impressive stature, making all around the world, including Corona, look like bozos for decades? Yeah, I think I can swing it."

"Flynn Rider can do anything he puts his mind to, Cassandra!" Varian holds up a finger.

"You wanna know what I think?"

"That I care what you think?" Eugene laughs at his witty remark. "Let me save you the trouble. I don't."

"I bet you don't even make it through basic training," She smirks as she walks past him.

"Training?" Eugene scoffs at the thought. "Like school? I was great at school! Easiest three days of my life!"

"What kind of school did you go to?" Harmony murmurs in confusion. She's been in princess school ever since she was born and she still has to learn a lot.

"Who's the teacher, anyway?"

"My dad."

His eyes widen at her answer.

* * *

"Alright maggots!" The Captain exclaims the next morning. "Line up!" Three students, including Eugene stand up straight, hands behind his back. The Captain makes it clear by the look of his face that he doesn't want Eugene here.

"You got this, Mr. Rider!" Varian calls out from the sidelines, Harmony waving to Eugene. Cass and Maximus are next to them, glancing at each other skeptically.

"This boot camp will push you to your very limits. By the time I'm through, you'll be sweating tears and crying sweat! But if you make it through camp and pass the final exam-" He stops to look at Shorty who appeared out of nowhere. He lets out a yawn, smacking his lips. The Captain just laughs at him. "And for some of you, that's a highly unlikely if, will receive probationary trainee status."

"Shorty," Eugene whispers to him. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry, is this the line for the men's room?"

"Well, well!" The Captain whips around to him. "Looks like I got a couple of aces in the mix."

"Captain, sir, I know we've had our differences, but I'd just like to say-"

"Quiet, maggot! You are a loathsome, pathetic excuse for a human being, and it is my full intention to make your life a living nightmare."

Harmony and Varian frown towards each other. Because of Eugene's past, the Captain is going to be especially hard on Eugene...

"You know, I've never said this to another man...but you have handsome teeth," Eugene smiles widely, trying to appeal to the Captain, but it doesn't work.

First, the trainees have to face a wall to climb over. The Captain blows the whistle and the first trainee attempts to climb, sliding onto the ground. The second one tries to use the other to jump over it, but he's still too short to reach. Eugene lands on one of their shoulders, jumping over the wall successfully with a smile.

"Whoo hoo! Yeah!" Harmony cheers as Varian claps for him.

The Captain pokes him and points to a much taller wall. Eugene looks up in dismay as he can't even use anything to increase in height. The Captain blows the whistle again and Eugene runs over.

They do push-ups next, Eugene doing it one-handed. He winks up at the Captain, the teenagers smiling proudly from their spots. The Captain just glares at him for this tactic.

Then they have to practice using weapons and when a cutout appears, Eugene fires an arrow from his crossbow at it. He fires twice, the horse and Cass staring in shock. She smiles in approval while Harmony jumps up happily, Varian pumping his fists. The Captain cheats by using a wire that's not normally pulled, tripped Eugene and causing an arrow to hit a cutout of the King...

The Captain laughs at him. "Crossbow procedure number one, Rider. Always keep the safety on." He revels in Eugene's failure.

"Captain, that wasn't supposed to be part of the training," Harmony steps up to him with a glare.

"Our sessions have changed, princess. Every trainee needs to expect the unexpected, but it seems like even a thief can't do that."

She balls up her fists, the other three frowning in disapproval. Daisy chirps in anger.

Eugene climbs up another wall, losing his grip for only a second before he continues on. He struggles with push-ups, the Captain smirking as the heaviest guard is on top of Eugene.

"Come on! Not fair!"

He reaches the top of a wall, panting in exhaustion. He jumps, but lands on a seesaw. The heavy guard jumps onto the other end, catapulting him back up the wall, now dangling from there. All the guards laugh at him.

"This is totally unfair. Can't you do something?" Varian gestures to the Captain as he looks at Harmony.

"Unfortunately, no," Harmony crosses her arms. "Unless Eugene gets physically injured, I can't ask him to stop. And no matter what I do, he'd just convince my Papa that he didn't do anything wrong."

* * *

"Alright Pascal," Rapunzel speaks up, "I think this is everything." Stacks are everywhere as she plants a rose in a vase. The chameleon smiles at her. "I'm gonna be more than ready for The Giovanni tomorrow morning." She takes a deep breath, but one of the stacks start to slip. "Oops!" She catches it just in time, but the other one tilts, causing everything and herself to fall.

"Darling!" Arianna steps up to her as she's just arrived. "Is everything okay?"

Rapunzel lifts a bowl off her head, frowning up at her mother. She chuckles as she realizes what's going on.

"Let me guess, your portrait? Let me show you something." She walks away and takes Rapunzel to a secret room, moving something and removing the cloth.

"Oh!" Rapunzel couldn't help but giggle as her mother joins her. "Sorry...Mom, come on. It's just..."

She's looking at a tacky picture of her mother holding a sword, a bird on her arm, surrounded by animals, books, a spear, and a harp. In other words...it's the most ridiculous portrait that Rapunzel has ever seen in her life. And she was in a tower for 18 years.

"Horrible? Yes, horrible, it's horrible," Arianna rolls her eyes playfully, giggling a little. "My point is, we're not always defined by the things we can do, Rapunzel. But rather...by the people we are. That's what your portrait should communicate."

Pascal looks up at her knowingly. "I know, I know. Don't be so smug, Pascal. I'll tell Harmony the advice, Mom. Thanks."

"She's out?" Arianna raises a curious brow.

"Oh, um...I'm not supposed to say anything, but...she's out with Varian supporting Eugene for the guard training."

Arianna gasps sharply, smiling happily. "Ohh...my daughter is finally being social and making friends her own age!"

"I know, right? But I promised I wouldn't interfere...at least, not until we're ready."

Both of them giggle at the thought.

* * *

Eugene flops onto his bed as Harmony twitches a little. "Why do I have suddenly have a bad feeling about something?"

"Ready to give up?"

The three look up to see Cass leaning against the door. "Oh, you'd love that, wouldn't you?" Eugene retorts back.

"Honestly...I don't care," She admits to him.

"Look, it doesn't matter anyway, okay?" He closes his eyes. "No matter how hard I try on that final tomorrow, your dad will cook up some cheat shot to make sure I fail. He wants me out, end of story."

"And apparently, no royal can interfere," Harmony holds up a book. "I've checked."

"He has his reasons," Varian chuckles awkwardly. "You _did _steal the princess' crown and eluded them multiple times!"

"Hey, I brought that crown back and reunited Rapunzel with her family! ...But the second part, yeah, there's no arguing that one."

Cass decides to leave, but not before she says something. "You know...for someone who's spent most of his life bending the rules to get what he wants...you're having an awful lot of trouble dealing with someone who is breaking the rules to get what _he _wants," She smiles a little, leaving the room. The two teens glance to each other before Harmony stands up.

"Goodnight Eugene. We'll see you tomorrow. I'll take Varian back home to Old Corona."

"W-Walk me home?" Varian suddenly stutters, Eugene smirking in amusement. He may feel downtrodden given his situation, but even he can tell when a guy likes a girl. "Mona, you don't need to do that. I can get home just fine!"

"Oh no, you are not walking home alone," Harmony smirks, crossing her arms. "I'm the princess, remember? It'd be rude to turn me down."

"I-It is?" He stammers, blushing in embarrassment. "Well, in that case...I accept your offer, princess."

They wave to Eugene as they leave his room as well, leaving him alone to think. If the Captain was going to play hardball...

Then it was time for him to change tactics.

* * *

The very next morning, it's time for the final, but only two of the participants are there. Varian and Harmony look at Maximus and Cass in concern for Eugene, who had not shown up. Cass lets out a deep sigh.

"Where is Eugene?"

"He was gone when I went to go get him this morning," Harmony whispers to them. "Rapunzel said she didn't know where he went."

"I hope he's not thinking about missing the exam," Varian crosses his arms, raising a brow.

The Captain steps up to them, an hourglass sitting on a piece of wood. "The rules are simple. Obstacle course. Whistle. Complete the course before the whistle blows." He gives a pleased look to himself when he sees that Eugene is absent. "Is that clear?"

"Actually, sir," His eyes widen and he turns around to the man himself. "Can you go through that one more time? It's just that my brain is so used to tuning your voice out that I-"

"Line up, Rider," The Captain interrupts as the four look to each other in surprise. "I can't believe you've made it this far, but I'm glad you did, because I made this course especially difficult just. For. You."

"I'm touched," Eugene actually gives the man a hug, who pushes him off.

"Get off me! Go!" He starts off the finals, the three running off. He steps over Shorty, who has been asleep the entire time and turns the hourglass. He smirks to himself, glancing at the short man.

Eugene steps through mud, jumping to the grass as a net threatened to capture him. "He's doing it! He's actually doing it!" Varian beams, hands on Harmony's shoulders from behind. The Captain growls, pointing to the other guards who are holding bags of sand. Eugene steps onto the wooden beam, shuffling a bit. The guards throw the bags, but Eugene runs past them like it was nothing.

"Whoo hoo! Yeah!" Harmony cheers, waving her hands in the air. The Captain's mouth is open in shock as he glances to the hourglass, which is already half full. Eugene looks up to the wall and smiles lightly, holding two arrows out of nowhere. He jumps up and stabs the wall with the arrows, using those to climb up further. He flips to the other side, landing on the seesaw, the large guard jumping. Eugene gets off before he's catapulted in the air, leaving the guard stuck in the mud.

"Come on, Flynn!" Varian calls out, "You're almost there!"

He can see the finish line in his sights, except more guards are blocking his path. Eugene smiles and slides underneath Stan, pantsing him. He uses the belt to pull the middle guard into the last one, jumping on them and running towards the finish line. The teens continue to cheer as Maximus and Cass smile.

He's about to cross when his foot rests about the line. "Almost forgot something."

This confuses the four as he runs towards the Captain and picks up Shorty. "Someone had to make this challenging." He sniffs the air and gags. "Ugh, you never did find that men's room, did you, Shorty?"

Baffled, the Captain glancing at the hourglass and smiling when he sees that time is almost up.

Eugene is almost to the finish line, but the last grain of sand drops, causing him to look back. "Ha! You lose!" The Captain laughs while Harmony and Varian look on in dismay. He reaches for his whistle, but doesn't find it. "Where's my-"

Eugene blows the whistle, having crossed the finish line. "Complete the course before the whistle blows, right? Look at that! I can follow rules," He tosses the whistle back to the Captain. "I'll take a medium uniform, sir. Athletic fit."

The other two participants cheer for him, Cass crossing her arms with a look of approval. Max whinnies as the two teens run up to him.

"You did it, Eugene!" Harmony shouts happily.

"That was amazing! The Flynn Rider is now a royal guard!" Varian bounces up and down.

"It's Eugene."

The Captain looks on with a glare.

* * *

A man in clogs walks up to a hallway door that leads to the princess' rooms, which is guarded by Pete and Stan. "Hey Pete," Stan leans in to whisper. "Look alive. This must be the guy. Look at him. Mr, uh, The Giovanni. Johnny-Johnny. Johnny, welcome!" He holds the door open for the man. "Corona is happy to have you."

"Well, at least someone is happy," He retorts back as he walks past them. "Now, where's Princess come si chiama?"

"Uh, she and her sister will be here shortly," Pete smiles nervously. The man is definitely...high-esteemed.

"The Giovanni, he don't like to wait!" He warns the guards. "Now leave me here..." He examines the bust in front of him. "Ah. Maybe the Giovanni, he learn something... by studying how not to paint." The guards close the doors, leaving him alone like he asked.

Eugene puts on white gloves, his belt, and his helmet before proudly stepping into the guard room. Everyone stops short at the sight of him and he basks in the attention. "Hey. Nice," He salutes to the Captain. "Reporting for duty, Cap. What do ya got, huh?" He chuckles at his words, they were actually fun to say.

"Remember, you stay here and make sure everything goes smoothly while I go get my portrait done," Harmony whispers to Varian as they're standing next to the doors outside.

"Um...Mona," He rubs the back of his neck, "No matter how it looks...just don't take it personally, okay? He could never capture your looks, anyway..."

She smiles softly at him. "Thank you, Vari. Bye," She waves at him, taking off down the hall. Varian gives a love-struck smile. Even if it was the ugliest portrait in the world, she still looks beautiful in his eyes, and that would never change.

He snaps himself out of it and peeks through a crack in the door.

"Bad guys to be nabbed? Uh, mysteries to be solved? I'm ready for anything."

The Captain smirks at him. He did say anything...

* * *

Eugene looks down the hallway of cells, Varian frowning from a few feet away. "Dungeon duty. Great."

"This is your post. That main entrance is to remain locked all times," He points to a door across the room. "You are to patrol this entire block every five minutes. Do you understand?" Of course he wasn't going to give Eugene the satisfaction of doing real guard work. That'd be giving him another win.

Eugene looks around the dark area to see only one person. It's so quiet he can hear the mice squeaking. "There's only one prisoner?"

"Do you understand?" The Captain repeats sharply.

"Yeah...but I just thought, you know, given my skill set, it would make more sense for me to be running and jumping."

"You're not being paid to think, Rider. Every five minutes," The Captain walks off, Varian hiding behind the wall as the man walks past him. When he's gone, the alchemist approaches Eugene from behind, his friend frowning.

"Wow...he's pretty set on making this hard for you," He looks to where the man left.

"Yup...that's the story of my life," Eugene deadpans as he glances at the cells. "What are you doing down here, anyway?"

"Well, Mona and I wanted to see how you were doing, and since she's getting her portrait done...I thought I might just pop in?" Varian smiles nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You followed me here, didn't you?"

"...Yeah," Varian admits slowly, Eugene sighing. "Sorry he's so tough on you."

"Eh, nothing I can't handle...but thanks, Varian."

Varian blinks at him in surprise that he got his name right this time. "For what?"

"For not giving up on me," Eugene smiles down at him, the boy returning the sentiment.

* * *

Rapunzel and Harmony enter the hall, The Giovanni already ready with canvas and paint. "Hey! It's about time!" He exclaims as he watches them enter.

"Sorry, The Giovanni," She tucks a hair behind her ear. "I was, um..."

"The Giovanni, he doesn't care! Now how you wanna look?" He raises a brow at them, noticing that they have nothing on them to show a specific thing like all the other portraits have.

"Oh, um, we thought that we would keep them simple," Rapunzel smiles softly, confusing him as Harmony steps back.

"Huh? They're gonna pose with nothing?" He facepalms himself and says something in Italian. "Don't blame The Giovanni when the paintings, they're no good!"

"Oh. Okay," She raises a brow towards her sister, who just shrugs. The girl's never actually met the Giovanni before, so she'll just accept his...different personality. "I definitely won't."

He's about to start when Varian and Eugene burst into the room. "Oh, The Giovanni. Can I call you The? You're the best!" Eugene smiles towards Rapunzel. "Hey Blondie, I see you went with the simple choice of beautiful."

"Aww. Thank you," She smiles back at him. "At least someone thinks so."

"Yup," Varian rubs his chin as he stares at Harmony. "That's exactly how I see you in your portrait."

"Vari!" She giggles, pushing him away slightly. "Stop looking at me like that, it's making me blush."

"Wait, what are you doing here? Cass said you had dungeon duty," Rapunzel says to Eugene in confusion.

"Oh, I do. The Cap told me to walk the block once every five minutes, but it just seemed like a waste standing there, so I walked it twice in a row, and now, I can take a ten-minute break. Math," He points to his forehead.

"Ugh," Harmony facepalms at this.

"Yeah, I-I just stopped trying after I heard it back in the dungeon," Varian pinches his nose.

"Yeah, uh, I don't think that's right," Rapunzel decides to tell him, smiling nervously.

"Oh no, no, trust me, Blondie," Eugene replies as The Giovanni is gritting his teeth. "I worked it out all in the brainium."

"You go now!" The Giovanni shouts in frustration, pushing them away and saying more things in Italian.

"What did you say?" Eugene asks in confusion. He says something in Italian again.

"I can no concentrate!"

Eugene is about to say something when a loud voice shouts his name.

"Rider, where are you?!"

"That doesn't sound good," Varian cringes as he sounds mad.

* * *

And he's right because the only cell is now open, with no prisoner in sight. "He escaped?! How?"

"Apparently, someone didn't follow regulation, and left the main door unlocked, so they could go visit their girlfriend," The Captain retorts to him and Eugene groans.

"Math."

"And because of your delinquency, the prisoner was able to seize the opportunity to pick his cell lock and escape!" He shouts, slamming the door closed.

"Uh...I know this looks bad," Eugene smiles sheepishly up at him.

"You bet it does! Turn in your helmet and shield, hotshot. You're off the guard," He storms off, Eugene looking towards the ground dejectedly.

He walks down the hall, followed by Harmony, Varian, and Shorty. "Oh, I should've just done what I was asked. So stupid!"

"Aw, Eugene, I'm really sorry," Harmony places a hand on his arm. "I know how much you wanted to prove yourself to Cass."

Shorty pulls out a yam that has a bite in it, sniffing it. "Why don't you drown your sorrows in a yam?" He holds it out to Eugene, who cringes.

"Uh, thanks buddy, but I filled up on yams earlier." Not true, he just didn't wanna eat it. "Who wants to be a guard anyway?"

"We'll find you another job, Flynn," Varian speaks up in sympathy and Eugene sighs, not even bothering to correct him.

"Thanks kids, but this is something I should be dealing with on my own," He replies, the two glancing at each other in concern. "All those responsibilities and rules. Plus, the Captain is a total je-whoa!"

They're sent falling to the ground as something falls near them. "So sorry, The Giovanni. Let me help," Eugene offers as Harmony helps up Varian.

The man grumbles and says something else in Italian, "Watch where you're going!" He runs off, Varian shrugging at the princess.

"Something smells fishy," Eugene rubs his chin, Shorty pulling out a fish from his beard.

"That would be me."

"Hey, if he's leaving, that means your portrait's done!" Varian grins at Harmony and they run off towards the rooms.

Rapunzel inspects her portrait, Eugene opening the door, Varian peeking behind his back. "Hey Blondie. Portraits done already? That's...great. Those were quick. How did it turn out? Holy horribleness!"

"I don't know," The princess shrugs as Varian's eyes are wide with horror. "I don't get it, it's just...mm."

The portraits in front of them are not even close to resembling the princesses. It looks like little kids painted them.

"Really bad. Right?"

"Yeah, I'd say. Those are really terrible!" Eugene comments as he continues staring at them.

"That is so bad, I don't recognize them," Varian gestures to the portraits. "I thought this guy was a professional?"

"He's supposed to be," Harmony raises a confused brow.

"Some world-famous artist! I could do a better..." He suddenly sees the Robin painting and gasps sharply. "I gotta go see the captain! Kids, come with me," The man grabs Harmony and Varian, pulling them out the doors.

"Whoa! Where's the fire?" The princess exclaims as he races down the hall.

"No time to explain, you'll hear it when I see him!"

* * *

The Captain is standing next to Cass, glaring at the man in front of him. "Look, Cap, I know I'm not on your good side, but the portrait of Robin the 11th has been stolen!"

"What?" Harmony gasps, Varian staring up at him in shock.

"No, it hasn't," The Captain narrows his eyes. "You wanna know why it hasn't? Because my men can adhere to procedures. Procedure dictates that the gallery be patrolled every five minutes. I don't know how you got the princess and her friend to be on your side."

"Captain, you two may have your differences, but it wouldn't hurt to listen," Harmony pleads with him.

"Flynn's not a liar," Varian gestures towards his friend. "If he says something's been stolen, then we believe him, and you should too."

"Stan? Pete?" Eugene looks towards the two guards to support his claim.

"Umm, I'm sorry, Eugene. We just checked two seconds ago before you three arrived. Everything was fine," Pete bites his lip.

"But it's a counterfeit!" Eugene insists to the man, who slams his fist onto the table.

"Enough! Get lost before I lock you up. And I won't hesitate to do the same to your friends!"

Eugene frowns at him, escorting the disappointed teens away. Cass stares after him, narrowing her eyes. "Come on, Shorty. We're just gonna have to stop him on our own."

"What? Eugene-" Harmony protests and he places a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

"Brownie, you mean a lot to Rapunzel, so if I let you or Varian risk yourselves doing this...something might happen to you, and I can't allow that to happen on my watch."

"But we can help!" Varian looks up at him with pleading eyes.

"We can be just as tough as you are," Harmony pouts at him. "Don't you remember who helped you when Lady Caine invaded? Uh, me!"

"That was because of the circumstances involved, but you're still a kid," Eugene ruffles the top of her head.

"They're helping, because you won't be entirely on your own."

They turn to the new voice and see Cass emerging from the guard room. "Cassandra?" Eugene asks in surprise. "You believe me too?"

"You may be arrogant, self-centered, inconsiderate-"

"Poorly dressed," Shorty holds up a finger.

"Bloviating, tremendous waste of space windbag-"

"Okay, okay, can we just cut to the 'but' in this sentence?" Eugene interrupts, both teens giggling behind his back.

"But I'm guessing you didn't become a legend by not trusting your gut. So if you say something's not right, I might believe it," She says the last four words reluctantly before gesturing to the people behind him. "Not to mention these two have stuck with you regardless of what's happened. Strength in numbers could help."

The two smile proudly up at Eugene, who smiles in defeat. "Cass, I..."

"Plus, if you are wrong and fall flat on your face, I'll be the first to see it," She smirks at him.

"I can work with that. Okay, come on, everyone. I think I know where he's headed," He leads the way down the hall, leaving Shorty behind.

"Uh...wait. What are we doing again?"

* * *

"Sir, we found this nut by the palace gate," Stan announces as he and Pete drag someone gagged over to him. "You want us to lock him up?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down. Who are you?" The Captain raises a confused brow, and Stan removes the gag.

"I am the real The Giovanni!" He says after some Italian. His mouth opens in shock and they inspect the painting in the hall...only to find the portrait has ten fingers.

"Ten fingers..."

"Captain, that means Eugene was-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence," The Captain interrupts, glaring at him. Pete and Stan glance to each other. Well, he was right...and so were Varian and Harmony. "Now, come on."

* * *

Max escorts Eugene and Varian while Fidella has Cass, Harmony, and Shorty. "He's gonna try to catch the last ferry out of Corona."

The fake Giovanni jumps onto the ferry and Eugene whips the reins, Max going faster. They ride past people on the docks, turning the corner, and Max jumps onto the ship. Varian hugs Eugene as his eyes widen, landing on the ship. Fidella comes to a stop, Shorty landing in the water. Eugene looks back to the girls.

"I'm sure that my beard can be used as a float-" Shorty sinks into the water.

"I got it," Cass chuckles, jumping into the water to save him. She throws the man on shore, who spits up water and gives her a thumbs up. Eugene sends her a smile as Harmony gets off the horse.

"You can do it, guys!" She calls out, Varian nodding at her.

"It's just you and us, Max," Eugene gets off the horse, the boy jumping off. Eugene takes the crossbow, Varian holding out a hand towards his pocket. He gestures for the two to split up, and they do. The former thief takes a look around, not noticing a blue sleeve moving away. He looks behind a crate, only to be elbowed by the fake Giovanni. He grabs the crossbow, preparing to fire.

"Arrivederci, baby. It means goodbye." He fires, but nothing comes out. "Huh?"

"Crossbow procedure number one," Eugene smiles, "Always keep the safety one!"

The man then hears a whinny, Max kicking him. The real Robin painting goes flying and the man is suddenly covered in goop. Varian steps up to him with a smirk.

Eugene runs past the horse. "On it!" He jumps across the crates and leaps for the painting, catching it with his foot. "Yeah, baby!" He swings back onto the ship, Max dragging the thief over, who grumbles and crosses his arms. "Actually saved by one of the Captain's dumb rules."

He then gives a look to Max and Varian. "Don't you dare tell him. The last thing I want is to see that guy get a big head." The crossbow fires at Max's head, who narrowly ducks out of the way. He glares at Eugene, who smiles sheepishly.

"I'll go tell the captain to turn the ship around," Varian chuckles, walking off.

* * *

Once they return, the thief is escorted by Pete and Stan towards the dungeon. "See, I knew something was up when he cursed me out. His Italian was terrible. Subject-verb agreement was off," Eugene explains to the Captain. Harmony opens up a English-Italian translation book and her eyes widen in shock. She should've known those weren't real words.

Eugene notices the stares from the Captain and Varian. "What? I speak Italian. They have stuff to steal in Italy, you know. Anyway, the rest was just putting the pieces together. You see, you gotta think like a crook in order to catch one. You just can't teach that, Cap." He places a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Eugene was right all along," Harmony looks up bravely towards the Captain. "And we backed him up, but you let your personal feelings towards him get in the way. If you don't listen to him, where is that going to get you in the future, Captain?"

He frowns a little from her scolding. "...Perhaps I acted precipitously when I dismissed you, Rider."

"Ah, let me guess," Eugene playfully rolls his eyes. "You want me to join the Guard again. Well, I'm flattered, but-"

The Captain laughs at the thought. "No," He immediately denies. "Heavens no. You're a terrible guard, Rider...but I do have something else in mind."

* * *

The guards stand proudly as Eugene walks past them. "Good afternoon, gentlemen, and welcome to Thinking Like a Thief. I am your instructor, Eugene Fitzherbert. You may call me Mr. Fitzherbert. No, wait. Professor Fitzherbert. Let's add an honorable in there. The Honorable Professor Fitzherbert!" He grins at the name. "Esquire."

He holds out a black mask. "Masks on."

Shorty glances at him, wearing a guard uniform. He freaks out at Eugene's appearance and quivers. "Take the women and children! Don't hurt the money!" He runs away screaming.

"Shorty! Wait, Shorty, it's me!" Eugene chases after him, the girls and Varian watching from the balcony. "Come back!"

"Wow! My dad has no idea what he just unleashed. Eh, all's well that ends well, I guess."

"It seems to work for him," Varian shrugs at her.

"Hopefully this time he can keep it. All that job hunting was exhausting," Harmony murmurs, a hand on her cheek.

"By the way, are you sure you didn't want the real Giovanni painting your portraits?" Cass turns to Rapunzel.

"Yeah," Rapunzel smiles softly at her sister. "I had a better idea of how I wanted them. See, a wise person once told me, we're not always defined by the things we can do, but rather by the people we are and by those we love."

Arianna walks through the halls...and smiles at the sight. One portrait is Rapunzel, Harmony, and their mother in a group hug, smiling as they're surrounded by flowers and a dove. The other is Harmony and her father, standing next to each other with happy smiles as they're surrounded by birds and trees.

"Um," Varian scratches his cheek, glancing at the two older women. Thankfully they're too busy to notice as he grabs Harmony's hand and leads her away. "Mona, uhh…about what that woman said about us being…you know-"

"Oh that? Well, she was just making assumptions…and besides, we're friends…" She smiles softly, walking off. Varian sighs sadly as he watches her.

"Yeah…friends…"


	6. Challenge of the Brave

Posters are put up for the Challenge of the Brave. A couple of citizens are staring at them while Cass walks by with laundry.

"Challenge of the Brave? Looks like some kind of tournament," The woman comments with a smile.

"Not just any tournament," The mustached man next to her corrects, "I hear the fiercest fighters from all over are coming to compete!"

"Let me tell ya, whoever walks away champ will have earned the respect of every warrior in the seven kingdoms."

A little boy pushes past Cass, causing the material from her headdress to fall over her face. She blows it away and sees the powers, smirking. She could do it, show everyone that she's not just some mere lady-in-waiting!

She jumps onto a log and lands on the grass.

Cass scrubs clothes in the castle, bubbles flying everywhere. Suddenly, the handmaidens give her even more clothes.

She jumps up a sheet, climbing up poles and using a zipline, smirking.

Then she has to carefully put the thread in the needle as she's mending one of Rapunzel's dresses. She glances towards outside as her father is standing in front of a line of guards. She sighs wearily, fixing the hole in the dress.

She pulls back three arrows and they all land in a bullseye.

A woman cries out as her purse is snatched away from her. "Stop! Thief!"

The woman grins at her chance, throwing away her headdress, but Pete stands in front of her. "Stay back." He grabs the thief as he was about to run past him. "We'll handle it."

She walks away dejectedly and then runs, pulling out her sword. Owl catches it and she jumps over a fence gracefully, catching her sword and slicing the head off a scarecrow. She stabs it as a few kids were watching.

"Whoa...it's the princesses!"

She gives a look of confusion, glancing behind her to see that her friends are definitely behind her. The kids run up to the princesses, Rapunzel hugging two of them. Harmony takes one of the boys into her arms, creating a moonlight in the shape of a crescent moon in front of him.

"Whoa..." He murmurs in awe as it turns into a full moon, spinning around them. "Cool!"

Cass frowns a little. She thought they were respecting her...

"Wow, Cass. What is all this?" Rapunzel gestures to the obstacle course.

"Nothing," Cass waves it off. "I'm warming up for the Challenge of the Brave this morning. It's just a competition to find the toughest warrior in all of Corona," She sheathes her sword, shrugging. "No big deal."

"Ooo! Sounds exciting. Where can I sign up?" Rapunzel asks eagerly, but Cass doesn't catch it at first.

"Yeah, like I said, no big—oh, sorry, what?!"

"I wanna sign up!" Rapunzel repeats, gesturing to herself. The boy Harmony was holding grabs her hand, guiding her away so that they can examine the obstacle course.

"You mean compete?!" Cass screeches in shock. The Challenge of the Brave is...not exactly Rapunzel's environment.

"Let's do it together!" Rapunzel smiles at her, the other two kids encouraging the idea.

"You could be princess, and the most 'reverdest' warrior!"

"Aw," Rapunzel chuckles at the second boy.

"That would be fun..." Cass glances away. As much as she respected Rapunzel, she'd get in the way of her true goal for the competition... "But I'm not so sure it's the best idea."

"I'm brave," Rapunzel gestures to herself. There have been plenty of times where she didn't even have to prove she was brave. "And I'm always up for a challenge!"

"But the-but the thing is, the challenge is by invitation only, so you can't do it," Cass lies through her teeth. If Rapunzel ever found out the truth, she hoped that she would understand why she had to do it...she was tired of people walking all over her all the time because of her lady-in-waiting status. "Oh man, ugggh. Rules are rules."

Owl narrows his eyes at her for the lie. "Aw," Rapunzel clicks her teeth in disappointment. "Okay...but you can always count on me, Harmi, and Varian to cheer you on."

Cass smiles weakly while Harmony yelps, lifting her head up.

"V-Varian?" She stammers nervously, twiddling her hands together. She had to say, the Challenge of the Brave did not seem like his thing.

"I convinced him to come!" Rapunzel smiles, clasping her hands. "And you two are getting front row seats! You're welcome!" She grins at Harmony's shocked expression. This was her first attempt at getting them together, and hopefully, with all that time alone, something would spark between them...

* * *

"Welcome to the Challenge of the Brave, where you will see skilled combatants from all the lands compete in a series of death-defying challenges that culminate in the main event! The ultimate melee!" The crowd cheers as the announcer continues on. "Only one will walk away with the respect of the seven kingdoms! Today's favorite is the world's most renowned warrior. Some say he's the meanest, most ruthless fighter in the world has ever seen!"

Giant footsteps walk into the warriors' area. "Wreck Marauder!"

The crowd erupts in cheers as another challenger's teeth falls off. The bees from one of the female competitors fly away, everyone running from fright as a giant man stands there. An usher runs into him and gets stared down by a man with sideburns.

"Boo."

The man runs away screaming, going as so far to jump into the bleachers. "Whose house is this? This is Wreck's house!" He throws away the boar that was on his head and it lands on Shorty.

"Whoa, that guy is hardcore," Varian cringes from the front. Both teens are nervous, Harmony tapping her fingers on the slightly empty spot to her left. She moves a bang away from her face. She could do this, she's a princess. It's Varian, why should she be nervous?

"I heard that he's gotten challengers to surrender just by looking at him," She explains and then they hear a yell right next to them. Unfortunately for them, they got stuck with...

"Whoo!" Eugene holds up a foam finger. "Yeah! That's my boy right there! Wreck Maraudeeeer!" He gets a couple of annoyed glares by the people surrounding him. "I have seen that guy fight all over the world. He's undefeated! Challenge of the Brave!" He claps and Pascal starts dancing. "Challenge of the Brave!"

Daisy facepalms with her wing, chirping a little as Harmony shakes her head at him. Varian covers his face with both hands, sighing. "Everybody, come on!" He jumps from his seat, holding out a hand. "Alright, beard of the bees lady!" One of the bees gets eaten by Pascal, which flies around in his mouth before it flies out.

"Oh yeah!" Eugene hugs Varian with one arm, who pushes him away slightly. "How bout these seats, huh guys? If we were any closer to the action, they'd be scraping myself off of Wreck Marauder's knuckles!" He places the foam finger on a kid, blowing a loud horn. The two teens cover their ears in pain as Pascal turns into multiple patterns. Even Shorty covers his ears!

"Uh, sir?" The usher who ran into Wreck walks up to him. "Some of the competitors are requesting we move you to a new seat."

"Oh, you see that?" Eugene brags to everyone around him. "Moving this superfan to the superfan section. Ha! I wish I could say this has been fun, but I respect you all too much to lie to your faces!" He starts walking up the stairs. The usher glances to the teens, wondering if they were with him.

"We've never seen him before in our lives," Varian quickly denies.

"But, princess, don't you-"

"Nope, don't know him," Harmony replies with a straight face and he leaves.

"I wish we got a warning before we sat down," Varian rubs the back of his neck as they're now technically alone.

"Yeah, I've never seen him like...that," Harmony chuckles, leaning back a bit. "I'm surprised you came."

He turns his head to stare at her as she's looking out to the arena. "...I am too, but I don't regret it."

She looks at him as the boy is smiling and she smiles back upon seeing his.

* * *

Cass fires three arrows, getting another triple bullseye. She places her bow around her neck with a smug look.

"She's just here cause she's the princess' lady-in-waiting," One of the competitors sneer, the others laughing. She frowns towards them.

"Hey hello, good morning, how are you?" Rapunzel comes into the area, noticing a woman's teeth. "Ooh. Wow, your teeth are so sharp." She gasps sharply upon seeing someone. "Hook Foot! Why so mad? Just do a dance, and give that smile a second chance," She hugs him from behind and he actually smiles at the warm contact.

"Probably not the best place for hugs, Raps," Cass pulls her away, pushing her to a stop. "What are you doing down here? This is for competitors only."

"I came to wish you luck!" Rapunzel smiles at her.

"Thanks, but I don't need luck," The lady-in-waiting smirks, "I need to use this time to get inside the competition's head. You know, psyche 'em out with some trash talk." She crosses her arms, but since Rapunzel was in a tower for most of her life, she's not familiar with the term.

"Trash talk? Like talk about garbage literally?"

"What? No, that's...not even close," Cass shakes her head, sighing. She peeks past the princess and walks past her. "Watch this."

A steak is placed in front of a competitor wearing a bandana, and he swallows it whole. He comes face to face with Cass. "Hey you. You do realize when they put the call up for the strongest warriors, they weren't talking about breath," She waves a hand in front of her face. "Right?"

He breathes his nasty breath in front of her and she recoils back in disgust, almost gagging. "Why don't you go back to the castle, lady-in-waiting?" He laughs as he walks past her.

"That wasn't very nice, Cass," Rapunzel frowns in disapproval.

"Yeah, that's the point," Cass elaborates to her.

"Alright. I'll give it a shot," She shrugs sheepishly, seeing a heavily-tattooed man. "I guess..." She rolls up her sleeves to look tough, awkwardly storming up to the competitor. "Excuse me, you. Yeah, you. Uh huh. Prepare to be talked trash to! Look at you, with those...decorative tattoos. Ah, wow."

She looks towards Cass, only to see that she's not feeling the same way. "Sorry, I'm sorry, but those are amazing! And did you see the lettering on Skull Kicker? Wow."

"What about it?" He towers over her, glaring at the woman and showing his pecs.

"It's lovely," She smiles at it, causing him to raise a brow.

"Yeah, well...it-it was my mother's name..." He ends up telling her, looking a bit sad.

"Your mom is really special to you, isn't she?" She places a hand on his shoulder. He nods silently, Cass facepalming. "Well, I think she'd be really proud of the menacing goon you've become." The competitor smiles a little.

The competitor Cass trash-talked to starts sniffling, wiping his nose. "I'm gonna go see my mom!" He runs off in the other direction. Cass pouts at this. This kind of talk was exactly what she didn't want around her right now...

Wreck walks past her with a growl and Rapunzel turns around, seeing his hairy chest. "Whoa! Look at you! You're a big guy, aren't ya?" He snarls at her and Cass comes over.

"Come on, Rapunzel," She grabs her hand so that the princess can leave.

"What do we have here?" Wreck calls out, causing her to grit her teeth. "No one told me they were letting table scraps compete."

"Scraps?!" She whips around to him, clenching a fist. "You're the one that's gonna walk out of this in pieces." Cass glares up at the man.

"I look forward to makin' everyone who ever loved you cry their eyes out," He points to his eye, laughing.

"Whoa," Rapunzel steps between them. "Listen mister, trash talk is one thing, but that was just mean."

"Rapunzel," Cass hisses for her to stop.

"Cassandra has feelings, you know?" The princess continues, protectively holding her friend.

"Aww," Wreck teases, clasping his hands. "Poor little baby," He snickers while Cass looks away in embarrassment.

"And another thing, you should be-"

"Okay!" Cass grabs her arm. "That'll do, Rapunzel," She pulls her away while the competitors all laugh at her, much to her dismay. She rubs a temple with a sigh once they're far away from their earshot. "Listen. I have to warm up, so..." One look at the other competitors tells her that she needs to bring her tough reputation back. Then she sees the younger princess and Varian in the front seats as both of them are smiling, laughing at their on-going conversation. "Why don't you bring Varian and Harmony some snacks and then join Eugene? You can cheer me on from there...way back there."

"Yeah...yeah, sure. Okay, I got it. I got it. You need to focus. No distractions," She waves as she goes over to the food stands. "Oh! Sorry!" She hugs her friend from behind, who cringes. "I forgot a good luck hug. Oh, right, it's not a place for hugging, I'm sorry..." Rapunzel gives her a pat on the head. "Good luck."

The laughter continues and Cass bites her lip as she watches the crown princess actually leave this time. The competitors walk away and she gives a dejected look. Hopefully, the competition itself would change people's minds...

* * *

"I hope Cass wins. She doesn't seem to be comfortable whenever my sister is around lately," Harmony tells Varian.

"Well, Cass and Rapunzel just have different personalities when it comes to this kind of stuff," Varian replies as they watch people getting ready.

"That's true. Rapunzel's always positive and happy, while Cassandra is...Cassandra," She giggles a bit before suddenly, popcorn, meat, and cotton candy is shoved into their arms by Rapunzel herself.

"Just making sure that you don't go hungry!" She smiles at them, leaning in. "So, is everything okay here?"

"Yes," They answer in unison and then she jumps in between them, hugging the two.

"Has anything happened?" She asks eagerly, smiling widely.

"You mean besides us waiting for the Challenge of the Brave to start?" Varian raises a brow, Harmony pinching her nose.

"Well, you two should be getting to know each other! Like, what you like about each other, your interests, your guilty pleasures! Ooh! Stories! This one time, Harmi was playing with a goat, and I didn't know it could do that, but-"

"Rapunzel!" Harmony exclaims in embarrassment, her face slightly red, "Don't talk about what the goat did!"

"Oops!" She smiles sheepishly.

"Um, maybe you should join Flynn. He's up there," Varian points upwards towards Eugene.

"Are you sure? You don't need an-"

"Nope, we are all good," Harmony pushes her away slightly. "Thank you for the food!"

"Alright," Rapunzel shrugs at them, waving as she leaves them. The princess sighs in relief, Varian glancing at her.

"What did that goat do?"

"Don't ask," She deadpans, taking a hard bite out of her cotton candy. Varian looks towards Daisy, who shakes his head.

"Ladies and gentlemen, take your seats!" The announcer booms, "It's time to meet today's contestants! Give it up for Razor Blade McDoom!" He points to the woman with the razor blade teeth, who lets out a roar.

"The Razor's gonna carve ya...like a turkey!"

"Ha! McDoom!" Eugene calls out all the way from the top of the bleachers where no one can hear him. "More like McDone For!" Rapunzel reaches him, panting as he sits down with Pascal on his shoulder. "Am I right?"

She takes a seat next to him, out of breath. "Hey Blondie, you got the deluxe seats too, huh? You know, they put you up here so you can see all the action?"

"Really?" She can barely see anything from her end. "It's kinda far. I can't even see Harmi or Varian."

"Oh no, you're trying to set them up?" Eugene asks knowingly as she digs into his bag, pulling out a pair of binoculars. She uses them and sees the two teens now silent. Harmony is eating food to avoid talking to him since she's still embarrassed. "Blondie, you gotta let them develop their relationship on their own terms."

"I am. I'm just giving them a little...push," She smiles a little. "Harmony was so lonely while I was gone. I just wanna help her out."

"Help her out or find love for her?" Eugene deadpans and she just smiles widely in response. "She's only 14. Isn't she kind of young for that thing? I mean, don't get me wrong, I think they're good for each other, but..."

"Oh, Eugene, they're not even talking to each other anymore," Rapunzel frowns as Varian is tapping his gloved fingers awkwardly. He sighs in defeat and she turns to her best friend. "Pascal?"

He salutes to her and jumps off Eugene, landing and jumping on other people's heads. The chameleon lands between them, camouflaging himself the same color as the bleachers. He glances between the two as they're both feeling awkward. Daisy sees his eyes and he points between the two, bringing his hands together. The duckling jumps off Harmony's shoulder and then hops on Varian's back, reaching his hair to lightly claw at it.

"Ah, Daisy," He tries to remove the duckling, but she's too fast for his hands. "Stop that."

"What are you doing?" Harmony notices his struggle, quickly grabbing her pet. "Daisy, no."

Pascal then knocks the cotton candy with his tongue in Varian's hands upwards so that it sticks to his nose. The two pets high-five each other before Pascal leaves. Harmony sees Varian's nose and giggles, pointing at him. He notices why she's laughing and joins in, Rapunzel pumping a fist in triumph.

"Am I the first friend you've had?" Varian couldn't help but wonder.

"Well, the first one that's my age, so yeah, in a sense," She nods, taking a bite out of popcorn. "...I did have this imaginary friend while I was stuck in the castle, though. I guess I got so lonely that I made her up. She had these buns and she was entirely blue."

"Do you remember much about her?" He asks, wondering just how that might've looked when she was younger.

"I was only 4. She just...appeared out of nowhere. I was told by her about the moonstone opal and that it...chose me. That it was my job to harness these powers I was given...but I was only a kid and I just wanted to play. And so she did. We'd spend hours playing games, and eventually with Daisy too. When I turned 10, she disappeared after my father told me I was getting too old to have imaginary friends. She never came back after that and I grew out of that phase in my life."

"Huh...fascinating," He murmurs under his breath. "She didn't have a name?"

"She did, I just can't remember it right now. It's weird; she kept talking about the opal and how it's a part of my destiny a lot, even though I haven't seen the thing in years. Not that I was old enough to understand what she was talking about. I chose to forget anything to do with it, so that I wouldn't be reminded of what I can do."

"But you chose to remember your imaginary friend," He raises a brow and she smiles weakly.

"I guess there are some things that just can't be forgotten..."

"Next up, the unstoppable Wreck Marauder!" The announcer gestures to the large man, who flexes his muscles, his hair growing wild as he does so. "Wreck has three words for you! You're gonna get wrecked!"

Cass rolls her eyes, not even bothering to correct him.

"Hey..." Eugene eyes her, "If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that guy down there looks just like Cassandra...?"

"That is Cassandra!" Rapunzel shakes his arm in excitement. "Wow, I've never seen Cass so nervous."

She doesn't look nervous as she cracks her neck. "Ooh..." Eugene can't really see her expression as her back is facing them.

"I guess I can't blame her. I mean, she worked so hard to get invited to this competition..."

"Invited? No, you don't need an invitation to compete. You just have to be dumb enough to do it. Like Cassandra," Eugene gestures to the woman. "Ha ha! Whoo!"

"Anyone can compete?" Rapunzel asks slowly, smiling. "We can do this together!" She kisses him on the cheek. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" She takes off to eagerly join in.

"Oh, uh, hey, Blondie, if you're making a snack run, I'm all about the popcorn!"

She grins up at him, stopping to look at Harmony and Varian, who don't pay any mind to her.

"How's Old Corona? You're still working on that hot water invention?" She asks curiously.

"No!" He immediately waves it off, shaking his head. "No no, not after what happened last time. I'm actually working on a new way to plant seeds."

"Oh really? How's it working out?"

He then remembers all of the dirt patches caused by his invention and the looks the villagers gave him. "Not great..."

"And finally, the Iron Handmaiden, Cass-"

A woman interrupts his announcement, giving him a piece of paper. "Wow. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a last-minute surprise entry! Please welcome the Fearsome Follicle, the Heir with the Hair, the Maid with the Braid, Raaaapunzel!"

Rapunzel runs into the arena, to the shock of all her friends. Harmony spits out her drink. "Yay Rapunzel!" A little girl cheers for her.

She waves to the crowd before hugging Cass. "Cassandra! This is gonna be so much fun!"

"Oh Blondie, what have you done?" Eugene slowly shakes his head, while sitting next to a Viking with long blonde hair.

"Did I not bring enough of the popcorn?" He gestures to his bag of popcorn.

"That's your sister..." Varian starts off slowly, pointing at her.

"Competing in the Challenge of the Brave...with a bunch of tough competitors who will not hesitate at all!" Harmony holds her head in panic.

"Good news, Cassandra. We can compete together! Isn't that great?!" She squeals happily.

"That is...so great," Cassandra smiles widely.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the first event: The Gauntlet!" The announcer gestures to six swinging hammers. Skull Kicker takes one jump and is sent flying, his boots falling off as he screams. The two women cringe at the sound of the crash.

"You sure you wanna do this?" Cass places her hands on Rapunzel's shoulders.

"Sure do!"

"This is not good," Varian places his hands on his cheeks.

"If she could deal with getting her hair back, then this shouldn't be a challenge...right?" Harmony smiles nervously.

"Next up for the gauntlet, Cassandra!" The announcer gestures to the obstacle, Eugene nudging past the people in the crowd.

"Cuse me, coming through, emergency. Naïve princess making horrible life decision. Pardon me."

Cass walks up the steps, only to be blocked by Wreck. He bends a pipe to make it look like a 6.

"What's that supposed to be?" Cass asks in confusion.

"It's a knot, as in you're knot going to win," He laughs at his joke. She pays no mind and walks past him. "It's a thinker."

"Jerk," Harmony narrows her eyes at him.

"Cass could beat him any day," Varian waves it off.

She stands in front of the first hammer. "Whoo! Go Cass!" Rapunzel cheers her on. She ducks, rolls, and jumps on the hammers, landing safely on the other side.

"Way to go, Cassandra!" She opens an eye to see the little girl hollering.

"Yeah!" Varian pumps a fist as Harmony claps.

"Next up, Princess Rapunzel!"

Eugene comes to a stop near Harmony and Varian, covering his face. "Please don't get smashed with a hammer. Please don't get smashed with a hammer," He pleads as the teens wait, gripping their seats with anticipation. Pascal opens his mouth, having the same anxiety.

Rapunzel, with her eyes closed, dances around the hammers, safely reaching the other side.

"Whoa..." Harmony's eyes widen.

"Flynn, look!" Varian tugs his arm and he looks up, cheering.

"Oh yeah! That's my girlfriend right there! And it's Eugene!" He sees the smug looks from all four of them. "What? I wasn't worried. She's got this. Whoo!"

"Sure you weren't worried," Harmony smirks at him knowingly.

"Yay, Rapunzel! Whoo!"

Even the competitors cheer her on, causing Cass to drop her smile. Skull Kicker writes Rapunzel on his arm, smiling.

"Cassandra, did you see that?!" Rapunzel bounces down the steps. "I told you I could handle myself."

"Nice dance, Rapunzel," She scoffs, rolling her eyes.

"Uh, thanks?" The crown princess is confused by the sudden tone.

"Not sure that routine will do much good against Wreck in the Dead Man's Circle." Wreck simply walks through the obstacle, breaking hammers without even touching them. "But hey, maybe you'll get lucky again." She walks past the hammers, Rapunzel even more confused than ever.

"That wasn't luck..."

She takes her place between Cass and Razorblade McDoom. "Challengers! Prepare the next event!"

Both of them stand in determination. Cass fires bullseyes on every single target, pumping a fist. "Yes!"

Rapunzel struggles to use her bow, so she replaces it with a violin and fires. One of the targets break, and the two look up in shock at Wreck. Eugene blows the horn, causing him to be moved again. Harmony facepalms while Varian takes a bite out of his popcorn.

Skull Kicker, Cass, and Rapunzel jump over for the long jump, but Hook Foot gets his hook stuck. Wreck jumps over him, slamming onto the ground. This also frees Hook Foot.

Cass gives Rapunzel a slight glare as the crown princess is waving to the crowd. Eugene and Pascal are waving foam fingers, blowing a horn of his own. They are asked to be moved once again.

Daisy waves a Rapunzel flag with her wing, the two teens cheering their friends on from the crowds.

Wreck simply holds up a bag of rocks with no effort, Cass holding it up above her head. With a pulley, Rapunzel lifts up her heavier bag, giving her third place. The crowd starts a wave, but then have to cover their ears again as Eugene gets too excited for the fourth time.

Cass runs on a log with a short competitor in armor, Skull Kicker, and Rapunzel. The two men slip, leaving only the two friends. Cass grits her teeth until she finally falls, deeming Rapunzel the winner. She cannonballs into the water as she is now second. She laughs as she has a water fight with Skull Kicker, Cass growling a bit and sinking into the water.

"Do you even know the rules?!" Cass exclaims to the announcer out of frustration. "Aren't shoes required for the log roll? Ugh, somebody check the Rulebook of the Brave!"

The announcer snatches his scroll that she had snatched and she turns to the others. "Guys, am I the only one that has a problem with this?! The princess is making a mockery of the competition!"

"Hey, it's okay, kid," Hook Foot places a hand on her shoulder. "When you're mad, do a dance! Give that smile a se-"

"Oh, go eat a turkey leg, Hook!" She snarls and he silently leaves.

"Do you know the reason why Cass signed up?" Varian asks Harmony, as both of them can read lips.

"It might have to do with her status," She gestures to the woman. "Cass wouldn't say it out loud, though. I have a feeling that she doesn't want Rapunzel getting in her way of winning."

Cass storms up to her friend. "Okay, listen Rapunzel. This has gone far enough. Let's call it a day."

She chuckles, hand on her hip, "I will call it a day...the day I won the championship. Boom! Trash talk~"

"Let's see where you land _after _the Dead Man's Circle," The lady-in-waiting glares at her.

"Yeah, okay, yeah, we'll totally see where we land after the Dead Man's Circle," Rapunzel glares back before realizing that she doesn't know what that is. "And what is the Dead Man's Circle?"

"It's the final event. And believe me, your little dances won't save you this time."

The two glare in anger before storming off in different directions. "This is awkward..." Hook Foot looks away.

"Oh no," Harmony murmurs, a hand on her head. "I hope they can work things out..."

"Me too," Varian frowns a little. "So...tell me something about you."

"Hm," She hums lightly, looking at her sister with a tiny smile. "I like traveling, you know that...but the reason I come to Old Corona a lot is...because the Captain had thought he found my sister in a cottage that no one ever visits...so I guess I just...wanted to know what she might've been experiencing...I've been going for 4 years now."

"How come I didn't see you until that one day, then?" Varian raises a brow at her and she shrugs.

"Dunno. Maybe you weren't looking in the right places," She winks at him, causing him to grin.

* * *

Eugene is now outside with Pascal, sitting next to a VIP sign. And it means Very Important Pig. "I'm beginning to question their definition of VIP seating," He places the foam finger on the pig, walking up to the usher. "Hello, my good man. I'd like to forgo my VIP seat and re-enter the arena."

"Your ticket, please?" He holds out his hand.

"Seriously?" Eugene pats himself before his eyes widen. "Oh, oh oh, it's in my wallet. Which I left inside the arena."

"Well, then you have to buy another ticket."

"But because my money is also in my wallet, which is still inside the arena-"

"No money, no ticket, no entry," The man interrupts.

"Mmm...oh! My friends are inside! Varian and Brownie, they can vouch for me!" Eugene gestures to himself smugly.

"They claimed not to know you after I moved you twice from them."

"Oh!" He complains, walking away. Two kids run in front of him and he sees a stand for Wreck merchandise. He rubs his chin as he gets an idea... "Time for the final event! The Dead Man's Circle!"

Cass places her sword down in the cart of weapons. "Each warrior will battle to the finish, using the weapon of their choice!"

Rapunzel notices a frying pan attached to a horse, grabbing it. She places it in the cart.

"Get your princess wigs right here!" Eugene pulls a cart of Rapunzel and Harmony wigs. He stops right in front of Cass. "Wow, Rapunzel's really killin' it in there, huh? These things are selling like hot cakes! You know what, this one's on the house," He places a Rapunzel wig on the woman, who stays silent as she watches him leave.

Once again, Eugene has proven to her that he is of no use...

She takes it off and tosses it onto Shorty's head, who just lets it sit there. The man wheeling the weapons cart walks past her, accidentally dropping Rapunzel's frying pan right by Cass' feet.

"Hey, you dropped the-" Suddenly, she stops. She _really _wanted to win and gain the respect from everyone…and Rapunzel wasn't taking it seriously. Nothing else mattered than her goal.

Even if it meant risking her friendship with Rapunzel.

Cass slides the frying pan underneath the bench and leaves towards the arena.

* * *

"One golden hair wig for you," Eugene gives the last Rapunzel wig to the bee-beard competitor. He walks over to the usher to hand him his hard-earned money. "Okay, one ticket please."

The man simply moves out of the way to show the 'sold out' sign. Pascal throws away his Rapunzel merchandise in dismay.

"I got one ticket," Shorty waves around a ticket. "Anybody need a ticket?"

Eugene whips around to him, holding out the money. "I need a ticket!"

"Then let the bargaining begin."

Eugene cringes towards the chameleon, wondering if this was really the right decision…

All the remaining competitors stand in front of the circle, the weapons in the center. Harmony takes a slow bite out of her popcorn.

"Who do you think is gonna win?" She asks Varian.

"Well, given the size, weight, and durability of each contestant, I'd say…" He rubs his chin and they give each other a knowing look.

"Wreck," The two say in unison. Ruddiger suddenly appears on Varian's shoulder wearing a Harmony wig.

"Where'd he get that?" Harmony couldn't help but wonder.

"I think Flynn was selling them to get back inside," Varian shrugs a little.

"Well, he's gonna miss the Dead Man's Circle. Where everyone battles it out until one remains standing," Harmony gestures to the arena. Cass glances to Rapunzel, looking back towards the circle. Rapunzel looks at her and sags her shoulders. She didn't want them to fight...

Hook Foot moves past her and she approaches her lady-in-waiting. "Hey, uh..." She takes a deep breath, "I know today's been...weird. I just, I wanted to...you know, I guess, I just wanted to say...good luck." The crown princess gives a genuine smile.

Cass sends a brief glance in return, recoiling back when Rapunzel tries to hug her again. She sees the look on the woman's face and backs off.

"Right, right, sorry! Sorry, sorry, no hugging...gotta remember that."

She looks away guilty, remembering what she had done to her friend. "Raps, I just wan-"

"It's now time for the no-holds-barred elimination round! Remember folks, once someone steps outside the ring, they are out! The last one standing is our champion!"

The crowd claps, the same little girl cheering for both women wearing a Rapunzel wig, her mother wearing a Harmony one.

"I just wanna say-"

"Are you ready for this?" They're interrupted again, this time by Wreck. "Cause it's gonna get ugly in here..."

Cass narrows her eyes at him, clenching her fists.

"Ready...set...battle!"

Everyone runs towards the weapons, Wreck grabbing a club and immediately hitting someone out of the ring. Cass grabs a spear and clashes with Skull Kicker. Rapunzel looks around for her frying pan, but doesn't find it.

"Oh! W-Wait! Has anyone seen a frying pan?" She calls out, getting the attention of Varian and Harmony.

"Wait, wasn't she supposed to choose a weapon?" He asks, turning to the princess.

"Yeah...Rapunzel wouldn't just forget to put her frying pan as her choice..." She murmurs, glancing at Cass. She had no idea how, but she had a bad feeling that Cass was behind this. The young brunette really hoped that she was wrong, but Cass' reluctance to allow Rapunzel to compete does raise a few suspicions.

Wreck leaps towards Rapunzel. Harmony gasps, covering her mouth. The crown princess ducks out of the way.

Cass gets knocked onto the sand, but isn't out of the ring yet. "Ha ha!" Skull Kicker laughs at her, "Looks like I got the drop on you."

He's suddenly pushed by Wreck and hits the wall, deeming him out of the competition. The large man turns his attention back to Rapunzel, who grips her hair and runs forward.

Cass disarms a competitor and throws him out of the ring. Three competitors jump on Wreck, but he knocks them away. "Is that all you got!" All three of them land outside the circle. "You fools take on Wreck!"

Cass clears her throat and he turns to her. Growling, he grips his club as they circle each other. The crowd gasps in anticipation as they're about to strike each other...

When they see Rapunzel twirling around. She does a split kick, causing two competitors to bump into each other.

"Wow! What a poetic move by Rapunzel!"

"Yeah! That's my sis!" Harmony pumps a fist, Varian clapping near her. She waves to the crowd as they chant her name. Cass looks up slowly, hearing the name over and over again. She grits her teeth in jealousy.

"That chirpy little hairball is mine!" Wreck declares, clenching his fists.

"Not if I get to her first," Cass fires three arrows, getting Wreck's shirt stuck into the pole. "Hey Wreck, stick around."

An arrow is fired near Rapunzel, who looks up in confusion to see Cass aiming another one right towards her. "Well, that was close."

"Well...looks like it's just you and me..." Cass runs up towards her and jumps into the air. Rapunzel ducks out of the way as Cass slams down her stick.

"That all you got?" Rapunzel smirks as she spins around a weapon of her own. Cass swings at her, but she backflips, landing safely. She spins her staff and tries to knock Cass off her feet, but she attacks back vigorously. "Cass. What's gotten into you?"

Wreck suddenly breaks free from the arrows.

"Oh no," Harmony murmurs as the two teens see it.

"Guys, look out!" Varian shouts, but Cass is too focused on trying to beat Rapunzel.

"Hey!" She shouts as her friend aims for her head. Cass kicks her so hard that she almost slides out of the ring. "Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa! Wait, stop! We're supposed to be friends..."

"A friend wouldn't be so oblivious, Rapunzel," Cass starts off, "You have no idea what this contest means to me! I mean, you're a princess, you've got nothing to prove. To you, this was just a fun way to blow off a Saturday, but to me...it was a chance to show everyone that I am more than just the princess' lady-in-waiting. And just when I thought I might get even the slightest bit of respect...never mind." She squeezes her eyes shut.

Wreck hides behind the pole, grinning. Harmony slowly blinks, standing up. Varian looks up at her, wondering what she was gonna do.

"Cass!"

She looks around in the crowd until she sees Harmony. The girl digs into her pocket, holding up a banner with Cass' name on it. The woman blinks in shock. She...didn't even see that she had one of those...

"Respect? Cassandra, my sister and I respect you more than you can possibly imagine. I mean, we-we look up to you."

She opens her mouth in shock. "Why do you think I wanted to enter this thing in the first place? You are my friend, and...as your friend, I should've realized how important this was to you...I'm so...so sorry..." Rapunzel officially drops her weapon.

"...Cassandra, Rapunzel," Harmony starts cheering, gesturing for the crowd to do the same.

"Cassandra, Rapunzel. Cassandra, Rapunzel! Cassandra, Rapunzel!"

The two glance around at the audience, smiling. Suddenly, a growl is heard and they look to see Wreck charging towards them. He raises his club above Rapunzel.

"Look out!" Cass pushes her out of the way. The man snarls at her and she slides underneath him, jumping into the air and kicking him in the head. She then sweeps her leg and manages to throw him over her, and he lands outside the ring and into the seats.

The two teens slowly open their mouths in shock. A butterfly lands on him and he falls down. "Hey Wreck! Looks like I'm not 'knot' going to win," She chuckles a little at the pun. "It's a thinker."

The crowd cheers and she smiles...until another bell is heard. Rapunzel looks towards her left foot...which stepped outside the circle. Everyone gasps and she frowns, walking up towards her friend. Then she grabs Rapunzel's arm and holds it up into the air, gesturing to her with a tiny smile. Rapunzel smiles back as the crowd applauds her.

"Congratulations."

"I didn't mean for this to happen, Cass," Rapunzel rubs the back of her neck sheepishly. "I just thought it would be fun to compete..."

Cass sighs lightly. "Doesn't matter."

"I should've realized how important this all was to you..." She's given the trophy. "I don't think I'm the one who deserves this," Then she hands the trophy to Cass, the competitors grinning at her. Skull Kicker writes Cassandra on his left arm, flexing his muscles.

"Yay Cassandra! Woo hoo!" The little girl cheers. Hook Foot places her on his shoulders, walking away, but she jumps off him to hold out her arms to Rapunzel.

"What, no hug?"

Rapunzel gladly gives her one, and the two walk away together.

* * *

Eugene gives Shorty the money, who holds up the ticket. "How do you sleep at night, Shorty? Challenge of the Brave, here I come!"

He runs towards the arena...but everything is already starting to be cleaned up, the bleachers empty.

"Everyone left, Eugene," Harmony walks up to him, followed by Varian. "The Challenge of the Brave ended hours ago. I'm surprised it took you that long to figure it out."

"Shorty, I want my money back!" Eugene shouts at the top of his lungs.

"...Well, while he's doing that, I think it's time for you to go home," Harmony smiles wistfully. She knew that she really didn't want him to leave...

"Um...we could stop by Monty's and get some candy, I-if you want to," He rubs the back of his neck.

"That sounds great," She grins and they walk off together, chatting along the way and learning more about each other.


	7. Cassandra v Eugene

**Angel: Last chapter before the new year! Hope everyone's ready for 2020!**

Rapunzel gathers up some purple paint, smiling at Harmony and Varian. The boy is in the corner, surrounded by his chemicals while her sister is sitting right next to her. The older princess thought it would be fun to teach Harmony how to paint. By the looks of it, she's not that bad.

"I'm so glad that I get to teach you painting, Harmi," Rapunzel smiles at her, looking over her shoulder. "Hey, that's actually really good."

"Thanks. Ruddiger, just a few more seconds," She looks up at her inspiration. The raccoon is standing on a stool, standing on one foot as he's holding up a bowl of fruit.

"Fitzherbert!"

The shout from Cass causes both princesses to mess up their paintings, and Varian to knock over a chemical, resulting in the substance exploding in his face.

"Ugh...not again," Rapunzel complains, knowing exactly what was going on. Their two friends were fighting.

Again.

Every single time, it gives them no peace at all. And sometimes, the princess and the alchemist would get caught up in the middle of it, much to their discomfort. It's always Eugene doing something, or him disagreeing with Cass on everything.

Pascal covers his ears with his hands, Daisy hides herself underneath the bed out of annoyance, and Ruddiger gets two cotton balls, putting them into his ears.

"I don't know what you're so upset about. Oh wait. Know was the wrong choice of words." Rapunzel and Harmony place down the ruined paintings in a pile. Varian stands up with a small sigh, tossing the broken beaker into the pile of things that had exploded all because of their yelling. "I meant, I don't care what you're so upset about."

Rapunzel takes a deep breath, giving them a strained smile. "Hey guys. Everything okay? We couldn't help but overhear-"

"For the 13th time this week," Harmony deadpans as they watch the two butt heads.

"Not only did you take my halberd without asking, you got your disgusting hair all over it!" Cass shouts at the former thief.

"How DARE you! First of all, I did not touch your halberd. Second of all, what is a halberd?" She holds up her axe, frowning deeply at him. "Oh, oh, a halberd. Okay, fine. You got me. But check out this shave. Smooth as a baby's bottom."

"Try a monkey's," She narrows her eyes at him.

"Eugene..." Harmony mutters in disbelief, pinching her nose.

"Okay, okay," Rapunzel steps in between them. "Everyone, let's take a deep, calming, cleansing breath." She takes a breath, gesturing for the other two to do the same.

"She's right," Harmony takes a deep breath.

"There's no need to fight," Varian holds out his hands, looking between them.

"To be fair, I asked several times if I could use that thing."

"And I said no! Every time!" Cass elaborates, the three cringing.

"Which shouldn't matter, because we both know I don't listen to you."

"Eugene!" Harmony exclaims at him, slightly annoyed.

"Guys, come on. This is ridiculous," Rapunzel glances between the two.

"You two are supposed to be friends. You know, hangin' out like friends do," Varian looks up at them, a little uncomfortable with them fighting. Then again, it wasn't the first time he's witnessed it at the castle, but it was still a little unnerving. After all, Cass is pretty touchy when it comes to her weapons.

"Eugene, a halberd should only be handled by a skilled warrior, like Harmi."

"Me?!" Harmony gestures to herself in surprise.

"Hello! Skilled warrior! And Varian agrees with me, don't you, Varian?"

The boy's eyes widen as he glances at Harmony. They were doing it again; getting the two involved despite their protests.

"Uhh..."

"You forgot Flynn Rider has handled plenty of weapons!" Eugene spins around the halberd, breaking a vase into pieces. Harmony gasps sharply, hands on her cheeks.

"Ha!" Cass laughs at him while Rapunzel gives a look of horror. "Way to go, Eugene!"

"That-that's a faulty halberd right there," Eugene rubs the back of his neck.

"Let's not panic! I mean, it is...was our dad's favorite, irreplaceable, one of a kind most favorite vase but-"

"Hey, I have an idea, Eugene," Cass interrupts Rapunzel. "Why not just steal him another one? Oh, oh, wait, wait. You can't! This is a one of a kind vase!"

"Yeah, because Rapunzel just said that," Harmony points to her sister. "And Eugene is done with that li-"

"Of course you would pronounce it 'vahz' Cassandra," He mocks her.

"Yeah, yeah, vayze, vahz. Either way, it'll be the first thing the king sees when he sits down for tonight, or doesn't see."

"Are they really bickering over the word vase?" Varian whispers to Harmony.

"Welcome to our lives," She gestures to the two of them in dismay.

"You just love making me look like an idiot in front of the king, don't ya?" Eugene grits his teeth at her.

"No. You do a perfect job of that all on your own," Cass crosses her arms at him. The three sigh, walking away.

"Thank you...wait a minute!"

"I really should start doing my alchemy somewhere else..." Varian murmurs to himself.

* * *

Together, the trio clean up the mess of vase pieces. "I can't take it anymore, you guys," Rapunzel sweeps up the vase. "I mean, why can't Cass and Eugene just get along? They're both caring, supportive, very considerate people...who somehow got us to clean their mess."

Pascal shrugs at her. "Eugene might be your boyfriend, Rapunzel, but he easily annoys Cass," Harmony cringes at the thought.

"And Cass easily annoys him," Varian speaks up.

"I bet they would be great friends if they just stopped fighting long enough to spend some quality time together."

The four give her skeptical looks, saying nothing. They all knew that it was unlikely that the two would ever be 'great friends.' Rapunzel suddenly gasps.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute! That's it! That's it! We'll make them spend time together! Come on!" She grabs Pascal and Harmony rolls her eyes in amusement. The princess bends down and starts sweeping up the remains.

"Think it'll work?" Varian asks her as he holds the duster.

"Nope."

* * *

Pascal and Daisy trail down the hall, each of them holding one note. Begrudgingly, Daisy opens a door, seeing Cass sharpening her sword. She drops the note on the floor and is about to leave.

"What's this?" Cass questions her. Daisy just shrugs and leaves the room. She really didn't believe this would work. Cass takes the letter and reads it, smiling a little.

Pascal heads over to Eugene, who's talking to Pete and Stan. "I'm telling you, Stan. The handlebar mustache is so passe."

The two glance to each other in boredom. "Today it's all about the goatee. You know what I mean?"

Pascal pokes his boot. "You see..." He sees the chameleon on the ground. "Just a second, frog, I'm making a point." Pascal stretches his tongue, the letter sticking to his cheek. "Oh! Hey, easy! What? What is it?"

He starts reading and immediately questions it. "A note from Cassandra? If this is another eviction letter, I am going to lose it! She does not have the authority for that! I checked!" He calls out after the pet, who ignores him and leaves. Eugene reads the note, humming slightly. "Well, this oughta be interesting."

* * *

Eugene opens up the door to the dungeons, stepping into the open door of a cell. "Okay, it's a grim place to offer an apology, but then again, this is Cassandra we're talking about."

"I'm sorry."

Her voice causes him to yelp in surprise. "Did you just say I was going to offer you an apology?" She's already in the cell as she steps closer.

"Yeah. You said in your note you wanted to say sorry," He gestures to the letter he got.

"I didn't write you a note," She gestures to herself. "You wrote me a note."

The door is suddenly shut and locked by Rapunzel, Harmony, and Varian. "Hey! What are you doing?" Eugene protests to them.

"Time for the game to begin," Rapunzel spins the key around her finger.

"Game? What are you talking about?" Cass asks in confusion.

"Don't you see? We wrote the letters," Rapunzel starts to explain.

"They wrote them. I forged the signatures," Varian gestures to himself with a grin.

"They were merely a ruse to lure you both down here."

"What?!" Eugene grips the bars, giving them a pleading look. "You can't lock us in here." He looks to Pascal and Daisy, who raise a brow.

"Well, you certainly can't be in the castle if you're going to fight," Harmony crosses her arms. "We're sick of you two butting heads all the time and putting us in the middle."

"We can, and we have. And we're afraid your only way to escape is to work together, to solve a puzzle of our own design," Rapunzel gestures to the three of them. They stare at them like they were crazy.

"...What puzzle?" Eugene asks sarcastically. He had a feeling this would be easy, given that this was Rapunzel.

"Within these walls, you will find a series of strategically placed, increasingly difficult clues, each one more unfathomably perplexing than the last," She starts off.

"Put them together, and you can free yourselves," Varian taps his finger against the bars.

"Fail, and this prison cell will become your new home," Harmony finishes, waving as they start to leave. The three laugh evilly before Rapunzel comes back, holding a basket.

"Oh, and I made you guys cookies."

"You better share," Harmony warns Eugene, pointing a finger at him.

"Have fun," Varian waves to them.

"Wait, she meant me," Eugene points to himself before sticking his head out of the bars. "Why were you warning me?! What are we, 12?" Regardless, he takes a bite out of the cookie, the crumbs falling onto the ground. One particular one rolls into the vent and into the cell below...with two brothers inside.

"Listen, this is all your fault."

"Oh please!"

A hand picks up the crumb as they can hear the two arguing. "You know darn well that my only fault is that I have no faults!"

Sideburns Stabbington smirks up at the ceiling. "Recognize that voice? Sounds like our old friend..."

* * *

Rapunzel opens up the doors, humming to herself. Harmony and Varian trail behind her as she dances around.

Pascal gives her a skeptical look. "Are you sure it was a good idea to leave them in there alone?" Harmony asks her sister, having the same thoughts as the chameleon.

"The chances of them working together to get out of the dungeon are scientifically impossible," Varian informs her.

"I'm not sure, Raps. While I do think getting them to work things out is a good idea…locking them up together might not be so good."

"Ahh...say what you want, guys, but sticking those two together to work out their differences has its advantages. I mean, do you hear that?"

The younger princess glances around as it's absolutely quiet. "That is the sound of peace and quiet. Oh, I can finally hear myself think...I think I wanna paint something. Ah, I like the way you think."

Pascal squeaks at her, raising a brow. "Relax, I'm sure Eugene and Cass are doing just fine..."

The two teens glance to each other, unsure.

* * *

Cass pulls at the bars, sighing in defeat. She had been doing that for a while now, and it hasn't worked. Eugene is laying down on one of the beds, eating the cookies. He pulls out his watch and shuts it...opens and shuts...opens and shuts...

Cass turns around to glare at him. "So annoying," She grits her teeth.

"I know!" He holds up the basket. "All these delicious cookies, and no milk?" He digs around the cookies. "Oh, wait, she packed milk." The former thief drinks up all of it and she glares at him. He is making no effort for them to get out of here...she couldn't believe she was even stuck in here with him of all people.

"Unbelievable!" She jumps off the bed, snatching the cookie basket. "Did you eat all the cookies?"

"I'm not a pig, Cassandra," He defends himself as he stands up, "I ate all of your cookies. I'm saving mine for later."

She pushes the basket back into his hands out of anger. "You are nothing but a self-serving, inconsiderate, arrogant free-loader."

"Oh! You know, I could rattle off insulting adjectives describing your personality too, but to do so would imply you actually have a personality, and I just wouldn't feel right doing that!" He takes a cookie out of his pocket. She notices that something seems to be written on it.

"Hey, hold on, wait, don't-don't eat that," She snatches the cookie out of his hand. She looks at what's written and glances around.

"Ah, go ahead, but it's got my milk drool on it," Eugene says smugly.

"Quick, let me see the others," She takes more out of his pockets, to his confusion.

"What are you doing?"

"X6?" Cass eyes the frosting writing. "Y15? I think these are coordinates for a grid. Varian must've written them...and Rapunzel must've hidden the key behind a loose brick in the wall, and these cookies tell us which one!"

"So...just for clarification, I can eat the cookies now or no?" He gets no answer as she examines the wall, pulling out a loose brick. She then finds a spring.

"Yes!"

"That's it? That's just a rusty spring!" Eugene eyes her in confusion.

"And on your first guess, too. But we both know Harmi: she never leaves you hanging. There's more," She pulls out a piece of paper. "It's another clue. This one is easy. Just follow our lead. Follow their lead? How? They locked us in here, this makes no sense."

"That's because we're not supposed to follow their lead...we're supposed to follow their lead," Eugene looks away in thought. "Hmm...different word, same spelling. Aha!" He gestures to a led pencil on the floor, which is pointed towards a gear with a note attached. "Don't worry, kid. You're not the first person to match wits with this baby, and come off looking like a chump."

She frowns at the insult, sighing slowly. Working with him was going to take a lot of patience...

"In fact, you might say making people look like chumps is kind of my specialty."

Patchy paces around, slamming on the wall with his fists. It angered him listening to Eugene.

"Patience, brother," Sideburns calls out. "Our time will come..."

Cass lifts up a pillow to find a note and two nails. Then Eugene struggles to balance Cass on his head as she finds a note in the ceiling. She eventually falls on him.

"Ow!"

Looking underneath the bed, the two find a board, then a book with a comb. "Look. There's another clue," She removes the paper to read it.

"I've been looking for this!" Eugene beams at the comb, looking at a mirror next to the barred window.

"This is your final clue, so pick up the pace. You'll find the last treasure in the same spot you find your face..." She slowly looks up at Eugene as he grooms himself.

"Hey there. Looking good," He winks at the mirror. Cass turns it around. "Hey! I was using that!"

She finds a cork and sighs. "Another useless item." She tosses it into the pile of the things they found along with the clues.

"Ho ho ho," Eugene claps slowly. "Well done. You've discovered the castle's junk drawer."

"Me?!" She asks in disbelief, watching him relax on the bed across from her. "You were a part of this too!"

"Oh, no! Don't stir me into your failure stew! I was fine to sit here eating delicious X and Y cookies until Rapunzel, Varian, and Brownie gave up and let us out."

"And that's just like you, isn't it?" She retorts back, "Sitting back and letting things fall right into your lap."

"...What's that supposed to mean?" He sits up, glaring at her.

"Oh, come on! You know exactly what it means!"

"Hey! Pretty boy! Bowl cut!" A prisoner exclaims from across their cell. "Why don't you two scud buckets pipe down?"

"Why don't you mind your own business?" Cass spits at him.

"Ooh, mind my own business!" He mocks her. "Is that some kind of comeback, Lady Frowns-a-lot?"

Cass growls and charges right for him, but Eugene holds her back. "Whoa, whoa, Cassandra. Let me handle this."

"Look at that," The prisoner chuckles at them, "Fancy boots has got something to say."

"Name-calling?" Eugene starts off, "Come on, we're better than that, aren't we? Sure, we could sit here and make fun of each other. Tease Cassandra for her chronic joylessness, or me for my uncommonly good looks, or you for your dental hygiene, tragic fashion sense, robust body order, and what are clearly woefully misguided life-decision-making-skills, but do you really wanna go down that road?" Cass had been frowning, but then it turned into a smirk. The larger man pouts, sagging his shoulders.

"...I guess not."

The two smirk at each other, actually feeling a little respect from one another for a change.

* * *

"I can't believe how much we can get done with just a little quiet," Rapunzel places down a new painting, the same one she messed up earlier. She smiles at all the clothes she's sewn, all the new prototypes Harmony's made, and all the chemical make-ups Varian's finished.

"I haven't done this many prototypes in years," Harmony places her hands on her hips proudly.

"And I've never created this many scientific marvels!" Varian holds up a beaker.

* * *

Cass and Eugene lie down in their beds, having been silent for a good while now. They had given up on trying to find a way out of here, since all they found wasn't useful.

"...Some game, huh?" Eugene asks awkwardly.

"Yup," She replies quickly.

"So, Cass," He closes his eyes. "Let me ask you something. What's your deal?"

She gives him one quick glance. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you know, other than being a venomous cobra woman who has to follow my girlfriend and her little sister everywhere, I don't know the first thing about you."

"So?" She asks in disinterest. Honestly, she had no idea why he even cared.

"So, as I see it, you always make fun of my past, it's only fair I know something about yours. Plus we have nothing but time."

The lady-in-waiting sighs to herself. Even though it is Eugene...they really had nothing better to do. "What do you wanna know?"

"I dunno," He shrugs, looking up at the ceiling. "What are your hopes? Your dreams? Is there a venomous cobra man in your life?"

She laughs at the thought. With her busy life, she didn't even have time for a boyfriend. "Cobra man? No. Besides, I...I don't have time for dreams."

"Don't have time for dreams?!" He asks in shock. The old him wouldn't even have one if it wasn't for Rapunzel. He's surprised that she hasn't influenced the same kind of lifestyle on someone she thinks as a dear friend. "Honey, you are hanging out with the wrong princess."

"My dad taught me at a very young age to focus on the here and now," She explains simply.

"Yeah, wow...Being raised by the Captain of the Guards musta been a real treat."

"He's a good man, and he taught me a lot," Cass is looking on fondly. "He showed me how to defend myself, how to take on responsibility, how to earn my keep. Besides...I don't remember my real parents, so...I got nothing to compare 'em to anyway."

That was the first time she had ever mentioned it out loud...not even Rapunzel knew about that.

"Yeah, I don't remember mine either," Eugene looks away. He's been an orphan for as long as he could remember. "I used to imagine they were swashbuckling explorers searching the world for treasure, and once they found it...they'd come back and get me."

She frowns to herself. Up until now, she didn't realize that...they're more similar than she thought. "It's dumb, I know. How about you? I mean, you ever imagine what your parents were like?"

Cass turns away, closing her eyes. It was too painful to do that...but she wouldn't say it out loud. "You know what? I don't really wanna discuss this with you, Eugene."

"Okay, fine, I'll just shut up then," He narrows his eyes a little. Then he sits up. "You know, just when I think I start to see a glimmer of a speck of a pinprick of a soul, you flip your ice switch back on. Brownie I could deal with because she's been through a lot, but you can change just like she did."

"Stop trying to pry into my life," She glances at him over her shoulder with a glare.

"I wasn't prying..." Then he realizes something, eyes wide. "Wait a minute...that's it, pry!" He bends down to all the items on the ground. "We're supposed to build a jack with this stuff and pry the door open!"

She bends onto her knees to listen. "See, this piece faces upwards, and then you add this part to the top. Yes, brilliant!"

* * *

Rapunzel paces around, the young alchemist and princess watching her. "Punz, pacing isn't good. I'm sure they're still fighting in the cell," Harmony speaks up.

"Don't worry, they're fine. It's Cass and Flynn," Varian tells her, but it does nothing to ease the crown princess. Then she sees someone who looks like Cass and beams.

"Cass! Oh, you made it! See?" She smiles at the others, running up to her. "I'm so glad you and Eugene found a way to work-"

The person turns around to reveal herself as Friedborg, one of the handmaidens of the castle. She's also known as one who never speaks and has a creepy smile. The three yelp in surprise at the sight. Sometimes she could also freak people out.

"Whoa, Friedborg. I'm sorry, I-I thought that you were Cassandra. But not that I-I'm not happy to see you, Friedborg." She gives a strained smile. "I think you are terrific by the way."

Friedborg gives a happy smile, showing that she's missing a tooth. The teens smile so as not to show suspicion.

"S-Something's different," Harmony points to her nervously.

"Did you...did you change your hair?"

She gives no response as she keeps on that smile, the others feeling very awkward now. She's so mute that a pin would drop and the handmaiden wouldn't hear it.

"No? Nothing's different? Huh?" Rapunzel takes a small breath. "Well...we have to go over there now..." She pulls the two away and Friedborg smiles again.

"Those were the most unsettling 30 seconds of my life," Varian places a hand on his chest, breathing a small sigh in relief.

Rapunzel peeks around the corner of the dining room to see the halberd still where Eugene left it. She reaches out to take it, only to be stopped by a squeaking Pascal. He shakes his head rapidly.

"Pascal is on the right track. You know how Cass can get with her weapons," Harmony holds up a finger. "Besides, you've never used it."

"I asked her once if I could play with her sword, and I regretted it immediately!" Varian chimes in, giving an anxious look. "Never again..."

"Oh, relax, guys. I can handle this." Rapunzel takes a hold of it. "Oh, yeah." She laughs as she starts playing with it. "I see what all the fuss is about. Now this is fun! Hi-yah!" She takes a fighting stance and Harmony couldn't help but giggle.

"Okay, maybe it's a little funny," Varian chuckles at the sight. Rapunzel spins it around above her head.

"Spin! Thrust!" She throws it above her head and cringes when she sees where it landed. "Uh oh."

"Um..."

"Yeah, we're just gonna..." Harmony reaches out for Varian's arm. When she gets a good grip on it, she pulls him away towards the doors. Rapunzel follows after them.

* * *

The jack is finished. "Alright, that should do it," Eugene smiles at their way out of here.

"Here, let me try," Cass takes a hold of it and tries to use it on the bars.

"No, no, no, no! That's too far," Eugene grabs the other end. "Leverage, Cassandra. It's all about leverage." They start pulling in the opposite directions, trying to prove to one another who was right.

"I know what I'm doing," She grunts, what did he know anyway?

"No, you don't!" He argues back.

"Cut it out!"

"You cut it out! The jack was my idea!"

"My idea! Me, me, me!" She mocks the former thief out of annoyance, "It's always all about you!"

"Okay, let's make it about you then! I'm Cassandra, and I can't stand Eugene, because he's smarter than me, has better teeth, and doesn't use the word vahz!"

"Ugh!" She grits her teeth, "You're making it about you again!"

"That's because I'm far more interesting!"

Eventually, the force of their pulls is too much for the jack, and it flies towards the ceiling, breaking into pieces.

"No!" Cass cries out as they see where it'll land. Unfortunately, all of the pieces fall through the grate and into the Stabbingtons' cell.

"Oh, great! You lost my comb! That was the first thing I ever stole! I had it re-engraved and everything!" Eugene says in dismay as Sideburns realizes what it is.

"Looks like it's our lucky day..."

* * *

It's almost night as Rapunzel, Varian, Harmony, and the three pets are playing cards together. "Whoo hoo!" Rapunzel cheers at her deck. "Take that to the rose garden!" She throws down her three cards. Harmony smirks up at her.

"Oh yeah? Take a look at my royal flush," She shows her cards to the two.

"Oh! Again?" Varian complains at this.

"Are you sure you're not cheating?" Rapunzel pouts at her as Harmony takes her winnings.

Pascal points to the clock with his tail, as it's already past 10 o'clock. "Yeah, you're right...it has been a long time. We-we should check on them."

The chameleon raises a brow. She had plenty of time to do it earlier... "Don't give me that look. This absolutely doesn't mean my plan didn't work, Pascal."

"If it's been hours, then obviously it hasn't," Harmony deadpans at her. Varian's eyes widen at the clock as he stares at it.

"Wait, what time is it?! Oh, my dad is gonna kill me..."

"Not after he sees this," Harmony hands him a letter with the Corona seal on it. "A letter stating that you were on royal business."

"Really?!" He looks up at her in surprise. He's certainly never heard of it.

"Really. Trust me, he'll be so pleased, he might give you a break."

Varian jumps forward and pulls her into a hug. Harmony smiles and wraps her arms around his neck. "Thanks Mona! See you soon!"

He waves as he runs out the door and she returns the gesture. Harmony smiles after him before getting a feeling of impending doom. She glances at her sister, who is grinning so wide, she thought her face would break.

"What?"

"Do you like Varian, Harmi?" Rapunzel asks knowingly.

"Nope, let's go check up on our friends," Harmony says quickly, jumping out of bed and running out the door. Rapunzel chuckles at her attempt to change the subject. She'll get her little sister to talk about this one way or another!

* * *

A guard whistles as he does a cell check. Suddenly, he's punched in the face by Sideburns. "Worked like a charm," He holds up the jack, throwing it away. He steals the key from the guard and unlocks the cell door, grabbing the axe. "Time for a little payback."

Cass and Eugene are sitting there in silence until the door is opened. "Ha, Blondie, Brownie, finally," He turns around, face-to-face with the Stabbingtons.

"Hello Rider," Sideburns smirks at him and a look of panic is in his eyes.

"That's unfortunate..."

"Friends of yours?" Cass whispers to him.

"Sideburns, long time no sneer! You look good, the moisture in the dungeon has done wonders for your leathery skin. Did you lose weight? Prison food, am I right?" He gulps as Sideburns just growls, holding the axe in front of him. "No, no, I guess not."

The two grin for their incoming revenge before a whistle is blown. "The Stabbingtons have escaped!"

Sideburns gives the two a smirk. "Guess we're gonna need a couple of human shields, if we wanna get out of here." The brothers inch towards the two.

"Ahh, thank goodness...wait a minute," Eugene looks up, only to get his head covered with a bag. Cass groans and rolls her eyes as she gets the same treatment. The brothers take one hostage each, running out the doors.

"Let's rethink the sack thing, huh?" Eugene muffles into the sack. "It's wreaking havoc on my hair!"

"Nice, Eugene," Cass comments dryly. The two come to a stop when they see the guards blocking the entrance, all of them holding crossbows.

"Hold it right there! Don't move," The Captain threatens, daring to shoot. Sideburns places down Cass and removes the sack. The man immediately drops the look once he sees her. "Cassandra!"

"Dad!" She exclaims, giving a look of slight worry.

"Mm, Dad. I'd call your men off if you know what's good for your precious daughter, Captain."

He doesn't even lower his weapon, keeping on the glare.

"I hear voices," Rapunzel and Harmony suddenly arrive. "Sounds like my plan worked!" The last word turns into a cringe as she notices the situation. "Cass! Eugene! How did this happen?"

"Wait a minute," Harmony murmurs, pulling out a book of dungeon records. "...Rapunzel...you put them in the cell above them." She closes her eyes in disbelief.

"Stay back, your highnesses," The Captain stands in front of them. "Guards, lower your weapons."

They glance at each other hesitantly, but do so anyway for his sake. "It's okay, Blondie and Brownie, I'm working on a plan," Eugene calls out as they're escorted away.

"Okay Eugene, let's hear it," Cass rolls her eyes a little.

"Uh, I-I-I can't say it now, cause they can still hear it," Eugene jerks a thumb to Patchy. The Captain can only watch in horror as he sees them take Cass away.

"Captain, they're getting away!" Rapunzel exclaims, but he just looks at Cass and then they're gone.

"Come on!" He urges the other guards, all of them chasing after the two brothers. The princesses follow close behind. When they reach the corner, they find a tunnel. The Captain crawls inside, followed by everyone else.

"We'll never catch up in time!" Rapunzel pants as they see the guards disappear inside the passage. "Wait, but Harmi knows this castle inside and out! Please tell me you know where that corridor empties."

"Follow me, guys," Harmony takes the lead as she runs to her left.

Patchy is trailing behind as the guards are on their trail. "Over here! They went this way!"

He looks around for anything to stop them, kicking a plank. "Oh! Hey! Probably not the best idea," Eugene tells him, but he kicks it again. Rocks from the ceiling fall in front of the guards, blocking the way from the brothers.

"Time to get rid of the extra baggage," Sideburns declares and they place down the two hostages. "Say Sayonara," He hands the halberd to Patchy, who's about to finish them off when his brother gets an idea. "Actually, I just got a much better idea." He grabs Eugene by the collar and lifts him up. "Let's snuff out Rider, but keep the Captain's daughter as a bargaining chip. You just sit there like a good little girl. It'll just take a second."

Eugene tries to run, but they grab him from behind. "Hey! Where do you think you're going?" The halberd falls at Cass' feet. She glances between the weapon and the brothers, noting that they're distracted.

"Uh..."

"We've got a little score to settle..." Eugene looks up at the planks in the ceiling, glancing at Cass briefly.

"Guys, guys, hold on! You clearly have no idea what you're talking about. Cassandra is useless," He slowly starts backing up so that he can get them right where he wants them. "Right there...I'm the crown princess' boyfriend. I come with a lot more leverage." He gives Cass a look, briefly turning his eyes to the ceiling.

"It ain't about leverage with you, Rider. It's about revenge." Cass places the end of the halberd at the ceiling. "We've been waiting a long time for this. Say goodnight."

Cass clears her throat, kicking the halberd. This breaks the plank above the brothers and it falls on their heads, knocking them unconscious. The lady-in-waiting wipes at her hands with a small smile.

"Now that's how you use a halberd," Eugene smirks at her.

"Yup. It's all about the leverage," She replies back, the ground shaking. "Eugene! Come on, let's get out of here," They run only a few steps forward when dust erupts from the front, unfortunately being caused by another cave-in. Now they were stuck...

"Hello!"

They look up at the ceiling as they hear the familiar voice. "Are you guys down there?"

Rapunzel and Harmony are staring down at them from an opening in the ceiling. The princess waves at them.

"Blondie? Brownie?" The two stand up as Rapunzel lets down her hair. Eugene gestures to it and Cass nods with a smile, taking hold. Harmony helps her sister pull them up onto solid ground. Rapunzel hugs her boyfriend.

"We are so glad you're okay."

"We should've let you out hours ago," Harmony frowns a little.

"There they are."

Eugene peeks into the opening to see that the guards have caught up to the Stabbingtons, who are just waking up. The Captain looks up and sees the four.

"Cassandra, you okay?" He calls out.

"I am now," She places her hands on her friends' shoulders, smiling at all of them.

* * *

"Eugene, I am so sorry," Rapunzel apologizes to him the next day as they walk down the hall. "I had no idea our game would lead to such a disaster. The others and I really thought you guys would have fun...well, I did, anyway."

"Ah, look, you've had better ideas, but you don't have to apologize," He frowns, remembering his fights with Cassandra, leaving his friends and girlfriend with the mess of the vase, and how tired they all looked. "It must be hard for all of you with both of us going at each other's throats all the time, so from now on, even though I have no idea what you see in her, I'll try to be nice to the dragon lady-I mean, Cassandra. And I owe our friends an apology too..." He watches his girlfriend stop in front of the doors and she takes a deep breath. She was about to tell her father about the vase.

"You ready?"

He takes a deep breath of his own. "Yeah, yeah...okay, I can do this. I just gotta walk in there, and tell the scariest, most intimidating man in the world that I broke his favorite vase...he's gonna kill me!"

"My dad's not gonna kill you," Rapunzel smiles a little. "Hey, do you remember last month when the royal tailor accidentally tore his robe? My dad didn't kill him. Of course, he's got like a million of those robes, and only one of those vases exists in the entire world, and come to think of it, I remember seeing the tailor locked in the stockade."

"Blondie," He grips his shoulders. That explanation definitely did not ease his worries in the slightest. "Not helping."

"Yeah, sorry," She smiles sheepishly. Eugene musters up the courage to tell him...and hopefully, this wouldn't get him thrown out...or thrown in the dungeon even.

"Alright. I just gotta face..." He opens up the doors, seeing the vase repaired. In fact, it looked brand new. The king is enjoying his breakfast, Cass standing nearby. "The music?"

Cass glances at him, gesturing to her hand. Eugene sees an almost empty container of glue, the woman pointing to it. She then points to behind them, where he sees Harmony and Varian peeking in. The alchemist holds up some shiner and Harmony shows her hands covered with gardening gloves. He smiles at the three of them, touched at what they did.

* * *

Later, he approaches the lady-in-waiting as she was clearing up plates. "Hey, you got a sec?"

"I guess," She smiles in amusement.

"I just wanted to say that I really appreciate what you did."

"I figured if you got kicked out of the castle, Rapunzel would be all mopey, and I-I don't really do mope," She waves a hand in disinterest. "Not to mention, Varian looks up to you and Harmony sees you as an older brother figure of sorts."

"Ha ha, so...does this mean I can borrow your halberd?" He pulls off a slight smolder look and she growls slightly, raising a brow. "No halberd, okay, yeah, I'm okay with that."

Rapunzel and the others smile, having heard from behind the doors. "Yes!" She and Pascal high-five, Harmony nuzzling Daisy's head with her finger.

"We can finally work in peace when we visit," Varian sighs in relief.

"By the way, where is my halberd?"

The smiles turn into confusion. "I don't know."

"Well, you had it last."

"I did not!"

The five cringe, slowly leaving the hall. "Here we go again. I can't believe you're gonna lie to my face."

"I can't even look at your face!"

"Why you-" Cass shouts before something breaks.

"Ha ha ha! Missed me! You broke it this time!"

"You know...after all that effort trying to fix the thing, I'm not sure if that vase is worth it anymore," Harmony sighs as she lets her arms sag.

"So we're telling your dad?" Varian has the same position as her, a little weary.

"Yup," Rapunzel agrees with him.


	8. The Return of Strongbow

**Angel: Well...season 3 got shortened to 19 episodes, so now we'll only have 61 instead of 78. **

**…WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!**

**As you can tell, I'm very disappointed...**

Eight years ago, in the winter, two carriages are being pulled on top of the snow. A deer looks up as the air is quiet, with no one in sight...until a man appears to be lying down in the cold substance. The two riders run up to him.

"Oh my!"

However, this was all part of the plan as an arrow is pierced into the tree above them. Two men slide down the makeshift zipline, landing on the carriages. The first one makes bird sounds, the two riders turning around. The man in the snow stands up with a grin, punching them and laughing. The man who gave the signal pulls out his sword, stabbing it into the roof. He cuts it open and peeks his head in.

"Hands up! This is a hold-up," He eyes a cracker decorated with caviar in the woman's hand. "Ohh, what's that on the cracker? Caviar?"

Weasel unhooks the horses and they run away out of fear. He jumps onto the last one as the man eats the cracker.

"Come on! Throw it here!"

He throws the sack to him and Weasel takes off.

Meanwhile, Eugene is actually one of the thieves as he opens the door. He sees that the other woman in the green dress is wearing a golden ring with a purple gem on top. "Ooo. May I?" He takes her hand and slips the ring off. "Enchante."

She stands up and hits him in the head, knocking him into the snow. Weasel rides by with the horse and snatches the ring.

"Ha! Sorry, fellas, Baron's orders!"

"Aw, come on!" Eugene's friend pulls off his mask. "That double-crossing Baron! Nobody takes other people's stuff from us and gets away with it! Nobody!"

"Forget it, we'll get him later," Eugene takes off his mask. "We've got bigger problems at the moment," He jerks his thumb behind him as the guards are arriving, crossbows aimed at the two. They start firing and the men duck, seeing the arrows disappear. Eugene grabs his friend and hides behind a snowy rock. The guards just ride past them.

"Check to see if the coast is clear," His friend whimpers to him. Eugene looks up, only to see one of the guards growling at him. He sits back down.

"Not really."

They take off into a run, jumping off the cliff.

* * *

Two little boys jump on a puddle in the present day. Eugene, Varian, and the two princesses are gathering toys and other items for the orphans.

"Help support Corona's orphans! Because every donation brings a smile to the face of a child in need," Rapunzel calls out to the people. An old woman brings a rocking horse toy. "Right guys?"

"That's right, Blondie," Eugene puts a sack over his shoulder. "This cause is dear to my heart. Many orphans go hungry, while others..." He comes to a stop as he sees a shadow in the crowd. "Resort to a life of crime..."

He watches the man move around as Shorty gets into one of the bags unnoticed. Eugene picks up another sack, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. Something was off about this man...he appears in the crowd again.

"Eugene? Is everything okay?" Rapunzel asks, the teens staring in the same direction as Eugene, but they don't see anything out of the ordinary.

"Huh? Yeah..." The mysterious stranger then disappears. "Yeah, sure..."

"It was such a great idea to do this, Harmi," Rapunzel smiles softly at her sister.

"Oh, it's no big deal," The younger princess smiles with a light shrug. "When I used to sneak out of the castle during the daytime, I'd notice some kids walking around without parents...since I was still bound to being in castle walls, I couldn't do anything, but now that I'm allowed out, I figured why not do something about it for a change."

"That's very noble of you," Varian smiles softly at her and she blushes at the compliment.

"T-Thank you."

* * *

The four stop at the orphanage to drop off everything, the princesses jumping out of the caravan. Eugene and Varian step out to help, the former thief looking around for any followers. If he was watching them earlier, he might've followed them...

"Everyone was so generous," Rapunzel smiles happily at a teddy bear inside a sack. "Look at all these clothes and toys and...a beard?" She grips it and Shorty's hand takes it back. "Oh!"

"Thank you! Just what I was looking for."

"Shorty, what have we said about stowing away?" Harmony rolls her eyes at him.

Eugene picks him up and takes him out, just as a shadow runs past them in the alley. "Uh oh...okay, guys, let's get you back to the castle," He starts ushering them away as the same man in the crowd is staring after them.

"Who is that?" Rapunzel glances over her shoulder.

"Why is he following us?" Varian raises a brow.

"You know, I don't know, and something tells me we shouldn't stop to ask."

They stop short as the man is standing right in front of them, blocking their way. Turning around, they see him at the other end, walking down another path. Eugene looks up to see him running along a rooftop.

"What the...?" Harmony murmurs until they reach a dead end.

"Ugh, dead end."

"Rapunzel, that vase, now!" Eugene tells her, putting an arm in front of Varian and Harmony. "Kids, you get behind me."

The man lands in front of them, stepping forward. Varian backs up a little, Harmony staring at him as he clenches his fists. Then he starts laughing, to their confusion.

"Got ya, Rider."

He raises a confused brow until the man reveals himself to be the same man who escaped with Eugene 8 years ago. A tall, muscular, stocky man stands in front of the shocked thief. He has dark complexed skin, is bald, and has black facial hair on his chin.

"Man, you should've seen your-"

He's suddenly hit from behind, falling onto the ground. Rapunzel is standing behind him with a smirk, holding the vase she knocked him out with. "Bam! Ha ha! Follow that, buddy! Hmph."

"You know I meant hide in the vase, right?" Eugene asks and they stare at the man.

"Eugene, how do you know him?" Varian looks up at him.

"And why was he tracking our every move?" Harmony questions curiously and he sighs slowly.

"Princess Rapunzel, Princess Harmony, and Varian, meet Lance Strongbow," He gestures to his friend.

"How you doin'?" Lance replies, still in pain.

* * *

After they managed to get him back to the castle, Lance woke up within a few hours, and was now telling them stories about his adventures.

"So there I was, guys, angry warlord to my left, ferocious dire wolves to my right." Varian and Harmony sit in front of Rapunzel, all three of them listening in excitement. Varian is internally squealing at hearing some of Flynn Rider's stories. Cass is not, as she's crossing her arms with a look of disapproval. "Gold coins in my hand, and where's my faithful partner, Flynn Rider? Turns out this warlord had these twin daughters who were-"

"Who were on vacation far, far away," Eugene finishes for him, too embarrassed to let Lance finish that.

"Oh come on, Eugene. I may have grown up in a tower, but give me a little credit," Rapunzel chuckles a little.

"And I might've grown up in a castle with supervision my whole life, but this is me," Harmony gestures to herself. "I've read all the books in the library. And I mean all of them. Nothing phases me anymore."

"Pray tell, how did two fine, upstanding citizens such as yourselves, manage to find each other?" Cass steps up to Lance, who backs away. While doing that, he's swiping things from the top of the fireplace. He had to admit, this lady-in-waiting was intimidating.

"Oh, we go way back, all the way to the orphanage," Eugene pushes Lance forward, putting all of the stolen things back.

"Yeah. We looked out for each other, when no one else would," Lance chuckles at his old friend. "In fact, you can say we're the closest thing either of us ever had to a family."

"Aww, you guys," Rapunzel looks on fondly.

"That's really wholesome," Harmony smiles a little.

"As wholesome as it could be growing up as orphans," Varian chuckles slightly.

"So, _Lance Strongbow_," Cass says his name subtly, "If you guys are so tight, where have you been all these years?" She eyes him just like her father would with Eugene, who sees something gold behind Lance's back. He quickly puts it back.

"Cass," Harmony warns her. "Don't do this."

"Where have I been? More like, where haven't I been?" He smiles cockily, Cass rolling her eyes.

"You were in prison, weren't you?" The woman asks knowingly.

"Mostly yes," He points to her, "But you know, right now, I'm not thinkin' about where I've been. I'm thinking about where I'm headed."

"That's one way of putting it," Varian gives a small smile, Rapunzel laughing.

"Yes! That's the attitude!" Rapunzel encourages, Pascal squeaking happily. Daisy chirps in agreement.

"And right now, I'm headed to the bathroom," Lance walks past Pete and Stan, who had been standing there the whole time.

"Oh. Still, the attitude," Rapunzel smiles after him, Cass looking very skeptical about the whole thing. She clears her throat at Pete, who nods and follows after him.

"Oh come on! Lance is my friend," Eugene places his hands on his hips.

"You're right...Stan, go with Pete."

Stan follows after the two. "Hey, hey, Lance might not be the straightest arrow in the quiver, but he's our guest. He's a good guy, and we don't need to shadow him."

"Yeah, I agree," Rapunzel speaks up, "Lance is Eugene's oldest friend. He wouldn't take advantage of that."

"Why would he need to?" Varian shrugs up at them. "He doesn't seem like a bad guy to me."

"Well, I don't trust the guy. I don't know what he's up to, but whatever it is, I don't like it," Cass slightly grits her teeth that they're not on the same page.

"Cass, what are you gonna do, have the guards trail him 24/7?" Harmony gestures to where the three left.

"Well, I could..."

"No!" Harmony sighs, standing up. "I'm not saying you shouldn't be careful, but I honestly think you're doing it to the wrong person. That's prejudiced, and I trust Eugene when he says that Lance isn't a bad person. Yes, he had a shady past, but if he can change, then his friend could too if you just give him a chance."

"Wow...thanks, Brownie," Eugene blinks at her in surprise that she's coming to his defense with Cass, her lady-in-waiting.

"Once a thief, always a thief," Cass recites to the princess, much to her annoyance.

"Look, Cassandra, I know you'd love nothing more than to see one of my old friends embarrass me, and I hate to disappoint you, but my friend Lance is not 'up to' anything."

* * *

He was only lying as he grabbed Lance by the collar, planting him at the wall. "Okay Lance, what are you up to?" Eugene whispers to him so that no one could overhear.

"Up to? Me?" Lance asks innocently. "You think I would come all the way down to uh see, it w...okay, I need help with a job." He smiles at his friend.

"You want my help with a job?" Eugene asks in disbelief.

"Well, not a 'job.' A job. It's simple, victimless, like taking candy from a baby~ And as previously established, I just spent a little time in the clink. While there, I shared a cell with this guy. His name was Calvin. Or was it Clarence? Something like that, but I called him Oldie. See, on account of-"

"He's old," The former thief interrupts knowingly. "I got it."

"Yeah! So old Oldie tells me about this job he pulled way back when. He hid the loot in this cave system beneath Corona and was gonna get it back when the heat cooled off. But it never did. So it just sat there, forgotten, for years. Now Oldie's gonna be in jail for the rest of his natural life. So he tells me you should get it for yourself."

Eugene claps as Lance is holding a map that Oldie gave to him while he was still doing prison time. "Great story. Could've used a bit more conflict, but the use of props added a nice touch." He then gives a look of doubt.

"I'm serious," Lance insists as he starts walking away. "It's just sitting there! And I need your help to go get it."

"I'm sorry, but you can count me out," Eugene crosses his arms. "My days as a thief are behind me."

"I don't need a thief," Lance places a hand on his shoulder. "I need a friend. Come on, Flynn!"

"Eugene," He corrects him. When he gave up stealing, his old name went along with it.

"Eugene?" Lance recoils back in surprise before laughing. "Talk about your throwback. You got your break, a huge break. All I'm asking is for a little help getting my own. Please? Come on, buddy."

He takes a minute to think about it. Lance was still his friend...and he did want to help him. Who knows, maybe Lance could really turn his life around like he did.

Eugene lets out a long sigh, "Well, I guess it is a victimless crime..."

"It don't come less victimless," Lance leans in towards him, smiling.

"...Fine. I'll help you, but you have to promise not a word to anyone, especially Cassandra! And honestly, put those back."

Lance sags and puts down all of the valuables he stole, smirking a little at Eugene.

* * *

Cass makes the bed for Rapunzel. "Lance is gonna be just down the hall from Eugene, right?" The crown princess asks as she steps in with pillows. Harmony steps up to the doorway with extra blankets in her hands. "Unless...do you think they should be closer? That's what I wanted when I came here since I'm next door to Harmi." She gasps enthusiastically. "Oh, you know what would be perfect? Bunk beds!"

"Yeah, and why don't you make them some milk and cookies?" Cass asks sarcastically. "Did Varian leave already?"

"Yeah, I just came back from Old Corona. Had to make sure the guards weren't watching when we left," She replies, walking up to them.

"Um, alright. Yeah," Rapunzel helps her with the sheet. "I get it," She takes a comforter from her sister. "You're making fun of me for being excited Eugene's friend is here. But a midnight snack is actually a perfect idea, so thank you."

"And you're both okay with all of this?" Cass questions skeptically. The sisters glance at each other briefly.

"All of what?"

"Oh, I don't know..." She chuckles lightly, "You don't think that maybe a lifetime criminal who just got out of prison and happens to show up on our front door could possibly have ulterior motives that involves his long-lost pal and partner in crime?!"

"Um...no, I don't think so," Rapunzel replies as Cass takes a laundry basket.

"Newsflash Cass, Lance and Eugene were basically the same person. And besides, that was years ago," Harmony shrugs at the lady-in-waiting. "That's a lot of time for someone to change his ways. His own friend did it, and so did I."

They watch her walk away, but Rapunzel is a bit concerned. She really hoped that Cass wasn't right...Eugene had changed, he was over that part of his life now.

* * *

Eugene places down his bag, pacing around in his room. Doing this with Lance was obviously bad, but it was one last heist for him. He couldn't just turn an old friend down, no matter how much he didn't like lying to his girlfriend.

Rapunzel and Harmony peek in. "Hi Eugene."

He quickly hides his bag. "Oh, hey, blondie, brownie! Hey, hello, what's up?" He puts it on the bannister, standing in front of it.

"Oh, nothing. We just thought we'd see what you were up to," Rapunzel smiles up at him.

"Nothing!" He smiles innocently, sitting on his bed. "I am up to nothing!"

"Oh, okay. Well, what's Lance up to?" Rapunzel lightly flicks the bag.

"I'm surprised you two aren't using this time to catch up," Harmony raises a brow.

"Lance? Oh Lance! Nothing. I mean, I'm sure he's doing something. But he did seem tired. Didn't he seem tired? In fact, he's probably asleep already. So in answer to your questions about what Lance is up to, I will answer, Lance is up to sleeping. Why do you ask?"

"Jeez, we get it. No need to be all weird," Harmony stares at him.

"I'm not being weird...you're being weird!"

"Okay, uh..." Rapunzel glances at her sister, who sighs lightly. Neither of them wanted to ask, but Cass wouldn't ease up on this until they were sure. "Ugh. You're gonna think this is funny. I think it's funny, but Cass is concerned that Lance and you are...up to no good. Crazy, right?"

"I keep telling her that she should lighten up, but you know her," Harmony shrugs, biting her lip a bit awkwardly for them to even bring this up.

"Whaaaat? You what?" He starts laughing, but only to feign innocence. "That's crazy talk!"

"I know," Rapunzel sighs a little. "It's just, obviously, we both trust you in our own way, Eugene, but... I would really hate it if she was right about Lance."

"We'd never hear the end of it from her, and neither would you," Harmony rolls her eyes at the thought of the lady-in-waiting subtly bragging about it. Eugene smiles at his girlfriend.

"I know," He puts a bang behind her ear and they kiss briefly. They leave him be, but not before Harmony comes to a stop, glancing at him.

"You're like a big brother to me, Eugene. Thanks for everything you do for my sister," She smiles, closing the door behind her. He then looks away once they're gone. Obviously he feels bad, but he couldn't let anyone know...

Lance appears in the window. "Psst!"

Eugene turns around to see him. "I said psst!"

"I heard your psst!" He retorts back in slight annoyance. "Now let's get on with it." He takes his satchel, sighing reluctantly and leaving with his friend.

* * *

They head into the caverns, Lance lighting the way with a lantern. He notices a spider web and screams. "Are you still afraid of spiders?" Eugene asks knowingly. For as long as he's known his friend, spiders were his absolute fear.

"Yes, I have acute arachnophobia."

"Yeah, real cute," Eugene deadpans as Lance pulls out the map.

"The treasure's this way!"

A few rats squeak as they watch the two men walk away. They come to a stop in front of the same wall of stone that Oldie hid the treasure, with no way to get it open.

"Well, looks like the end of the line."

"Nah," Lance blows away the fire from the lantern. "You're just getting rusty," He holds up a candlestick.

"Hey, I thought I told you to put that back!" Eugene hisses at him.

Lance ignores him and uses it to bust open the wall. He chuckles and hands his friend the busted stick. "Viola."

He throws it away, hoping that no one will notice that it's missing. He crawls in and stops in shock. "What the?" The room is filled with a bunch of treasure, but it's not a cave since there are paintings and royal crowns, which no one would leave behind. "This isn't a cave. It's a basement! We broke into someone's house. Lance!" He whips towards his friend, glaring. "You lied to me!"

"Now wait a minute," Lance says while holding a crown. "Lying is a strong word. Accurate, but strong. Besides, the only reason I lied to you is because you wouldn't have agreed to do this otherwise," He plants gauntlets into his bag. "So really...we're both to blame." He winks, cupping his arms and taking the whole pile of gauntlets.

"So, was any of your story true?" Eugene couldn't help but wonder.

"Well, there was an old inmate named Jesse, and I did call him-"

"Yeah, Oldie, I remember," Eugene interrupts, Lance turning his head towards him.

"No! Mr. Kilpatrick. Oldie?" He tsks at his friend, "That's just insensitive, Flynn."

"What?!" Eugene screeches, frustrated now. Actually, beyond frustrated. "You-"

"Look," Lance walks up to him, holding the sack over his shoulder. "We can spend all day trying to figure out who's in the wrong here, but I don't see what the big deal is. Lying is what we grew up on! It's what we do."

"Did, Lance," Eugene elaborates, slightly panicked now. They're in someone's house, and anyone could stumble upon them at any minute. "I don't do that anymore!"

"Well, good for you. Want a medal?" The thief retorts back, holding up some. "No really, want one? There are like 25 of these things."

"Let's just get out of here, Arnwaldo," Eugene spits out.

"Hey! Don't. Call me. Arnwaldo!" Lance warns him, taking a bejeweled egg. "Besides, don't you at least wanna know whose basement this is?"

"No! No I don't!" Eugene whisper/shouts at him.

"It's the Baron's," Lance sings, ignoring the protest.

"The..." His eyes widen, "The Baron? The 'Baron' Baron?!"

"You said we'd get him later," Lance points out while still stealing.

"That was 8 years ago!" The former thief hasn't even thought about the Baron betraying them since then.

"Exactly," He puts a smile on his face. "We waited 8 long years for revenge, and I'm not leavin' till I've settled the score," Opening the wardrobe, he sees that it's overrun with spiders. He quickly closes it out of fear. "And now the score is settled. Let's get out of here!"

They're about to run to the entrance when Weasel is standing there, his back turned to them as he's inspecting the wall. "Wait a minute..."

The two quickly hide next to the doorway. "Gotta find another way out." He glances at Weasel, Lance pushing him away. They open a door, being met with darkness. He shushes Lance. "Quiet!"

"Shh!"

"Could you please shh any louder?" Eugene retorts back as Lance loudly shuts the door. "Quiet!"

As they're sneaking past windows, boots squeak. "Shh! Those have got to be the squeakiest boots I've ever heard!"

"How do you know it's not your shoes?" Lance mocks as he carries Eugene on his back.

"I don't think this is any quieter!"

Then he carries Lance on his back. "See? No...squeaks," He says in pain as the man is heavy. They fall onto the ground and continue walking, Eugene rubbing his head. Up ahead is a knight costume standing in front of one of the windows.

"Someone's there! Get him!"

They tackle the costume onto the ground, flailing around. "Oh, that hurt."

"Sorry about that."

"Let's keep moving..." Eugene adjusts his hair. They sneak past a living room, Eugene closing the door. "Hey. Lance! Lance!"

"Eugene?" He calls out, holding something.

"Where are you?!" Eugene runs forward, coming to a stop when he doesn't find his friend. "Lance? Lance!"

"Eugene," Lance whispers, someone standing in front of him...and it's not his friend.

"No, my name is Percival. Guards! Guards!" Lance suddenly knocks him out.

"Sorry," He whispers, bumping into his partner a few seconds later. They run forward and tumble down the stairs, landing in front of the doors. They rush out into the open, racing down the path. All the while, Eugene couldn't believe that he had been roped into this.

* * *

Rapunzel opens the door to Lance's room. Pascal is holding a cup of milk on her head while she's holding cheese and crackers. "Lance? I brought you a snack! I thought you might be hungry." She's confused when she finds the room empty.

"Lance? Hm...oh, you know, he's probably just catching up with Eugene in his room. Ah, see? I knew the bunk beds would've been a great idea."

While walking to his room, she notices Harmony knocking at his door, holding apples and bread. Daisy has a cup of water tucked underneath her wing. "Oh, Harmi, he's not in?"

"I literally just got here, but he hasn't answered," Harmony looks up at her with a shrug. They open the door.

"Eugene? Hello? ...Okay, so, maybe they're catching up somewhere else."

"Where would they go at this hour?" The younger princess raises a brow.

They walk down the hall, Rapunzel giving a concerned frown. She had searched the whole castle, but had found no sign of them...

Cass walks up to them, humming. "What do we have here? A plate of cheese and crackers along with apples and bread. I wonder why?" She gives them a smug look.

"Uh, it's because we are very hungry, and very thirsty, thank you very much," Rapunzel takes a bushel of grapes and starts eating them. "So good!"

"Nothing wrong with that," Harmony takes a bite out of bread. She stares at them and the girl sighs.

"Okay, fine. Yes. They're not home! But what is to say that they're not out having fun?" Rapunzel tries to look optimistic. She trusted Eugene, he wouldn't do that...after all, he loved it here in the castle and being with her.

"Oh, I never said anything about them not having fun. I'm just suggesting they're most likely stealing stuff while doing it."

"Cass, you can't just make assumptions like that!" Harmony glares up at her.

"Okay, we have had just about enough, Cassandra," Rapunzel stands in front of her friend. "You know what? Let's go find Eugene, so I can show you that you were wrong!" She takes a sip of milk, leaving her with a milk mustache.

"Okay, but when I'm proven right, you're gonna have egg on your face," Cass decides not to tell her about the mustache. Harmony is about to tell her when the lady-in-waiting covers her mouth, shaking her head.

"Ho ho! I promise you this, I will not have anything on my face tonight." She hands the plate to Pete, storming off. The milk on her head falls in front of Cass.

"Princess, you have a milk mustache-"

"I know what I have, Pete! Thank you," Rapunzel calls out in annoyance. Pete starts eating the food, Harmony smacking Cass' hand off.

"I hope you're happy," She gives her friend a look, following after them.

* * *

Lance is laughing at all they stole, while Eugene sits across from him in silence, still peeved about what he did.

"There's more gold coins in here than I can count!"

"So there must be more than seven," Eugene says dryly.

"What's wrong with you?" Lance raises a brow at him.

"You duped me!" He stands up, pointing an accusing finger at his 'friend.' "You took advantage of my loyalty!"

"I wouldn't say I took advantage, I borrowed it. Here," He holds out his hand, "You can have it back."

"Okay, you know what? We are done, _friend. _I don't want anything to do with you anymore," Eugene turns his back on him, crossing his arms.

"Wow," Lance stares at him, "Money has really changed you...Eugene."

"Yeah, Arnwaldo. I have changed," Eugene doesn't bother to look at him. "I am a different person. A better person, but money...had nothing to do with it."

"Eugene!"

He looks up in shock to see the girls arriving. "Lance?"

He whimpers in fear, taking the gauntlet. He snatches the sack, but not before a ring falls out of it at Lance's feet. He throws the sack of valuables away, cringing when he hears a crash. Keeping on a wide smile, he watches the girls approach them.

"What are you guys doing?"

"Uhh..." Eugene glances around, hands behind his back. "What are we doing...? What were we doing? What-What is anyone doing, really? I mean, that's the question here, isn't it?"

Cass notices the ring and bends down to it. "Hey ladies. Looks like one of you ladies dropped your ladies ring. Your valuable ladies ring." She says ladies as if to implicate them for a crime. Rapunzel turns to her boyfriend in concern.

"Eugene...where did that ring come from?"

"Why would it be near you?" Harmony stares at them in confusion. "That's a one of a kind ring."

"It came from..."

"Our orphanage," Lance interrupts him, taking the ring from the still suspicious Cass. "Eugene and I were bequeathed it from our favorite nanny. A sweet little old woman, whom we affectionally called Oldie," He gives Eugene a one-armed hug. "Oldie was the closest thing we had to a mom...so that ring is very special to us."

"Aww," Rapunzel seems to buy it, but Cass doesn't. Harmony eyes the two of them, not sure what to question.

"When we left the orphanage, we hid it inside a big oak tree in these woods," Lance gestures to the giant tree behind them. "Promising each other that the first one of us to find true love...would be able to give that someone special the ring. Princess..." He holds it out to her, Eugene cringing behind him. "I believe that would be you."

He puts the ring on Rapunzel, who gasps happily. The thief sends a smile to his 'friend' before pushing Rapunzel to him.

"Eugene...this is beautiful."

Cass keeps her glare and Harmony smiles at the moment between them. "Man, mh! I'm good," Lance compliments his lying skills before they all walk back to the castle. A nervous Eugene is rubbing his arm as Rapunzel is smiling happily, looking up at the night sky. She looks at the ring.

"Oh my gosh, Eugene! Oldie must've been from Corona. See?" She shows him the jewelry for him to see. "See? It has our crest."

"Oh, that's quite a coincid..." He stops talking, remembering where exactly that ring came from. During that heist 8 years ago, he had snatched the ring from a caravan with the Corona crest on it...which was the same crest on the ring from the queen, who was the one who hit him with the book.

"Oh no..."

* * *

"Okay, that ring we stole belonged to the queen," Eugene informs Lance as he paces around in his room. "The same queen who took me into her home and family, and as soon as she sees Rapunzel wearing it, she will put two and two together, and be furious! Or heartbroken. I'm not sure how she'll react, she's a tough read sometimes. But, however she reacts, it won't be good! Now, on the other hand, if I ask Rapunzel to give me the ring back, she'll realize I lied to her earlier, and I know for a fact that she will be devastated. And no matter how this shakes down, Cassandra is going to have the satisfaction of being RIGHT!"

"That's quite a sticky wicket you got yourself into," Lance smiles lightly.

"We're gonna have to steal that ring back," Eugene declares to him. He didn't want to, but it was probably the only way to get out of this.

"Steal from a crown princess? Let me know how that works out for ya," Lance puts his hands behind his back.

"I'm sorry, what are you saying? You have to help me!"

"And defy the princesses' trust? Why would _I _do that?"

"Either help me...or I'll turn us both in," The former thief threatens.

* * *

Lance lights a candle as they stand in the hallway. They're both wearing black ski masks so that no one would recognize them. He accidentally burns himself and yelps. Eugene shushes him and he blows on his finger.

Cass is peacefully sleeping until she hears commotion from outside. It might be guard's intuition, but something told her she had to check it out.

The two quietly enter Rapunzel's room, seeing the princess sleeping with her legs up. The ring is still on her finger as Pascal is sleeping nearby. They sneak over to her, Eugene putting the candle down. Lance crawls onto the floor, Eugene slowly reaching out his hand. He starts to slip it off her finger, but she turns her hand so that it's on the pillow. He cringes, looking up at Pascal, who just moves around his foot. The candle is placed near him, his tail getting underneath the candle. Lance lifts up the pillow.

Rapunzel doesn't seem to notice it as Lance gets the ring off. Lance puts the pillow back down, candle wax slowly dripping onto Pascal's tail. And since it's hot, he wakes up with a start. He squeaks, running around as smoke comes from his tail. He blows on it, his sounds alerting Rapunzel. The two gasp.

"Run!" Lance shouts as they rush towards the doors.

"HEY!" Rapunzel yells, holding out a hand. "Pascal!"

He throws a frying pan, which she catches. Then she throws it, Lance closing the door and barely missing it. They run towards the window.

"There's our exit."

Cass stands in front of them, sword ready. They slide to a stop, Harmony opening the door, holding a bow and arrow. The two men look between the girls as they're surrounded. "I got this," Lance pats Eugene, walking towards Cass.

"She'll destroy you...actually, go ahead."

He yelps as an arrow is fired at him, but he ducks just in time. Lance is beat up to the point where he's unconscious. Cass approaches Eugene, who turns around and bumps right into Rapunzel's frying pan. Harmony holds up a weird-looking blaster, using it to fire bolos and tying them up on the ground.

"Nice new invention, Harmony!"

"Thanks," She smiles before they both notice the face on the frying pan. "Wait a minute..."

"Eugene?!" They'd recognize that face anywhere.

* * *

"So let me see if we have this right," Harmony starts off as she paces in front of the two, Rapunzel following her. They could just feel the frustration coming from the two. "You two stole a ring from our mother 8 years ago, a gift from our father, and then you gave it to Rapunzel, my sister," She gestures to the blonde, "Only to steal it back. Which never would've happened if you had just stayed inside rather than go to the Baron's basement to steal his stash!"

"That sounds about right," Eugene cringes at her.

"Meaning you lied," She narrows her eyes, "Twice actually if we're counting your first lie before you went."

"Can I just say-"

"Cass, do I really look like I wanna hear that next sentence? I'm sure you'll have all the time in the world to say you were right, but now is NOT THE TIME!" Harmony interrupts sharply and Cass clamps her mouth shut. The princess could get a bit scary when she's angry. "I can't believe this! After I stood up for your friend and then called you my brother?"

"I can't believe you would do this!" Rapunzel says angrily to Eugene.

"Rapunzel, I...I'm sorry," He says in guilt.

"Can I just say that you should've known?" Lance points at Harmony, Eugene elbowing him in the arm.

"I was only six and my sister was in a tower," Harmony crosses her arms, keeping that glare directed towards them. "When I heard it was missing, I didn't ever think that one of my friends today was behind it all."

"Princesses?" Lance asks, looking guilty himself for a change. "If I may-"

"You know what, you've said enough, Lance," Eugene warns him. It's all because of his words that they were in this situation in the first place! "Don't listen to him."

"It's all my fault."

His eyes widen and he crosses his arms towards him. "But what do I know?"

"Look...I lied to Eugene. And to you both, princesses. About everything." He sighs lightly at everything he's done. "He was only trying to help a friend...or, someone who used to be his friend, I guess..." He looks up at Eugene, who glares at him. "I'm...I'm truly sorry."

"...I guess the right thing for me to do now is to come clean with your mom," Eugene says after a few seconds. He was surprised by Lance's admittance...but he won't forgive him just yet.

The two sisters look to each other, both of them seeming to think the same thing. "Eugene, what you did was deceitful..."

"Wrong. Hurtful," Harmony adds in, Eugene wincing at her.

"That too. And by every right, yes, you should come clean to our mom, but...we can't let you do that."

"Wait. What?" He recoils back in shock. "Why?"

"Because I love you, Eugene, and I will forgive you, but...I can't be sure they will," She starts off.

"You were like a brother to me regardless of how I treated you in the past," Harmony gestures to herself. "I wasn't exactly friendly to you at first...or anyone, really. The least I could do since you rescued my sister is to make sure you're not blamed."

"So..." Rapunzel sighs, rubbing at her neck slightly. "Okay. Here's what we're gonna do. We are going to sneak the ring back into my mom's room-"

"Rapunzel," Eugene holds her shoulders. "Hey. Stop, look, I-I...love you too, so much, and thank you, but I can't. Cheating, lying, and deception, that may have been how Flynn Rider would handle this...but I'm Eugene Fitzherbert now, and I have to do this the right way. That means accepting the consequences...no matter what they are."

Lance cries a little, hugging him from behind. "It's how Oldie would've wanted it..."

* * *

The next day, Eugene goes to the throne room and comes clean about what happened 8 years ago. Arianna holds the ring in her hand, looking towards the ashamed former thief.

"I appreciate your apology and your honesty. Though the robbery was many years ago, Eugene, it was frankly traumatic, and...I'm not sure I can forgive you. When we returned back a few days later than we should have, my daughter was very scared and concerned for us...that she almost hurt us with her moon powers."

Eugene's eyes widen at the revelation. Harmony had never told him that. "Her emotions fueled the power that Frederic is still concerned about...for her and the kingdom. She was destroying everything in her room, but...eventually, we managed to calm her down, even though it did affect us greatly. We realized that...deep down, she is still our daughter, and that if we didn't accept who she is and what she did...we would lose her."

"I understand. I do. And...I'm really sorry that happened to Harmony. I guess now I just hope that the king won't banish me from Corona when he finds out about this..."

"Well, yes. We shall see what the king decides."

* * *

Later on, Rapunzel is at the fountain, smiling lightly as Daisy is swimming in the water. Pascal is rowing himself on a lily pad.

"So...he stole your mother's ring 8 years ago..." Varian murmurs as he and Harmony are sitting nearby.

"Yeah...and because of that, they had to delay their return back. I didn't know the truth until last night," She closes her eyes. "I...was really terrified about what could've happened to them, Vari. At the time, they were my only family, and...I didn't want to lose them like I thought I lost Rapunzel. I lost it; the servants didn't know what to do. And when they came back...I believed it to be a dream."

She opens her eyes, taking a deep breath. "So I...attacked them...out of fear."

Varian's eyes go wide, but he wants to listen to the rest before saying anything. "I thought I'd never snap out of it until Papa managed to calm me down...and Mom sang me a song that she'd sing to me when I was little to ease me."

"Wow...I'm so sorry that happened, Mona," Varian whispers softly, placing a hand on her back.

"You know, it's funny..." She sits up slightly, smiling at him. "I haven't talked about that to anyone. I guess you just bring that in me."

He smiles back, blushing. "Are you...mad at Flynn for that?"

"Honestly..." She takes a deep breath. Daisy hops over and she puts the duckling onto her shoulder. "No. Everyone deserves a second chance...especially one who's changed his ways like him. Besides, he's practically my big brother. I can't stay mad at him for too long."

"So, I got you something," Eugene speaks up, causing all five of them to look in his direction. He's hiding something behind his back. "It's not very nice, and there's no story behind it. Well, if you don't count the part about how the guy who sold it to me had something dangling from his nose, but I guess that's not so much a story as an observation. Anyway, the point is, I didn't steal it." He grins a little as he hands Rapunzel a new ring, one that has a flower on top of it. "I am really sorry I hurt you, Rapunzel. That's the last thing I'd ever want to do."

"I know, Eugene."

They share a hug, Varian and Harmony smiling a few feet away. Arianna watches them from a window. Frederic walks in and notices the ring on her hand.

He chuckles in amazement, "I thought that ring was long gone."

"Yes. Can you believe it? Eugene found it this morning..." She walks away, deciding that Eugene had been forgiven. Frederic looks at his daughter and Eugene before leaving the room.

"And as for Lance...who knows when I'll ever see him again?" Eugene looks away, Pascal crawling onto his shoulder.

"Do you think Lance meant it when he said he was sorry?" Rapunzel asks curiously.

"I don't know...Some people never change."

She glances away before remembering something that might cheer him up. "Oh, by the way, do you know a Mr. Schnitz?"

"Arnwaldo Schnitz? Yeah, that's Lance...uh...yes, why?"

She chuckles a little. "Well Mr. Schnitz just made a generous donation to the orphanage charity."

"Really?"

Lance happily places down the bag. "How much?"

"Oh...about a stolen treasure's worth."

Lance walks away from the orphanage, not regretting his decision at all. One item falls from his clothes, however, meaning he hasn't totally changed...but it was a good start.

A golden coin falls out of the bag, followed by Shorty. "Okay..." He touches his beard. "Where did I put that beard?"


	9. In Like Flynn

It's night in Corona as someone is jumping on rooftops from cottages. The shadow is followed by two others and they run, jumping onto the ground.

"Okay boys," They look up at the statue of the King. "Let's get to work..."

The next morning, Eugene walks up to the princesses enjoying breakfast with their parents. "It's the first thing people see when they enter the castle, Dad! I mean, maybe we could remodel it or something. You know, make it warm and welcoming."

"That archway is an important line of defense, Rapunzel. It is imperative it convey strength and security."

"Speaking of security," Arianna speaks up, "How are things with Varian, Harmony?"

Harmony almost chokes on her eggs out of shock. She gives Rapunzel a look, getting an innocent smile in return from her sister. The princess and Varian have become very good friends throughout the past few months. He's stopped stammering around her (most of the time), and she's been more open with him ever since the Lance 'incident.' He's her best friend, in fact (male-wise). They could talk for hours about anything as opposed to when they were just starting to get to know each other.

"Um...fine?" She finally decides to answer her mother. "He's been preparing for the science expo." A happy smile forms on her face at the mention of it. Her parents, having noticed her blueprints, decided to throw a science expo, because they knew that she'd love it. They're even letting her overlook everything.

"Just make sure that nothing happens," Frederic warns her.

"Papa!" She whines a bit in embarrassment.

"You want strength and security?" Eugene speaks up with food in his mouth. He takes a seat between his girlfriend and the younger princess. "Here's what you do."

Frederic raises a skeptic brow. "Lion statues! Ooh, ooh, better yet, turn the archway into a giant lion's mouth! No, wait! Let's do the whole lion-"

"Thank you, Eugene. I'll take those suggestions under advisement."

Harmony cringes at that last sentence.

"Ahh, teamwork!" He holds up his hand. "Up high!"

Frederic just continues eating, Rapunzel looking very embarrassed. "Your Majesty!" Eugene chuckles a little, wondering why he's not doing it. Rapunzel tugs his sleeve, shaking her head. Harmony does the same thing. "Right. You're eating. We're eating. Next time, then...Cool."

Harmony sighs, facepalming at the awkward silence.

* * *

Rapunzel plants a rose in Pascal's mouth as he's posing for a portrait. Harmony and Varian are reading some science books together, to inspire Varian for his invention. "You know, Blondie, you might wanna start coming up with lion designs for that archway. I think that idea got some real traction with your dad. Right Brownie?"

"No comment," Harmony briefly looks up, going back to her book.

"I'm sure the king loved your idea," Cass says sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "You do realize he was just being polite, and probably didn't wanna call you a nitwit to your face."

"Cass!" Rapunzel scolds her lightly, "If our dad didn't like Eugene's idea, I think he would just say so."

"Besides, Flynn saved Rapunzel and brought her back home," Varian shrugs lightly while flipping a page. "There's no reason to lie to him."

"Yeah," Eugene agrees with his girlfriend and the alchemist. "And he's never been shy about calling me names to my face before."

Pascal rolls his eyes at this. "Well, before you go and have your royal advisor nameplate made up, you should probably know that whenever the king wants to ignore an idea, he always says 'I'll take it under advisement.' " She does air quotes.

"Ha!" He laughs at her, "Shows what you know! I clearly remember him saying I'll..." The rest of the king's words echo into his head, making him realize that Cass is right. But he'll never say that out loud of course. "Oh no! He does think I'm a nitwit!"

"And there it is!" Cass points at him smugly. He whips around to Harmony.

"Why didn't you tell me?!"

"Papa says that about half the time when the citizens come to him with complaints," She shrugs at him. "And I didn't have the heart to tell you in front of him."

"This changes everything! I cannot have a father-in-law who doesn't take me seriously!" Eugene starts to panic.

"Why not? No one else takes you seriously," Cass retorts back.

"Not true! I take him very seriously," Varian gestures to himself.

"You don't count, you like Flynn Rider, not Eugene Fitzherbert."

"That's not true, Eugene," Rapunzel adjusts his collar. "Dad thinks very highly of you." Cass shakes her head behind her. "Though, maybe there are times you could be a bit more selective about the kinds of things you suggest to him. He _is _the King after all."

Varian drops his book upon hearing that. He's very close friends with the younger princess...and yet he has done nothing to impress her father. If he was gonna have even close to a shot with Harmony, he had to get on the man's good side too.

"Et tu, Blondie?" Eugene asks hurtfully. "Okay, you know what? It's fine, it's fine. I can fix this. Quick, name things your dad likes that I can pretend I also like to impress him!"

"That's not how it works," Harmony raises a brow at him. "He should like you for yourself, not because you're exactly like him."

Bells start to sound before they could further the conversation.

"The emergency alarm!" Cass gasps a little.

All five run towards town, stopping behind the King, Queen, and Captain of the Guards. The three are standing in front of a statue that has been painted to look like a woman, with a plaque that reads 'Equis Rules!' Arianna looks up at her husband in worry as his mustache is slightly twitching.

"Equis?" Rapunzel asks in confusion. "As in the kingdom next door Equis?" Cass nods in confirmation with a light hum. "What's that got to do with Dad's statue?" She glances at Harmony. "Why is it all messed up?"

"Your dad's lifetime rival, King Trevor of Equis, likes to play pranks on him," The Captain whispers to her.

"They've been competitive over almost everything," Harmony shrugs towards her sister. "Everytime, Papa has no reaction to King Trevor's pranks. And _trust me, _the guy has done worse pranks than this."

"Just drawing a silly face on Dad's statue? I can't imagine any intelligent person finding this funny."

"Yeah, it's kind of lame," Varian comments as he crosses his arms, and the four hear laughter. They turn to Eugene, who wipes his eyes. He suddenly realizes what he's doing and replaces his laughing with coughing, smiling sheepishly.

"Real smooth," Harmony deadpans at him.

"Anyway, King Trevor always manages to thoroughly embarrass your father."

"I can hear you, Captain," Frederic suddenly speaks up. "And yes, I am embarrassed. Embarrassed for him! Really. The very idea of a grown man partaking in such...infantile boobery!"

"Papa, King Trevor is anything but grown. More like a spoiled child in a man's body," Harmony tells him, causing Varian to laugh a little.

"I still don't get it," Rapunzel states to Cass.

"I'll explain later," She reassures her.

"Trevor has been trying to lure me into partaking in his shenanigans since our youth. He even threatened to bring Harmony into this, but all he did was say in one of his notes that he'd bring her to a spa day. Well, I won't partake! Do you hear me, Trevor?! I will not partake!"

He shouts this so loud, birds fly away.

* * *

"I must partake!" He slams his fist on the arm of his throne. "I can't take this embarrassment any longer. Ooh, I need a prank! I must show the people that, despite that sign's proclamations, Equis does not rule!"

"I agree, but how?" Captain asks in confusion.

"Yes, how?" Frederic rubs a temple. He's never played a prank on Trevor before today. "...By striking against that which he holds most dear! The very symbol of his land!"

"You mean...the Seal of Equis?" The Captain questions slowly. "But...your majesty, the castle of Equis is impenetrable. In fact, only one man has ever successfully infiltrated its defenses! And he-"

Whistling interrupts him and he looks behind him to see Eugene walking by. He suddenly backs up as he had managed to hear.

"You guys talking about me?"

* * *

Rapunzel is reading about Equis in her room, sitting in her bookshelf. Harmony is at her sister's desk, looking over the castle maps with Varian looking over her shoulder. "Blondie," She looks up towards Eugene, "Great news! Your dad just asked me to steal the Royal Seal of Equis for him!"

"Stealing from Equis?" She closes the book. Glancing at Pascal, she sees him facepalm. "That doesn't sound like a great idea." She slides down the ladder, Harmony walking up to him and showing the map. "Did you know that they have over a thousand guards on duty at any given time?"

"Trevor is so protective of that Seal, he has taken any measures to make sure nothing happens to it. Literally guards at every point that a thief would take to get inside, if they can even try. No one's ever succeeded." Daisy points to the spots on the map.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Eugene closes the book. "I know, but this is me we're talking about, Brownie, and don't you guys see? This is the perfect way for me to prove to him I'm more than just some nitwit thief!"

"By stealing something?" Rapunzel crosses her arms at this statement. Eugene spins around the globe, Pascal hanging onto it.

"No. By stealing something well," He stops the globe, the chameleon falling onto a book.

"Hm," She gives a look of disapproval.

"I'm not sure if that logic sticks," Varian speaks up.

"Hey, come on, it's for the official royal prank! I'm pretty sure that makes it completely legal...ish."

"It doesn't, but what do I know?" Harmony replies with a light shrug.

"Oh, well, then let me come with you!" Rapunzel holds up a blue purse. "I'm pretty good at surprises."

"Sorry, Blondie, but I've assessed the situation, and this is a one-man job. Luckily, Flynn Rider does his best work alone."

Varian squeals a bit. "So cool!" He would ask to go so that he could impress the king too, but he has other ways to impress him. Besides...he's not much of a thief like his own hero is. Hopefully he can start by impressing the queen...

* * *

"Let's go, partner," Frederic walks away from the archway when Eugene had arrived. He's wearing a black outfit with hints of maroon.

"Wait, I'm sorry, you wanna come with me?" Flynn asks in surprise.

"Of course I'm coming with you," Frederic turns around, hands on his hips. "You think I'm in the habit of dressing like this? Though, this new dashing adventure suit I had made is quite slimming. I must witness Trevor's humiliation first hand!"

"Ooh, yeah," Eugene winces as he approaches the king. "See, um...the thing is, I was thinking you wanted, you know, me, to do it alone. Not that I wouldn't love to have you along. It's just...you probably have way more important-"

"This is a matter of national pride," Frederic interrupts, not taking no for an answer. "Of course it's important. And I specifically said 'we' would steal the Royal Seal of Equis, remember?"

"I do, I do re-yes, you did say 'we'! I thought you were using the royal 'we', you know, being the king?" He smiles nervously, not wanting to ire the king, aka his girlfriend's father, further...but he really doesn't like this outcome...

"Come on, let's do this! How'd you put it before? Teamwork! Up high," He holds up his hand and when Eugene goes to slap it, the king walks away.

"Yeah, you know, when you say 'up high,' you usually-" A sack is thrown into his arms. "Okie dokie, nevermind..."

* * *

They reach Equis within hours, using a telescope to search the area. And just as the princesses said, there are hundreds of guards around. "So, your majesty, I've drawn up this map based upon the brilliant way I got into Castle Equis before, to show you how this is gonna go down."

Frederic comes out of hiding from the bushes, looking over his shoulder. "All we need to do is borrow a couple of uniforms and waltz right through the front door! Eh?"

"We're not doing that," He denies after looking it over.

"We're not?" Eugene asks slowly.

"Eugene, as king I've received top military training. After studying this map, I could say with certainty that what is required here is stealthy ingress. And this is the perfect spot to do it," He points to the tallest tower in the castle.

"The northeast tower?" The former thief wonders skeptically. "The heavily guarded, impossibly fortified northeast tower?"

"No one will expect it..." He grins, moving backwards into the bushes.

* * *

"You don't really need to impress my mother," Harmony tries to assure Varian as they step into Rapunzel's room. The blonde princess looks over to them. "My parents actually like you."

"Yeah, but I need them to love me!" He insists to her.

"They will! You're my best friend," She places a hand on his shoulder. "Who wouldn't like you?"

He smiles at her, yet he still feels some doubt. Rapunzel suddenly sighs, hugging her knees. "What's so fun about pranks, anyway?"

"Mostly, the look on the other person's face when they realize what's happening," Cass steps up to her.

"Sooo, it's supposed to surprise people?" Rapunzel asks happily, as she loves surprises.

"Well, it's more like a joke. But, only the person responsible for it thinks it's funny."

"Like King Trevor," Harmony rolls her eyes. "That guy definitely has looks at his lame pranks."

"Well, they seem to be effective if your dad asked Flynn to seal their Royal Seal," Varian points out to her.

"Oh. So, like the jokes my dad tells," Rapunzel looks over to Cass.

"Noooo," She slowly rolls her eyes at the reminder of the king's jokes. They really weren't that funny... "There's more to it than that. You need to get somebody to expect one thing and then do something unexpected instead. It's basically entertainment for morons."

"But this is Rapunzel, Cass," Harmony smiles a little, her sister humming as she looks at the potrait of Pascal.

"Unexpected, eh...?"

The teens glance at each other, wondering just what she was gonna do.

Rapunzel places a sleeping mask over Pascal's eyes, placing a blanket over him. "By the time he wakes up, he'll be so rested, he won't even know what hit him! I can't wait to see the look on his face."

Cass rips off the mask, the four of them watching Pascal running around in a panic. "Unexpected, but not clever."

* * *

The guards walk right past two bushes, where Frederic and Eugene are hiding. "All is clear. Just follow my lead." He stands up, walking past the guard's backs. Eugene reluctantly follows, though he has serious doubts about this plan. They're practically walking in broad daylight like this, and the guards aren't dumb. He notices the outhouse up ahead.

"Your highness," He calls out, but Frederic doesn't hear it as the door opens to reveal a guard. The man notices the bush, putting on his hat and walking after him. Eugene steps in and captures the guard into the bush, knocking him out and stealing his uniform. He looks to the other guards, who don't see anything out of the ordinary. But they are headed in their direction.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! Oh, boy," He runs over to the king who's still moving, running over and pulling a horse. He brings the horse in front of the bush, feeding him a carrot. "Heh...heh...hello, guards."

Frederic bumps into the wall, bursting out of his disguise. "Yes! There. See? Easy," He turns around and sees Eugene's outfit. "Eugene, I thought I said the guard uniforms were unnecessary. Come on!" He scooches past the wall as if he's camouflaged.

"Oh, yeah, no, don't mind me," Eugene takes off his hat. "I'm just gonna scream into this for a little bit," He screams in frustration to the hat, leaving the horse, who stops chewing for a few seconds and then goes back to eating.

Later that night, the two climb up the tower, some rocks falling onto the former thief courtesy of the king. "Quiet Eugene!" He continues climbing, slamming Eugene into the brick of the tower. He then gets dragged upwards before they sneak in through the window. Frederic dusts himself off as Eugene peeks around the corner. Two guards are headed right in their direction. He cringes as they walk through a doorway.

"Okay, follow my lea-"

Frederic starts rolling on the floor unsubtly, to his dismay. "Really?"

"What was that?" The guards peek out the door.

"Better check it out."

Eugene digs into the pockets, tossing a gold coin over their heads. They turn around, thinking that it came in the opposite directions.

"This way!"

Eugene looks to see Frederic on the floor, who gives him a thumbs up. "They didn't spot me. Aha! Let's move out."

He groans into his palms. "You love Rapunzel, you love Rapunzel, you love Rapunzel..."

* * *

Harmony waves to Varian as he's leaving for Old Corona. "Bye Varian! Mom's gonna love all the flowers you brought back to life!"

"See you for the expo, Mona! Tell Rapunzel I said good luck on her pranks!" He waves back, smiling as he walks down the path. She smiles back, closing the door behind her.

"Are you sure there's nothing going on between you and Varian?"

"Ah!" The young princess yelps, whipping around to see a smug Rapunzel, Pascal wiggling his brows and Daisy chirping. She composes herself afterwards. "Nope. Now let's try to figure out a good prank." She walks past her sister, who pouts.

"All I'm saying is," Pete starts off as he and Stan step into the weapons' room. "If you bring a quiche to work, you should bring enough to share with your co-workers. That's just-"

"Yeah, but, you don't even like quiche!" Stan argues back to him, baffled that Pete is even offended since he doesn't care for the stuff.

"First of all, don't tell me what I don't like."

"No, because I know you don't like quiche," Stan tries telling him gently.

"Okay, because I-I like a lotta things, but you never point that out."

The mustached guard sighs slowly as Pete continues to rant. "You just tell me all the stuff I don't like."

"Yup..."

"Anyway, let's just get this done. Okay, you start cleaning the spears, I'll work on the swords." Before they can start doing any of the sort, the cabinet starts to shake, from the inside. They approach slowly, thinking that it's an intruder, but it's just Rapunzel.

"Ha! Gotcha!"

Stan lets out a startled scream at her sudden appearance, but Pete notices all of the clean weapons. "Ha!" Her hair is slightly messy. "Ha! I just polished all of these weapons before you could! You should see the look on your face!"

Stan is visibly shaking while Pete has his mouth wide open. "You've just been pranked! Or as soon as it's soon to be called, Rapunzelled."

Stan actually faints, Cass and Harmony entering the room. "That was clever...but not funny."

"If anything, you just did all their work for them and scared the wits out of Stan," Harmony points to the man before they close the door.

* * *

Frederic and Eugene have finally reached the doors they were looking for. The king sighs, relishing in having one over Trevor. "Ah...the royal seal room. How do you like that, Eugene? Told ya," He slaps Eugene on the back, his hat falling off. He has twigs and leaves in his hair. "Flawless plan."

Eugene silently removes the twig, using it to pick the lock. He opens it with ease and they step into the room. It's mostly paintings of King Trevor, but there's something covered at the end of the room. Eugene cringes nervously as Frederic sighs in happiness.

"Behind that curtain...lies the royal seal of Equis," He pulls it away, chortling. "Oh, sweet revenge!"

Eugene opens his mouth in shock...to see an actual seal resting on pillows. It barks at them, but not loud enough to alarm the guards.

"It's a seal..." He says slowly.

"Indeed," Frederic smiles, hands on his hips. "The _royal _seal...of Equis!"

The seal barks again.

"It's a seal...seal." He thought it was a pin, not an actual animal! "Not a royal seal!"

"It is a seal seal owned by a king!" Frederic defends, "Thus a royal seal." He steps up to the sea animal, who just barks. The king hums, to Eugene's disbelief.

"You have got to be kidding—you know what? You know what? At this point, never mind! Just grab your end and let's get out of here." He was asked to steal a royal seal, and a royal seal he shall take. Honestly, the whole heist has been the king not listening to Eugene's suggestions, and the opposite of him looking at the former thief as someone he can respect. He starts to push, but the seal doesn't budge and he falls on some pillows.

"Oh..."

He looks up at the king. "What? What are you doing?"

"Leaving a calling card so that Trevor knows it was I who did this," Frederic answers, holding a marker. "What should I paint, hm? Eye patch? Stink lines? Perhaps a tear, representing his imminent humiliation at being bested by me."

"No! None of those things should you paint!" Eugene exclaims out of frustration. "Let us go now!"

At Eugene's yelling, the seal barks sadly and loudly, getting the attention of the guards. The two look towards the door, knowing that they'll arrive soon. Eugene glances for a place to hide, looking up at the ceiling and sighing slowly.

"I'm gonna need your grappling hook..." He holds out his hands.

When the guards burst into the room, they find no one inside. The three are actually hiding in the chandelier, nervously looking down. The seal is surprisingly silent. Frederic turns to Eugene. "You're the expert. What are we going to do now?"

"Oh, oh, so when you say 'we' do you still mean the royal 'we', which is actually you telling me how to fix this?" He retorts back, the seal looking up at the bolts, which are starting to slip due to their weight.

"Well, no. I'm saying 'we' as in us."

One of the bolts fall right in front of a guard's feet, causing them to look up. "Is that the royal us, because it still sounds like it's just me?!"

"I asked you to come so that 'we' could get the seal."

"Okay, okay, now I'm confused. You said I and we in the same sentence, which I'm finding means the same thing. Not to mention the fact that I couldn't get the proper definition of a seal from you!"

The chandelier chooses then to break, falling right in the middle of the guards. "Uh oh," Frederic murmurs under his breath.

"Uh, hey, guys. Hey, you guys," Eugene stammers, trying to get out of this unscathed despite how bad it looks. "Would you believe that we're the chandelier repairmen? Repairing in the middle of the night? Cause this thing is broken."

The seal barks at them.

They're locked in a cell and Eugene groans at their situation. "Well...this prank has gone horribly awry," Frederic rubs the back of his neck.

"Listen, I'm sorry I lost my cool. It's just...this whole prank was my big chance to get you to take me seriously," Eugene slides to the floor.

"Take you seriously?"

"Yeah," Eugene stares at a rock in his hand. "And I was getting frustrated when I wasn't able to do that..." He throws the rock into a grate. "I know, it was dumb."

Frederic walks up and places a hand on the disappointed man's shoulder, sitting down. "You know, there are many things I fail to take seriously. Eugene...son, you brought my daughter to me after 18 long years. And because of that, my youngest daughter is smiling again...even calling me Papa like she used to," He chuckles lightly. "If there's one man in the whole world I take very seriously...it's you."

He looks up in surprise. "...Wow. Thanks...your majesty. Can I ask then...why-why didn't you listen to my ideas?"

"You know, I suppose sometimes I let good ones slip through the cracks," He admits sheepishly. "I should've given your plan more consideration."

They smile at each other. "What you should have done was stayed in your own kingdom, Frederic!" The two turn around at the new voice, noticing the seal and the king of Equis himself...

"Trevor," Frederic glares at the sight of him.

"Your efforts to abscond with my sweet Trevor Jr were comical at best."

"Oh, yeah?" Eugene challenges as they stand up to face him. "Well, I don't think your seal's too happy there."

He seems to be right as the seal looks up with sad eyes. "Of course he's not!" Trevor hugs the seal protectively. "The poor little darling is traumatized by what you did to him!"

"Alright, Trevor. You've had your laughs. Now, release us," Frederic demands, narrowing his eyes.

"Oh, I'll let you go...but not until I parade you through town in nothing but a jester's hat, proving once again Equis is superior to Corona! For now, I leave you here to wallow in the stench of your own defeat," He chuckles, leaving with his beloved pet. Frederic sighs slowly once he's gone.

"Trevor's right..."

"Come on, you don't smell that bad," Eugene lightly punches his arm. "Plus, it's mostly seal."

"I meant...I deserve to wear nothing but a jester's hat," He frowns, sitting on the floor.

"Uh, your majesty?" Eugene stands in front of him. "What the heck does King Trevor know, anyway?"

"Once again, he showed himself to be the more accomplished prankster..."

"Accomplished?" The former thief helps him stand up. "His prank wasn't even funny! I mean I laughed, a little, but still, all around not that funny."

"Yes, that's true, his pranks are always more grating than they are humorous," Frederic rubs his chin as he thinks about all of Trevor's past pranks

"Totally grating...hey, hey!" He grins as he approaches the grate in the floor of their cell. "That's it!"

"What's it? What are you doing?"

"I'm getting us out of here," Eugene smirks, taking off the lid. "The question is...are you willing to try it my way?"

He raises a brow in confusion, wondering where he's going with this.

* * *

Back in Corona, Max is taking a drink when he sees an apple tied to a string. He starts to follow it to the barn, attempting to take a bite, but it's pulled away from his mouth. The door closes behind him, someone inside with the horse. He looks around in slight fear, backing away until she lands in front of him. She pulls the curtain to reveal stacks of apples, Rapunzel standing near a statue of Max made entirely out of apples.

"Ha! Gotcha! You should see the look on your face!"

Max is more touched if anything, clapping his hooves happily. Cass opens the door to see him acting like a puppy dog, running around happily. Harmony giggles a little at the sight.

"Did you see the look on his face? Oh, he expected one apple, but then he got a whole bunch!" Max appears in the statue, knocking down the apples. "Best. Prank. Ever."

"Funny...but not mischievous," Cass states as they watch the horse.

"Yeah, giving Max a bunch of apples isn't exactly pranking him. You just made his day," Harmony laughs at Rapunzel.

* * *

"Will you just listen, your majesty?" Eugene calls out, waking up the sleeping guards. "There's no way you'll escape that way!"

"Hey!" They burst into the dungeon. "What's going on in there?"

"Dellas, would you look at that?!" Eugene holds his cheeks as the grate is open. "The king, he escaped without me. I don't know if I'm more impressed or insulted. You know what I'm sayin'?"

"Open the door!"

They step inside, looking down the empty space. "Oh no, King Trevor's gonna have our necks for this."

What they don't know is that Frederic is right above their heads. "Lose something?"

They look up to see him swing around, knocking the two into the hole.

The two steal their uniforms and use them as disguises to walk around freely. Frederic looks nervous as two other guards pass them, but Eugene pushes him forward. They end up in the same hall that King Trevor is walking through. Eugene pulls the king behind the wall as Trevor had his eyes closed, and thankfully didn't notice them.

"Quickly, if we go back the way we came, he might not see us!" Frederic whispers urgently.

"Wait..." Eugene takes off his hat, eyeing two sets of double doors that look exactly the same. He smiles, forming an idea. "Follow my lead," He takes the halberd from the king, who takes a deep breath and follows him. He starts jiggling at the door until Trevor spots them.

"Well, well...it appears someone hasn't learned their lesson yet," He scolds them. Eugene winks at the king.

"Okay, okay, look, you got us. This one is completely our fault," Eugene holds up his hands in surrender.

"Oh, yes!" Frederic does the same. "We wanted to pull some sort of prank so that...all this wouldn't be in vain..."

"Oh really? And-and what were you gonna do in there, pray tell?"

"Well, I thought it'd be funny to slip into the library and rearrange the periodicals. Historians hate that," Eugene grins smugly.

"That is the worst idea for a prank I have ever heard!" Trevor starts laughing, "And in true Corona fashion, you would've failed, again! That's the real door to the library," He points to the doors on their right.

"Uh, no, nope, no it's not. I'm pretty sure this is the library," Eugene points to the doors behind them.

"You imbecile! This is _my _castle. I know where my library is!" Trevor insists to him.

"Ah, agree to disagree," Eugene replies and the king pushes past them.

"I'll prove it," He opens the doors. "You see-" The space in front of him pops open to reveal a trap door and he falls through it. Eugene laughs as he looks at the darkness.

"Forgot about your own top-notch security for a second, didn't ya?"

"Well played, Eugene," Frederic chuckles at him, "Very well played! Up high?" He holds out his hand and Eugene chuckles when he realizes that it's not gonna go away. He high-fives the king.

"Let me out, Frederic! There's spiders down here!" Trevor whimpers from the dark. "Spiders! Ah, one just touched me!"

Junior claps and barks at his owner being scared for once. "Trevor Jr, are you clapping?! Those had better be claps of sorrow!"

"Would you look at that? I finally humiliated Trevor!"

"Oh, your majesty!" Eugene laughs, looking towards the trap door. "We have not yet begun to humiliate that guy..."

* * *

They return back to Corona with smug smiles on their faces. Frederic claps the former thief's back, who smiles up at him. Though when they reach the castle...the archway is decorated with paint: birds, deer, leaves, and other animals all over it.

"Oh my..."

Rapunzel suddenly arrives in front of them. "Gotcha, Dad!" She laughs at the two. "Oh man, you should see the look on your face right now!"

"Papa!" Harmony runs up to her father, hugging him.

"Well I suppose it's fine...as long as you girls repaint the archway. By nightfall."

"Obviously, Dad," Rapunzel smiles up at him.

"Yes Papa."

"Of course, your majesty," Cass bows her head to the king as he walks off. "Well Raps, you finally figured out this whole prank thing."

"Yes!" Rapunzel cheers at her praise.

"It was unexpected, clever, funny, and mischievous...but you overlooked one of the most important parts of any good prank." The crown princess stares at her in confusion. "You didn't think it through," Cass throws her a brush. "We all still have to repaint the archway by nightfall, remember?"

"Sorry," Rapunzel places the brush in her hands. "I've got princess duties to attend to."

"And I have my lessons," Harmony keeps a stoic face.

"Looks like you're gonna have to do it all by yourself. Still believe I didn't think it through?"

Cass frowns once she's gotten over her shock, rolling up her sleeves and starting to paint. The two princess suddenly appear next to her.

"Kidding!" They exclaim, startling the lady-in-waiting so much she almost drops her paintbrush. "You just got pranked! Ha ha!"

"I totally got you! You should see the look on your face!" Rapunzel holds out her hand.

"I just got Rapunzelled..." She hands her friend the brush. "Well played, girls. Very well played..."

Eugene walks over with Varian, who had just arrived, and together, they all start repainting.

"Well, your majesty...did you do it?" The Captain asks in excitement as he walks with the king. "Did you...get the seal?"

"Unfortunately...no, Captain. However...Eugene came up with something far better..." He smiles as he walks away.

Trevor is tied to his statue, wearing nothing but a jester's hat and a sign over his neck that reads 'Corona Rules!'

"Curse you, Frederic!" He shouts at the top of his lungs. "Frederic, curse you!"

Junior claps while jumping around in the water.


	10. Great Expotations

**Angel: One of my favorite episodes! And hopefully yours too after this! And...**

**I have over 200 people favoriting me! Thank you everyone! This is amazing :D **

It's finally time for the Exposition of Sciences as Cass is tying up the sign, standing on a ladder with her owl nearby. "Don't see why the lady-in-waiting has to help set up for this thing," She grumbles underneath her breath.

The two guards pass by and she stares at them. She wants to be a part of it, but the whole lady-in-waiting stuff is keeping her from doing that...not that she hates being friends with the princesses. "Dumb science expo's for dorks, anyway, and I'm glad Harmi isn't around to hear me say that." Because of the princess' love for inventing, she had insisted on being in charge for the expo today, which her parents graciously allowed.

"Who's ready for the expo?" She turns to see Varian with something covered by a white sheet standing nearby. He waves to her and she groans, rolling her eyes. "Hey, Cassie! Hey, you wanna see my new invention? Rumor has it, it is a shoo-in for the first prize in the contest," He leans in to whisper. "I started the rumor," He winks at her.

"Oh. Hey, Varian. First off, it's Cass. Not Cassie. Secondly, I'm slammed, so-"

"Oh, yeah, I-I hear you. Hey, so did I tell you that my invention can create an entirely new element? I call it-"

Stan stands in front of the boy. "Cassandra. I thought you should know, the Captain is short on guards for the expo. This could be your big chance!"

She smiles, sliding down the ladder. "Come on, let's go!" She runs off with him, leaving Varian baffled. The rope slips and Owl tries to hold it up as best as he can. He hears the bird's troubles and runs up, tying the rope securely. He smiles up at Owl.

"Cassandra, looking good!" He turns around to see Rapunzel arriving, wearing goggles over her head that seem to zoom in on anything. "You should see some of the inventions on display!" Then she sees that it's not Cass, but the alchemist himself. "Oh. Hi Varian!"

He smiles bashfully, climbing down the ladder. "How's it been with your inventions since-"

"Since the first invention we saw from you almost killed us. So glad you're here. With what looks like another invention," Eugene interrupts her.

"Please, I wouldn't miss a chance to promote the merits of alchemy! And wait until you see my invention. I think, uh, everyone at the expo will be impressed. Mona's gonna be here, right?" He darts his eyes around, chuckling. "Not that I'm doing this for Mona! But, yes, she's gonna be there, right?"

Rapunzel looks up at Eugene. "I think I saw her around here somewhere. She _is _in charge of the expo, so she shouldn't be that hard to find," Eugene gestures to the crowd.

"Right, right! Completely forgot..." Varian rubs the back of his neck, blushing in embarrassment. Rapunzel glances away and sees someone, smiling.

"I think you should ask her yourself, Varian. We'll leave you alone," She pulls Eugene away, to the boy's confusion.

And the reason Rapunzel said that is because Harmony is running into the courtyard, holding rolls of paper bundled up in her hands. She waves to people greeting her as they're all examining a taste of what scientific marvels would be presented later on. Suddenly, she bumps into someone, dropping the bundles of papers.

"Mona!" Varian bends down to her. "Are you okay?"

"That's an understatement given today," She murmurs as she sits up. Varian ties up all the papers into one pile, all of it held with a big bow.

"Hey, I know you're busy today managing the expo," He takes her hand and helps her up. She dusts off her skirt, "But...can you be in the crowd to see my invention?"

"Oh," She turns to him with a big smile. "Of course I will! I'll be done by then anyway. Wouldn't wanna miss out on yours handling all this. Thank goodness I wasn't asked to be a judge..."

Varian gives a goofy smile and hands her the paper bouquet. "Here you go."

"Thanks Vari! I'll see you later!" She waves to him, running off past him. He couldn't help but smile a little at her. Good news: he now knows that Harmony is going to be in the crowd instead of doing anything during the expo. Bad news...

He now had to resort to someone else for help on his invention...and that someone was probably not going to be willing to help him...

* * *

Cass and Stan sneak into the room, where her father is talking to Pete. "No, no, no! We'll need men here! We'll put guards here, and..." He looks into the box, seeing that he's out of guard figurines. "Does this mean we're out of real guards too?"

Pete simply shrugs and he slams the box onto the table. "Blast it! This Exposition of Science is just spreading our ranks too thin."

Max fixes a figurine that had been knocked over. "We need more guards!"

Pete sees someone and clears his throat, looking across the table. He sees his daughter standing there silently. Max gives the Captain a smug brow. "I'll need the room." The three leave them alone. "So, you want your first guard assignment..." He takes off his helmet. "We talked about this, Cassandra. I just don't know that you're ready."

"Dad I've been training with the guards since I was 6. I know castle procedures and protocol better than anyone, so if there's any other reason why you feel I'm not ready _besides_ me being your daughter, I'm all ears. If the king can let his youngest daughter finally spend time outside the castle, shouldn't you let me have something?"

He glances away with a small frown. It's true...Frederic has gotten a little more lenient on letting Harmony leave the castle, but Cassandra isn't a princess...and he did need more guards for this expo... "Very well. But-"

She scoffs, crossing her arms. "There's always a but."

"Your lady-in-waiting duties come first. Only after you finish those, including setting up for the expo, may you help," He hands her a scroll. "Are we clear?"

"Crystal," She smirks at him and once he leaves, she's met with a long list of things to do...she groans at this. At this rate, she'll never get that first guard assignment...she should've known that this would be too easy...

* * *

"Come on, come on, come on!" Rapunzel pulls Eugene over to the exhibits. Harmony is with them holding a clipboard. The two decided to help her check in on all the entries to make sure everything was okay...and also because Rapunzel wanted to see them.

Eugene merely eats popcorn in boredom as they watch a woman wheeling a bike. She pours pancake batter onto the spatula, which puts the pancake on the grill. "Whoa! That makes flipping flapjacks look like a piece of cake! Heh heh! Or should I say pancake?" She nudges her boyfriend.

"I wouldn't."

"You just had to do that joke," Harmony snickers at her, marking a checkmark.

"Ladies and gentlemen, forget everything you know about spring-loaded stilts!" An old man is walking around on stilts.

"Done!" Rapunzel pulls the two away.

"Great?"

Then they see a goat being milked by another elderly man with his machine that milks goats without having to do it manually. "Huh, impressive," Harmony murmurs and then she takes it back once she sees Shorty bathing in it.

"Mm, fresh from this goat's body and into my tummy."

The crowd gags, including the two princesses and the former thief. Harmony covers her mouth, walking away as Eugene follows after the two girls. They're greeted with pink smoke as a woman steps up. "Attention, science lovers! I am the one and only Fernanda Pizazzo! Thank you, thank you. You may ask yourselves what revolutionabilly, stupendimonous invention lives behind this veil?"

Harmony rolls her eyes at the woman. "Those aren't even words..."

When she had approved for this...Pizazzo to be entered, she didn't think that she'd be so...off-putting.

"You're about to find out when revered master scientist, and handsome morsel, Dr. Alcott St. Croix, arrives to name my entry into this contest first prize!"

The young princess doubts it, because she knows that Varian will win. Dr. Alcott St. Croix is one of her favorite scientists, and she was ecstatic when she got a letter back from him stating that he'd come to judge the expo. And Varian was too, he really respects the scientist.

"This is all so inspiring! I'm gonna go invent something right now!" Rapunzel runs off, squealing. Harmony stares after her, shaking her head in amusement. She should've known her sister would've wanted to participate...

"Should've seen that comin'!" Eugene seems to agree.

* * *

Cass is cleaning tables, adjusting the flowers. "There you are, Cass not Cassie!" She turns around and sees Varian leaning against a table. "We, uh, we didn't finish our conversation from earlier."

"I did," She remarks, going back to the table.

He just laughs at her. "Oh, you! Seriously, I'm getting ready for the expo, and I think a certain someone will be pretty impressed with my invention. Yet the only thing is when I present it to Master Dr. St. Croix, it's gonna take two people to operate it. Hey! Wanna be my assistant for my presentation?"

"Assistant? What? Why can't you just ask Harmi to help?" Cass asks in disinterest. She was the budding inventor after all, she thought the princess would be all over this.

"She's too busy with all the preparations for the expo, and I don't want to overwhelm her more than she already is, sooo..." Varian rubs the back of her neck, "I thought I'd ask you since you're good friends with her."

"Well, n-no. Look-" She gasps sharply as she had poured too much juice into the cup, staining some onto the once clean table. "No! I can't catch a break today!"

She runs off to get cleaning supplies. Varian walks over to the table, taking out a small salt shaker. He sprinkles it onto the stain and then carefully takes out the flowers. He holds them over the stain and from one drop of water, the stain is instantly gone. Cass comes back with a new rag, scrubbing where the stain was and not realizing what happened.

"Varian, thanks for stopping by, but I-whaaa? The stain, it's gone! But how?" She's absolutely shocked.

Varian smiles, his arms crossed confidently. "Oh simple. Grapes are acidic, by combining the alkalinity from the flowers barley grass with rock salt, I was able to stop the stain's cohesion. Alchemy!"

"So, you got a knack for this kinda thing," She rubs her chin. "Any chance you'd want to-"

"Help you?!" He exclaims before she could finish. "Yes," He then realizes he startled her, embarrassed. "I-I mean, yes, I'd-I'd love to. Hey! If-If I help you, you can help me and be my assistant! It'll only take a minute!"

He smiles hopefully at her, as she's the only one that wouldn't tell the princess he's doing it to impress her. Rapunzel is obvious; they're both sisters and no doubt she wouldn't be able to keep herself from telling her, and Eugene...can't really keep a secret.

"Um..." She thinks about it for a second. "Deal."

"Great! W-We could be 'co-ladies-in-waiting'." He waves his hands slowly in front of him, catching a pile of clothes with ease from Cass.

"Let's not put a label on it," She sweeps her hands, walking away.

Varian takes one step forward and bumps right into Harmony, who was holding a scroll and quill in her hands. The pile of dirty sheets and clothes falls around them and he looks up to see her holding her head. "I'm sorry! I didn't see you standing there!"

"I've honestly gotten used to it," She admits with a small giggle, gathering up all the clothes. He starts to help her by plucking sheets. "I'm just making sure everything is ready...I've never done something like this before."

"Why didn't you enter the expo?" He asks curiously. Given her sketches, she's one of the smartest people he knows. She could easily win the blue ribbon in a cinch.

"Well, I was too busy with getting everything ready that I didn't have time to create anything," She replies, handing Varian a neat stack of shirts. He takes it and she sees his concerned look at her answer. The girl scoffs, waving it off. "It's okay. There's always next year."

"Are you sure?" He asks as they both get onto their feet.

"Sure I'm sure, because I'm looking at the winner right here!" Harmony winks at him and he blushes at her encouragement.

"Thanks, Mona..."

"I have to go finalize the contestants; my sister decided to enter at last minute. Bye!" She runs past him and he gives a lovestruck sigh.

"Hey, lover boy, these chores aren't going to get done by themselves!"

* * *

Cass has trouble with getting food stains off utensils, only to look up and see Varian using a machine with brushes that move at a rapid pace. He holds them up between his fingers and they shine the lady-in-waiting smiling.

Then she has to mop the hallways in the castle, as they're filled with dirt. She had no idea how this all got in here...

Varian taps her shoulder and she turns to him. He holds out tiny blue balls, throwing them onto the floor. They stop at the center, emitting a cloud of blue sparkly smoke. Then he holds up a yellow ball, throwing it into the smoke. There's a green explosion, causing Cass to squeeze her eyes shut. When they open, the hallway is totally clean. Varian's sleeve suddenly catches fire, both of them noticing in alarm. "Ah!" Varian pats at the fire before it goes away.

Then when they're back outside, some of the flowers have wilted. Varian holds up the bouquet, placing another blue ball into it. They perk up instantly and Cass takes the flowers. She turns around and smiles, placing them back in the vase. She crosses her arms and smiles at Varian, getting a thumbs up in return.

* * *

"Okay, so for my first invention, I wanted to start off with something small and simple," Rapunzel starts off to her boyfriend and her sister.

"Uh, can he take his tiny little claws off my eyes now?" Eugene asks, Pascal covering his eyes, Daisy doing the same thing with Harmony. At least the feathers are soft...

"Oh, yeah! Pascal, Daisy."

They remove their limbs and the two see...a spool of thread in her hand. "I give you the Hey-Hey! When I was in the tower, I devised a way to play catch by myself using a ball and string. Now, I believe I've perfected that design. How does it work? Glad you asked. It's powered by potential and kinetic energy. Science! Hey-Hey! Hey-Hey!" She looks to them, waiting for a positive reaction.

The two glance at each other before Harmony whispers to him, "You say it, she knows you better."

"You're her sister!"

"But I wasn't the one who rescued her from a tower~," She sings lightly and he grunts.

"Huh...good point. Rapunzel, that's really amazing, but it's already been invented."

"Yeah, I can't allow an invention that's already been established. That'd be automatic disqualification by Dr. St. Croix. Sorry," Harmony cringes at her.

"Hmm. Okay..." She places it down, shrugging. "I guess I'll chalk that up to being locked in a tower for 18 years...good thing I have lots more amazing ideas where that came from!"

The two smile, Eugene crossing his arms. They're sure that one of them is bound to be something that's not invented already...

Eventually.

* * *

Varian is now cleaning the picture frames of all the royals in the hall. He smiles at the photo of Harmony between two portraits of her parents...too bad she's not smiling in it. Having no sister around at the time and being stuck in the castle had to be rough...

"Huh, look at that," He turns to see Cass approaching. "You make a pretty good co-lady-in-waiting after all."

"Oh really?" He chuckles a little. "Are you sure you wanna put a label on it?"

Cass climbs the ladder a bit, offering the water bucket. "Okay, so I could've been a little nicer earlier, especially since I know how much you want Harmi in the crowd today. It's just...today's kind of a big deal for me.."

She climbs down, Varian following shortly after. "Oh! You're talking about getting that guard assignment from your dad, aren't you?" He can tell how much she wants to.

"No matter how much I want it or how hard I work, his standards for me are higher than they are for anyone else..."

"Yeah. My dad's kinda hard to impress too...Dads, am I right?" He chuckles a bit, "I mean, look at Mona, her dad is the king!"

She smiles at him. "You really like her, don't you?"

He clears his throat, rubbing his arm. "Y-Yeah...who wouldn't? She's kind and sweet and smart..." He smiles lightly. "I just hope that I can impress her and get her to see me...you know, in t-that way."

The clock chimes, meaning it's noon. Cass groans, walking away a bit while holding her head. "Who am I kidding? None of it matters anyway. It's already noon and I still have to make up all the guest rooms," She leans against the wall, crossing her arms. She notices the guards walking by, frowning.

"Hey, I have an idea. I'll finish your chores for you so then you can do your guard duty and then maybe you can take a few minutes to be my assistant?"

"You sure you can get all of this done?" She eyes him, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, no problem. It's the kind of thing friends do, right?"

Her expression softens, "Right. Friends." She gives a small smile in response.

* * *

Rapunzel has the two stand in front of a covered table, removing the cloth to revealing three plates of vegetables. "Carrots, celery, cucumber. What do these have in common?"

"Uh, I don't eat them. No wait, don't tell me-" He's interrupted by a tomato in the face. He glares at Pascal, who gives a smugly raised brow. Harmony giggles at the two of them.

"Raps, where are you going with this?"

Eugene laughs at her, thinking that she'll get hit too, but she doesn't, causing him to frown deeply. "We chop them! But knives can be really dangerous. That's why I invented the Safety Slicer!" When she reveals it, Harmony's eyes widen.

The 'Safety Slicer' looks more like a tiny guillotine painted purple...

"Just load it up, and..." She pulls the string, which cuts off the carrot. "Slice! Voila!" Pascal holds up the end of the carrot like a decapitated head. Daisy chirps in alarm, hiding in Harmony's hair.

"Oh wow, umm..." Harmony looks away anxiously as Eugene holds his neck.

"That seems a little extreme, right? I mean, for produce? Besides, I think they have something like that already."

"Yep," Harmony nods in confirmation. "Just...not for cutting fruits and vegetables. You don't wanna know."

"Really? This too? How am I supposed to know everything that's ever been invented?" She frowns, sitting on the seat that's in front of her bed.

"I don't know, maybe something a little more practical?"

"Yeah," The princess nods in agreement with Eugene. "Something that can help society, but also in a way that's never been done before."

"Practical, helping society, and in a new way...okay, sure."

"Good luck," Her sister smiles at her, walking out the door and to her room. The princess hears a creak, looking up to see a moving cart moving past the doors...? "What?" She murmurs in confusion, following after the cart.

"Automatic laundry cart...?" Rapunzel is also confused when she sees it.

"Now that I have not seen," Eugene comments as she leaves.

Harmony quickens the pace until she's walking side by side with it.

"Vari?"

He yelps, turning to her and blushing in embarrassment. "M-Mona! What are...what are you doing here?"

"I live here," She giggles a bit before staring at the cart.

"Uh, Varian?" They turn to see Rapunzel.

"Hey princess!" Varian greets her.

"What are you doing?" She couldn't help but ask.

"Yeah, why are you pushing a laundry cart? Isn't that for the servants?" Harmony wonders curiously.

"I'm helping Cass with her work so she can pull guard duty."

"Doing her chores?" Harmony furrows her eyebrows, feeling a small dark feeling in her heart. "Why...why isn't she doing it herself? Aren't you supposed to be getting ready for the expo?" More importantly, why was _her _Varian doing chores for Cass, her lady-in-waiting? Wait...why is she feeling possessive all of a sudden? S-She couldn't be jealous of her friend because of Varian...right?

"Shouldn't you be setting up your exhibit?" Rapunzel questions, slightly concerned.

"I am! I'm lucky Mona put me second to last. And I'm just helping her. In exchange, she'll be my assistant. Plus, I just have that one room left right there...oh, and that room...oh, that-that one too...Also-Also that one."

"Assistant...? Oh, I get it," Harmony tries not to look disappointed as they follow after him, picking up stray clothes along the way. "It's because you like her...isn't it?"

Varian lets out a surprised cough at the absurd question, Rapunzel blinking at the alchemist as she hopes that's really not true. He might have liked Cass a little when she saved them in Old Corona, but he was since over that! Especially since Harmony was his actual age and more pretty...

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," He stammers, regretting it immediately. He had no idea how to tell her in a subtle way that he likes her and not Cass without having her wait until later...

"Um, Vari, Cass is 22, and you're 14. Don't you see where I'm getting at with this?" Harmony tugs at her hair, biting her lip.

"It's nothing personal!" He finally comes up with something, "It's just a deal between friends."

Harmony throws an abandoned shirt into the cart. "If you say so. I'll see you at the expo."

He sighs in relief as he watches her leave. That was a close one...he groans to himself. How could he let her believe that he likes Cass?! He saw the look upon her face, now she'll never stop thinking about it and he won't be able to confess his feelings!

"I'm such an idiot!"

"Varian...you don't really like Cass, do you?" He then realizes that her older sister is still there.

"Of course not! But I got everything under control!" The boy approaches two doors at the end of the hall. "Onto the next-"

"Varian, that is not a room, that's a-"

Varian stumbles down the stairs, Rapunzel cringing at each sound of pain. "Staircase..." She finishes, running over to check on him.

* * *

Cass is standing next to her father with a smile as they're at the front doors of the castle. She looks up at him, glad that she's finally doing this. Harmony is also nearby to Cass' right. A carriage arrives and the Captain opens the door for Alcott St. Croix.

"Master Dr. St. Croix, welcome," The Captain bows his head. "It is a pleasure to have you with us."

"I imagine it would be...I assume you are to be my personal security detail?"

"Um," He glances away towards Harmony, who bites her lip. She didn't expect him to be confident with that sentence. "Unfortunately no, but I have chosen my very best man for the job," He looks towards Stan.

"Master Dr. St. Croix," Harmony smiles as she curtsies to him. "All of Corona is glad that you could come."

"And you are?" He stares at her, wondering who she is.

"Umm...Princess Harmony, sir. I'm the one who sent you the letter to come here today for the expo?"

"Oh yes yes! Your majesty," The man bows to her. He walks off with Stan, the princess blinking after him. He's definitely...eccentric...

* * *

Varian shoves a large load of laundry down the laundry shoot, sighing wearily.

"Wiped out?"

He looks up to see Cass standing there in her guard uniform.

"Who, me? No, just fainted. I-I mean fin-I finished. Finished," He stammers at how he must've looked.

"Finished? Wow. Varian, I'm impressed."

"Oh, it was no big deal," He waves it off. "Now, um, if you'll excuse me, I have a contest to win, Assistant."

"Remember, you said it would only take a minute, I'm on duty!" She yells after him, and this is followed by a loud crash nearby. She runs off in the other direction as the princesses are standing over Stan, who's on the floor.

"I went to get Master St. Croix a drink and slipped on the floor! What kind of monster would leave a wet floor where people could slip on it?"

Rapunzel looks towards Cass, who just shrugs. "Uh, Stan, what happened?" The Captain asks and he tries to get up, unable to.

"Oh! My back!"

"We need someone to replace him as Master St. Croix's security detail. Pete, on the double!"

"On my way!" He rushes right over, only to slip and fall just like Pete did. "Ow, my back! Why is the floor so slippery?"

"Hey, Pete, are you oka-Whoa! My back!"

"Okay, we really should put a sign for that," Harmony whispers to her sister and her friend.

The Captain sighs slowly. With less and less men, he had no choice... "Cassandra, are you up for this?"

"Uh, Cassandra, don't you have somewhere to be during the judging?" Rapunzel wonders and she looks towards Varian, who just happens to be passing by. Varian would understand...

"I'll do it."

"What? Cass, how can you do that to Varian?" Harmony gestures to where the boy passed them. "This is practically his dream to even be involved! You're basically abandoning him..."

"Look, I know I might have jumped the gun, but I've been wanting to prove myself to my dad for years, Harmony. Varian will understand. Hey, since you're done now, you can be his assistant."

"I would if I didn't promise him that I'd be in the audience only. At least I'm actually keeping it." She walks off, leaving Cass with a small frown. She was right; of course she was, she's had years of giving advice to others as a princess.

* * *

"One of you will walk away with the greatest prize in all of sciences; my approval. As for the rest of you, may the universe show mercy on your wretched souls." Varian, who's in the crowd, gives a blank look for the theatrics. "Good luck."

He walks to his podium, Varian moving to behind the curtain. He stands in front of Cass. "You ready? Because a certain alchemist could use his assistant."

"Listen Varian...I'm really sorry, but things have changed. I can't help you anymore. I'm St. Croix's personal-"

"Hello? Security detail?" St. Croix calls out. "I have moved my person in this direction." He grunts for her to follow. Varian turns to her in realization.

"A personal security detail. Must be a big deal..." He rubs his arm. She frowns at him, but he smiles at her weakly. "Don't worry about me. I am sure I can find another assistant...in the next...five minutes," He leaves behind the curtain, with Cass feeling guilty. How could she not? She promised she'd help him impress the love of his life and then had to bail on him...

She sighs, walking up to St. Croix dejectedly. "Let the judgment begin." The princess arrives in the crowd.

The same man with the goat shows off his invention. "Can it milk a cow?"

"No sir."

"Next!" St. Croix furiously crosses out his name, the young princess raising a brow at him.

Big Nose is next as Rapunzel, Max, Pascal, and Eugene are staring up at the crown princess' final invention. "Okay, Pascal, we've had some missteps, sure, but I think this one is the winner!"

"You got it in the bag, Blondie!" Eugene compliments her, the two animals giving her encouragement.

"Show time!"

Big Nose flicks his switchblade around, showing different utensils. "Next!" He walks away sadly, Rapunzel waving to everyone and her sister as they cheer.

"Dangerously wet hallways. Cold wet clothes. Wet hair that takes forever, and I mean forever to dry? All of those things are yesterday's problems. Say hello to the Mega Dry!" She steps back as she gestures to a big fan once the curtains open, powered by Max. "Assistant?"

Eugene pours a bucket of water over him. "I'm all about the wet look."

Harmony rolls her eyes in amusement.

"The Mega Dry uses cutting-edge equine technology to release a powerful, focused stream of air. The result? What used to take hours to dry, now takes seconds." Eugene's hair is now completely dry, to the amazement of the crowd.

"Well hello." Then his hair gets all poofy, the audience laughing. Eugene looks up and yelps in horror, covering his hair with the bucket and running off. Harmony covers her mouth in shock, staring after him.

"Oops. I think I still had it calibrated for my hair."

Cass starts laughing, clearing her throat once she sees the look from St. Croix. "Next."

Next up is Varian, who peeks past the curtain. He sees St. Croix's stare before noticing the girl. Harmony waves to the alchemist up from up front with an encouraging smile. Slightly relieved at the sight of her, he takes a deep breath, stepping in front of the crowd.

"Behold! The power of alchemy!"

The curtain moves around and he smiles nervously. "Hey, where's the opening?" Shorty wobbles to the stage, the people laughing.

"Oh no...Vari, you didn't," Harmony murmurs, pinching her nose. Out of all the people in the village, he had to get Shorty?

"The power of ag...oh, that guy!" Varian facepalms at this. "Go, do the thing."

He clears his throat at the man, who remembers something. "Oh yeah!" The alchemist smiles lightly at the princess, who is slightly cringing while also trying to look happy for him.

"I give you, the Elemental Remogrifier!" Shorty reveals his machine, the crowd gasping as cheers and claps are heard. Even St. Croix looks amazed by it, Harmony bouncing up and down a bit as she claps. "Assistant?"

Shorty brings over a stool and a bag of sand, using the chair to pour in the sand. "Here we go..." Varian murmurs to himself as he slowly turns the wheel. Then he pulls the lever, the machine spinning with so much noise he has to shout over it. "The rotation causes friction, which heats the sand while the counter-centrifigual force promotes particle compression. The end result?" He stops the machine from spinning. "50 pounds of sand turns into...this."

He holds up a small blue crystal, to their shock.

"I call it...Harmonium," Varian declares, causing Harmony to gasp. He...named his new element after her? She looks at the tiny rock, finding it beautiful. Blue was her top favorite color...he remembered...The crowd claps as Varian smiles at the girl, who smiles back happily.

Suddenly Shorty falls over, hitting a goat. He kicks Big Nose, the blade flying out of his hand and going straight towards St. Croix. Cass narrowly catches it before it could touch his nose, the crowd in a deafening silence. Varian just stands there in horror, Harmony glancing between him and the doctor.

"Despite its lack of flair and panache..." He lowers Cass' hand, "I was almost inclined to give your device a mediocre assessment..."

"Flair? What does that have to do with-"

"However," St. Croix interrupts him, "Considering your assistant..." He gestures to the bearded man, who's snoring next to the goat. "Nearly lanced my nasal cavity, I've no choice but to disqualify you. Next."

Varian looks down and starts to walk offstage. The princess felt like she had to do something. She feels so bad and horrible for not being able to help him, even if he didn't ask her. She should've insisted to be his assistant...

Harmony joins Varian up on stage to console him. "Are you okay?" She whispers at his frown. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you with being your assistant-"

"Hey, hey," He places his hands on her shoulders, smiling weakly to hide his disappointment. "Don't apologize for something you couldn't control. You did a great job handling the expo. I couldn't ask for anyone better." He leans in and softly kisses her cheek. Harmony gasps, lightly touching her cheek with wide eyes. Did he just...kiss her?

Cass takes a deep breath, though she did bite her lip to keep her frown from escaping. Of course she feels some of the blame too. If she had abandoned the boy, he would've won and maybe even gotten Harmony to like him...she had to say something. "Sir, with all due respect, you can't disqualify him because of his assistant."

"You stick to guarding, I will stick to sciencing," He gives her a cold and smug grin. "Got it?"

Harmony clenches her fist as she sees the look on the man's face. She thought of him as someone to look up to, not someone so rude and arrogant.

Loud music suddenly is heard, all four people on stage turning around. They're met with magenta smoke, followed by a flashy explosion. The two cover their eyes, looking back to see Fernanda Pizazzo.

"Oh great," Harmony rolls her eyes at the sight of her.

"Everybody at this expo make some noise!" She yells out enthusiastically, the audience applauding. "This is the momentsational moment you've all been waiting for. But first," She pulls on the rope in her hand. It's actually attached to a cannon, which blasts off a confetti of blue and red candies. "I give you...chocolate!"

_You have got to be kidding me._

The crowd cheers again and St. Croix catches one. "Now this is science!" He opens it up and eats it eagerly.

Fernanda walks over to the right side, near the teenagers as something behind her is covered with a sheet. "Jaws, prepare to drop. Larynxes, get ready to scream. And eyeballs, how about you take a good look around because once I unveil my marveltacular creation, the world will never look the same." She takes off the sheet to reveal it. "I give you the Fantasphere!"

The audience stares at a table with an orb in the middle, decorated with gems and two stones. She pulls the lever and the two stones move away, leaving the orb floating.

"Huh? How'd she do it? Oh my gosh! It's awesome!" She whispers to herself. The audience claps even louder.

She looks smug with a proud grin. "But what does it do?" Varian asks her.

"Uh, the real question kids is, what doesn't it do?" She says pleasantly. "Now here, have some chocolate and shut up," She states this less pleasantly, tossing them chocolates as she walks away from them. Harmony opens her mouth in shock.

"Excuse me, you can't just talk like that to-"

"Mona..." Varian murmurs before she could rant and she huffs. This woman was an absolute hack! She just wants some recognition because she's not even a real scientist! Something like that is an insult to all scientists, and yet St. Croix is just eating it up! She's definitely not allowing her to compete next year...

"Its luster is glorious!" St. Croix praises Fernanda, who gasps as she leans against her invention. "I see no need to continue this contest!" He hands her the blue ribbon, pinning it on her. She jumps up and down in glee, Varian leaving the stage dejectedly. He goes over to the fountain and sits there.

Harmony walks over and sits next to him. "You deserved that medal. I should've been your assistant..."

"It doesn't matter," He looks away from her. "The truth is, all I really wanted to do was impress you. I thought if I showed you what I was capable of, you, a princess, might see something in me...a poor boy from a mere village. Something...special. I was just being dumb."

Harmony places her hand on top of his, causing him to look into her eyes. "You weren't being dumb! Vari, your machine was amazing! And you did impress me! You're smart, creative, and sweet. But to be honest...you had me the moment you rescued me," She kisses his cheek in the same manner that he did to her.

He gasps, staring at her. She's smiling at him, and he couldn't help but smile back upon seeing her beautiful one.

"Thanks...for saying that."

Both of their hands are still touching and they stare at their interlocked hands. They look up and smile at each other, their hearts beating as they stare into each other's eyes. Varian rubs his thumbs against them. They're covered by gloves, but she still feels the warmth in his hands. This...felt like the same feeling her sister and Eugene had when they saw the lanterns together...and she accepts it.

Cass clears her throat, not wanting to interrupt the moment, but she had to. "Varian...I..."

"Huh," Harmony interrupts, looking over Varian's shoulder. "Guess the doctor liked your invention after all, Varian."

They both look in her direction to see that the man is indeed touching it, turning the wheel. "Master St. Croix! No, no! Don't!" Varian shouts as they rush over to him. "Y-You're building too much pressure!" He tries to turn the wheel back over his shoulder, but the doctor pushes him away.

"Back off, boy. I'm a scientist."

"Sir, you should listen to him. It's his invention, after all," Harmony gestures to Varian.

"Princess, or whoever you are, I certainly know a thing or two far better than you ever could." He grabs the lever.

"Don't!" The two shout, but he pulls it anyway. The invention roars to life, rotating faster than before. The four all step back as it spins faster and faster, eventually shooting off the stage like a cannon. It hits one of the towers before bouncing to the other side of the courtyard. Then it goes back towards the stage.

"Somebody do something!"

Cass pushes the two teenagers out of the way, the invention hitting St. Croix. "Double disqualified!" He shouts as he flies into the air. It hits Fernanda's...winning invention, replacing the orb and spinning faster.

"Thanks Cass," Harmony sighs in relief.

"Yeah, thank you, Cassie."

"Don't flatter yourselves, kids," She quickly tells him, which they don't take too harshly since they know she at least cares. "Now come on, we've got a job to do." The three scramble onto their feet, walking back towards the stage.

"Oh, this is bad," Varian says as the wind blows faster, their hair flying. The Elemental Remogrifier on top of the Fantasphere rotates faster than the speed of sound, thin bolts of green lightning shooting from it.

"How bad?" Cass asks as Shorty, Fernanda, Rapunzel, and Eugene are still on stage.

"Introducing counter-centipegation to the magnetism could result in...well, that." And by that, he means the vortex forming in the sky over the stage.

"Really?" The lady-in-waiting turns to Harmony as she just stares.

"Well, it's a first...but definitely possible!"

The combined inventions lift up from the stage as the vortex grows stronger. "Its angular momentum is rapidly approaching critical velocity. Once that happens, it'll suck up everything in sight. Us, the castle, everything!" Varian shouts as the people up on stage move away. A blanket gets sucked up, disappearing. The female contestant with the pancakes is still on her machine as she's lifted up into the air. She jumps off, a small explosion occurring as she lands on Shorty's back, running off.

"You're welcome..." He says in pain.

"Okay, so very bad," Cass replies as the three are back on stage. "How do we stop it?"

"There's only one way to stop it!" Varian declares in determination. "I gotta get close enough to pull the handbrake."

Before either of the girls could say anything, Harmony feels herself get lifted up towards the two machines, screaming in alarm.

"Mona!" Varian shouts, grabbing her hands and gripping onto them. Her skirt and hair are flying from the strong winds as she holds onto his hands as best as she could. "Hold on!"

"That's not gonna be easy!" She yells, looking over her shoulder. He gets lifted as well and he screams, something grabbing his ankle. The two look down to see Cass holding onto Varian's ankle.

"Where do you think you're going? You'll need your assistant," She grins at them and the two smile, grateful for her help. Varian looks past Harmony's shoulder to see the machines getting closer to the vortex.

"Mona! Can you reach the handbrake with your foot?"

She tries reaching her legs, but is too far away and she shakes her head regrettably. Rapunzel and Eugene look up at them in worry.

"She's not close enough. The vortex has gotten too strong," Varian tells Cass. "We need an equally powerful wind source to counteract it."

Rapunzel realizes what will do the trick. "The Mega-Dry! The Mega-Dry can generate that kind of wind speed and blow against the vortex!"

"Yes!" Eugene grins at her.

With help from some others, they pull the giant fan over to the stage. "He needs to create a counter-pull to the vortex's critical velocity!" Varian calls out to them.

"Max, he means you have to run backwards!" Rapunzel shouts and he turns around, running as fast as he can. They hold the fan upwards so that it touches the vortex. It sucks back the two inventions, Harmony trying to reach just a little further.

"It's working!" Varian exclaims as it gets closer and closer to Harmony. Finally, her foot is able to touch it.

"Hold on, guys!" She kicks the brake and the vortex immediately stops, the inventions falling back onto the stage. Cass catches Varian, who catches Harmony.

"Woohoo!" Rapunzel cheers as Max stops running, panting in exhaustion. "We did it!"

The Mega-Dry falls onto the ground and Eugene grabs his girlfriend's hand. "Blondie...hands down your best invention yet." He kisses her hand and she smiles.

"Pardon me, I believe I've been folded in half," Shorty muffles underneath the fan. The sun comes out again, shining brightly on the courtyard that is now in ruins...Harmony sighs in relief, walking over and giving Max an apple for what he did. He whinnies happily as he eats it, Rapunzel running up to her.

"Harmi!"

"Raps," She says happily, the two sisters hugging tightly.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Your invention really did the trick! I might have to start coming to you for inspiration."

Rapunzel stares at her in surprise that she said that, squealing and giving her sister a bear hug. She wheezes, but smiles at her older sister.

"And I would give you the first prize, but...I think someone else needs it," She looks towards the alchemist.

"I understand," Rapunzel smiles softly, putting her down and pushing her towards Varian gently.

Cass picks up the first prize ribbon, which is a little battered and torn, but still intact. The princess is walking over when two guards are escorting St. Croix to the infirmary in front of her. She glares furiously at him. How dare he not listen and cause this mess? Someone could've been sucked up into the vortex, and that would've been on her since this expo was her idea. And for what? Nothing, absolutely nothing.

Harmony clears her throat, walking up to the guards with her hands behind her back. The two come to a stop at hearing her and she stares down at her former idol coldly. "Dr. St. Croix...the next time you wanna consider visiting Corona...don't. I want him on the ban list by the end of the week. For endangering my people and unfairly treating contestants, you are never allowed to step foot here again."

She storms off, leaving the doctor shocked before he narrows his eyes. He then sees Cass. "You-!" He tries to yell at her for not saving him, stopping and grabbing his neck in pain. "Ahh. Neck...hurts..." The two guards carry him off.

"Master St. Croix, this still counts as a win, right? No take-backsies?" Fernanda calls out as she runs after him.

"And I want her on the list too!" Harmony calls out to them. Cass notices Varian as he holds the Harmonium in his hand. He then attaches it to a set of pretty blue and white beads to make it into a necklace. She glances towards the princess. Hopefully this one small step could get both of them to forgive her.

"Go talk to him," Cass whispers encouragingly, handing her the ribbon.

"Cass, I-!" She tries to leave shyly, but the female guard nudges her forward. Harmony sighs in defeat, approaching Varian as he looks towards Rapunzel's invention. She smiles nervously, holding up the blue ribbon.

"Here. I believe this was meant for you," She pins it on him, causing the boy to stare in surprise. Even if it was unofficial, he didn't care as long as it was Harmony who gave it to him.

"R-Really?"

"I'm the princess, and I set up this whole thing. I think it counts just fine," She winks at her friend, who smiles back.

"And, um, this was meant for you," He holds out the necklace to her. She takes the jewelry, beaming at him and putting it on.

"Thank you, Vari..."

"Varian?" Cass steps up to them slowly. "About my own ambition in front of our friendship...I'm sorry."

He just shrugs, "I-It's okay, Cassandra."

"Hey, call me Cassie," She grins and this makes him smile, glad that they have a stronger friendship and that Harmony understood that he did NOT have feelings for the female guard.

"Well, I guess I should start cleaning this mess up," He scratches the back of his head.

"I'll help you," Harmony takes his hand and he smiles at her, both of them walking off. Cass definitely owes Harmony an apology too...she was right, she shouldn't have done that to Varian. Maybe if she had, none of this would've ever happened...

"Cassandra." She turns around to see her dad approaching. "You helped prevent what could've been a disaster for all of us. Well done. And I have another assignment for you."

"You know what, Dad? I'm gonna set this aside for now," She takes off the helmet. "I think my friends need my help."

"...Well, as Captain of the Guard, turning down an assignment doesn't bode well...but as your dad, I'm proud of ya."

She smiles up at him and he leaves with her helmet. She looks towards the two teenagers, both of them smiling at each other and laughing. Cass just shakes her head, though she was happy that Varian got what he wanted. She had high hopes for the two, and he has a big shot now after what he did for the princess.

She walks up to the two, Harmony noticing her dad leaving. "Was that your guard helmet he left with?"

"Wow, you turned your dad down...for me?" Varian asks slowly.

"I'll find a way to make it up to him. Besides, it's not every day a friend gets an element named after her."

Harmony grins, looking at the necklace. "I actually got the idea after discovering a cluster of these strange black rocks by my village."

As he's saying this, Rapunzel walks over, stopping as she heard him.

"Black rocks?" The three girls ask in alarm, looking towards each other. This is something they need to see...

* * *

"It was amazing..." Varian explains as he shows them. "They just kinda...sprouted up a couple of weeks ago."

Harmony opens her mouth in horror. That's when she first met him... "I have never seen anything like it..."

Rapunzel's hair starts to glow, alarming Pascal, Cass, and Harmony. The black rocks glow light blue, all of them, shocking Varian. "Fascinating...the rocks are demonstrating an actual physical response..." He notices her hair. "To you..."

The three glance at each other. He's already seen her hair, so it was too late to deny... "Shh. Varian. I need you to promise to keep this between you and me, okay?" Pascal looks up at her as she looks to her friends. "And them."

"W-Why?" Varian asks in confusion, Harmony clutching at her left arm. Hopefully she can control it long enough for him not to make the connection...she can't have him find out. She just couldn't.

"...Because our dad," She gestures to herself and her sister, "Has forbidden us from talking about these rocks to anyone. We collectively are going to figure it out...but I need to know that I can trust you."

He smiles after a few seconds. "You can count on me."

She smiles at him gratefully, hoping that they can all solve this mystery.

Harmony's left hand starts to glow and a black rock emerges next to Varian. She lightly gasps, giving a look of horror. Varian stares at her, his mouth wide open as he looks between the clusters of rocks and then at her.

"You...created these black rocks?"

Her heart is pounding as she steps back, shaking. He saw her. He _saw _her do it...

She turns around and takes off into a run. "Mona! Mona, wait!" He calls out, Rapunzel placing a hand on his shoulder to stop him from running.

"Varian...give her time."

He stares after her in concern, frowning. She must've thought he would react badly...but...he would've never done that.

Because he has really strong feelings for her...


	11. Under Raps

"Centuries ago, Corona was engaged in a years-long war with its rival kingdom, Saporia. Corona's then-king Herz Der Sonne, created a complex system of tunnels to move his knights and supplies wherever he needed. He then made a detailed map of these tunnels and their secrets in a secure journal. At the height of the war, Der Sonne's sworn enemy, General Shampanier, launched a full-scale invasion on Corona. Shampanier fought her way through the castle to face King Herz Der Sonne himself. Their battle waged for hours with neither side relenting. That is, until Shampanier discovered that the book's final pages contained Herz's profession of love for her. It was then she realized she held similar feelings for him as well. And soon, the two were married. And a lasting peace was brought to the newly united nations forevermore."

Big Nose is narrating the story as Attila is crying nearby. "Gets me every time."

"Oh! Isn't that the most romantic story you've ever heard?" Rapunzel asks Cass and her sister, neither of them so swayed. Harmony just looks upset, still thinking about the last time she saw Varian...she had never seen him so...surprised. And then it must've developed into hate for her since she hadn't seen him since the incident...she couldn't face him anyway.

She tried _so hard _to keep that part of her past away, to not hurt him, and she must've done both to him...he means so much to her, and it pains her to not see Varian, but what else could she do? She missed his eyes...his hair...his smile.

"I guess," Cass lightly shrugs. "If you're into romance and that kind of thing."

Rapunzel stares at her in concern, then looking at the younger princess. Both of them did not seem okay.

"And our kingdom commemorates this day...The Day of Hearts, each year by displaying the book, so all those who have found true love may sign its page." Arianna and Frederic are actually there, the king signing the book. He and the queen share a quick kiss, the queen throwing up paper red hearts. One of them lands on Shorty, who holds it out to Cass.

"Happy Day of Hearts, my lady."

She growls and rips it up to pieces. "Can't this kingdom go one day without celebrating something?!" She asks bitterly, storming off.

"I'm...a little worried about Cass," Rapunzel states to Eugene. "She's been acting kind of weird lately."

"Probably just the Day of Hearts. People either love it or loathe it. Cass obviously falls into the latter category," He shrugs at her. "For she hates everything. Nothing we can do."

"Huh...or maybe there is," She rubs her chin. "Hey, maybe you and Varian can help me!" Rapunzel smiles at her sister. "You two could use some time together. It's the Day of Hearts!"

"Rapunzel, I appreciate the concern, but there's nothing going on with me and Varian...and there never will be. Who would want to be with someone who's only going to hurt you...?" She murmurs, playing with her necklace silently. Daisy looks at her solemnly from her hair.

"Harmi..." Rapunzel places a gentle hand on her shoulder. Eugene looks sad for her, as he can clearly see that the two care about each other a lot. "That's not true. I've seen him after you ran off. He misses you."

"I know, and I miss him too, but he saw me, Punzie. He saw me creating a black rock and I can't...I can't risk hurting him when it happens again. It's better this way..."

She walks off and the blonde stares after her sadly.

* * *

Cass walks into the garden area, shocked at the sight in front of her. "Ladies lunch!" Rapunzel is sitting in the middle of a picnic. "And I brought cupcakes! Each one is a single serving, because there's nothing wrong with being single, right Friedborg?"

Friedborg eats a cabbage whole in response. "This is great, Raps, but I don't have time right now, okay? You two have fun, though? You two have fun, though. And maybe bring Harmi a cupcake, she could really use one."

She walks off and Friedborg happily eats a cupcake, Rapunzel a little disappointed.

Then when Cass is helping her brush her hair, she finds something tangled up in it. "Oh, what is that?" Rapunzel asks innocently. "Is something caught up in my hair?"

Cass opens up the card. 'You are special!' Rapunzel gasps at it.

"Now how did that get in there?"

The lady-in-waiting gives her a skeptical look.

Rapunzel knocks on the door, hiding something behind her back. Cass opens it to see her friend, who holds out a painting of her.

"Will you just stop, Rapunzel?" She takes the painting and shuts the door.

"Drastic times call for drastic measures..." The woman says to Pascal.

Cass is walking through the halls, turning left. "Cass~!" Rapunzel sings as she reveals herself. "Look what I got for you!"

She sighs to herself as Rapunzel approaches. "I know you are gonna love this!" She holds out Cass' punching dummy with Eugene's face painted onto it. "I painted Eugene's face on your sparring dummy like you always wanted! I mean, I kinda felt horrible doing it, but I'm sure he won't mind. You know, if e don't tell him obviously, please don't tell him."

"Thanks. You're sweet," She mutters, turning around.

"Come on, Cassandra," Rapunzel mimics her boyfriend. "Look at my adorable, well-chiseled face. Don't you just wanna hit it?"

"Look, Raps, I get what you're doing, and I appreciate it, but I'm fine."

"Cass, no," Rapunzel protests as she drops the dummy. "Something is clearly wrong. You never wanna hang out, you keep disappearing...you don't even wanna beat up Eugene!"

Cass moves away the dummy. "I'm dealing with...uh, some stuff. Stuff I'm not ready to share, but when I am ready, you'll be the first person I go to. And I'm sure Harmi feels the exact same way with her situation too," She places a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder, smiling a little. "Trust me."

"Okay, I trust you," Rapunzel places her hand on top of Cass', smiling back.

* * *

After her talk with Cass, she decided to try Harmony and Varian next. She knocks on the door of his cottage and a few seconds later, Varian himself opens it. "Varian?"

"Princess!" He exclaims at her. His hair is slightly disheveled, his eyes tired and wide. He looks like he hasn't slept in days... "What brings you here? Need me to help you resolve the mystery of your hair? Which, is still not magic."

"No, thank you," She waves a hand. "I came here to talk about Harmony."

He clamps his mouth shut, gripping the knob sadly. "...She's not here if that's what you're wondering. I haven't seen her in days."

"If you miss her, then why don't you come to the castle?" Rapunzel frowns in concern.

"I want to, but I don't think it'll do any good. It might scare her...so, if I have to, then I'll give her space," He looks away, not wanting to look at her. She reminds him a little bit of Harmony right now, actually...he wished that he could just talk to her...but it might be too much for the girl if he just showed up without warning.

"Look, my sister doesn't mean to react like this. With her powers, she doesn't wanna hurt anyone..."

"I know that, and I accepted it," He whispers, clenching a fist near the door frame. "If I didn't, I wouldn't be trying to impress her...but it doesn't matter. She's not going to want to see me..." He places his forehead onto his fist, closing his eyes.

"Maybe...it's for the best."

He should just give up...she clearly has. As long as he liked her, she was never going to feel the same...

"It's not!"

He opens his eyes, lifting his head to see a determined princess. "Pushing each other away isn't going to solve anything. You two care about each other. And I know you two don't want this for yourselves. I have a plan. I just need you to be at the castle tomorrow night in your best clothes. I'm sure that Harmony will be happy to see you again."

He stays silent, thinking about what she said. He couldn't give up how he felt...it'd eat away at him for who knows how long.

"...You're right, Princess. I can't give up. Thanks."

* * *

The book is taken away for the night to be kept in its room, Rapunzel sitting outside with Pascal. "So, we've just gotta let Cass come to us when she's ready to share what's going on...and my sister too. I tried talking to her, but she won't come out of her room, I hope she's okay..."

Pascal jumps onto the railing, looking towards the courtyard. Rapunzel looks in his direction to see Cass herself, who's running towards the archway.

Rapunzel gasps at her, "That's Cass! What is she up to? Maybe we should find out."

Pascal raises a brow. "Not to be nosy! Just to make sure she's okay!" She follows after her friend, the chameleon following after her reluctantly. They move past the lady-in-waiting as she approaches the docks. Rapunzel hides behind a stack of crates, peeking over her shoulder. She then starts to step on a barrel, slipping. Pascal holds it up as best as he can.

Cass turns around and sees nothing. Rapunzel cringes nervously as her friend sees a lantern approaching her with a heart printed on it. She smiles at the sight, taking hold of it. Rapunzel then ducks a little as a man approaches the woman, rose in hand.

"Oh, there you are."

"I couldn't resist the invitation," He smiles, holding up the flower. His hand plants it into her hair and she smiles up at him.

"So that's what's going on!" Rapunzel whispers happily, "Cass is in love!"

Pascal loses his grip on the barrel, sending the crown princess into the water. She coughs as she grips the edge of the platform. Cass and the man help her up, though the lady-in-waiting looks annoyed. "Cass...and friend of Cass," She says awkwardly as Cass does not look happy. "No introduction? Okay, that's fine."

"Oh, I'm sorry," The man approaches her, "I'm Andrew. You must be cold. Please, take my jacket," He plants his jacket over her.

"Thank you. Ooh! Nice and warm."

"I made it myself," He explains to her. "It was shorn from the fleece of poquito Juan Pablo, a blind orphan mountain sheep I rescued from a pack of ravenous wolves. I gave him a home, he gave me warmth. I often ask myself, who rescued whom?"

"Wow! This guy is smooth," Rapunzel comments to Cass, who grips her shoulders.

"Actually, Rapunzel was just leaving," She starts to guide her friend away.

"Oh, right! Yes, of course! It's-It's getting late...I have to rest my muscles after a swim like that, wouldn't wanna cramp up."

"Rapunzel!" Cass hisses to her, reminding herself to yell at her later.

"Right, right, sorry. Goodnight!" Then she falls into the lake again. "Someone left crates all over the dock! Sorry about that!"

"Well, she seemed nice," Andrew shrugs lightly.

"You should meet her sister."

* * *

The next morning, Cass is near the stables drying clothes. Rapunzel uses a telescope to watch her. She places a sheet on the clothesline, flattening it. Andrew appears behind it and she senses him, removing the sheet and placing it over him. He then begins to chase her.

"Wow. Cassandra actually found a boyfriend," Eugene comments in shock as he's standing between the two sisters. Harmony lightly has her arms crossed over the balcony, eye bags clearly present on her face. Rapunzel takes the telescope from her boyfriend.

"He is so hand—hands. His, um...They aren't proportional to the rest of his body, gross. Ugh! Not attractive."

"You think he's handsome?" Eugene raises a brow. "His eyebrows are clearly asymmetrical, and you call that facial hair? Come on."

"How great would it be if the six of us became best friends and did couple-y things all the time together?" Rapunzel clasps her hands together.

"Six of us?" Harmony stares at her in confusion.

"Well, you and Varian are a little young, but we can still do things that's enjoyable for you two!"

"Raps, I appreciate that you want that for me, but I'm not allowing myself to have the...incident happen again..." Harmony glances at her left hand.

"It won't," Eugene puts a hand on her shoulder. "That part of you is something that can be controlled, Brownie."

"You say that like it's easy, but it's not," She stands up, clenching a fist. "Powers from the Moonstone Opal don't exactly guarantee normalcy. I'll be in the kitchen..." The girl turns away and walks off, Eugene sighing a little.

"Well, she has a point. Great isn't the first word that comes to mind. Honestly. Stomach-churning. That does."

"The only problems are I think Cass is kinda shy when it comes to admirers, and Harmi won't give it another chance when it comes to dating," Rapunzel murmurs quietly.

"Cassandra may be a lot of things, and I mean ha ha, a lot of things, but shy ain't one of them. You're better off letting the two handle these things how they see best. I really don't think Brownie's up for that kind of thing so soon."

"I agree with you...to a point," She smiles at him.

"And to which point would that be?"

* * *

"A triple date?!" Cass asks in horror.

"Yes!" Rapunzel grins widely. "They're six-person fun machines!"

Cass opens up her weapons cabinet. "Rapunzel, I appreciate your enthusiasm, I really, really do, but I-I'm not at a place where I wanna go public. And since I know you're talking about Harmi and Varian as the last two people, I don't think it's a good idea. They're both in bad places right now." She sticks her dagger into her boot.

"Which is why I've come up with an itinerary of private activities for us, and I used one of my sister wishes with Harmony, one for each birthday she missed." She rolls out a LONG list of things that stops at Cass' feet. The princesses have these birthday wishes that, when used, the other person has to do what the belated birthday girl wants, regardless of what it is.

She sighs, turning around. "But we really aren't that serious yet..."

"No problem. We'll keep it short and sweet, then!" Rapunzel rips off a piece, her friend crossing her arms. Another piece is ripped off, and Cass keeps her look, narrowing her eyes. Then Rapunzel shows 'candle-lit dinner'.

* * *

That night, candle wax drips as Pascal and Daisy provide music. Rapunzel is in a pink dress and Harmony is in a purple one while the others keep their regular outfits. Eugene looks bored out of his mind while Harmony feels awkward.

"So, Andrew, I couldn't help but notice you're going steady with our Cassandra," He speaks up.

"W-We're not going steady," Cass stammers, glaring at him.

"But you're interested, right? I-I just wanna be clear, because you strike me as a guy who really has his game together. I mean you're smart, attractive, not the most attractive man in the room, clearly-"

"Eugene!" Rapunzel warns him with a stern look.

"What? Cass knows I'm kidding, right?" He leans in towards Andrew. "No, seriously, though, is she blackmailing you? Blink three times if the answer is yes."

Rapunzel pulls him backwards by his ear.

"Why did you ask me to be here tonight?" Harmony whispers to her sister. "I thought it was a triple date. I feel like a fifth wheel!"

"Any minute now..." Rapunzel murmurs, staring at the door patiently.

"Rapunzel, what is going on?" Harmony demands to her.

"Just a little surprise for you~"

"On your obvious double date that I'm here for whatever reason? What could you possibly do-"

The door opens and Varian stumbles through it, wearing a dark blue suit with a white ascot. He's not wearing goggles or his gloves. Harmony blinks at him in shock. Not only because of how he's dressed, but because he's standing here.

"V-Varian...?"

"O-Oh, hello, everyone!" He stammers, waving as he rubs the back of his neck. "Uh...sorry I'm late, my dad's suit needed alternations. Okay, just gonna sit here," He scooches in next to Harmony, who leans in towards him.

"What are you doing here?!"

"We need to talk about what happened," He whispers softly.

"Nothing happened and I never said that it was relevant for you to come here and talk about it!"

"Why are you pushing me away, Mona? What did I ever do to you?" He gestures to himself.

"Nothing!" She mutters, rubbing at her face.

"So then why won't you talk to me?"

The princess stays silent instead of giving him an answer. He takes a deep breath and lets it out. No matter what, he couldn't give up.

Lance suddenly appears, playing the accordion. Pete is playing the mandolin, to the confusion of Harmony and Varian. Stan places a big plate of spaghetti between the two teens.

"Whoa! That's a lot of food," Harmony's eyes widen.

"Um, don't you guys want some?" Varian offers and Andrew is about to take a meatball when Rapunzel stops his hand.

"Nope! Nope, we are good over here. Looks like you two will have to share."

Her sister gives her a look, but the blonde princess just smiles like nothing wrong was happening. Lance starts singing Bella Notte in Italian. Harmony sighs in defeat. Well...at least Lance is a good singer. The girl takes a meatball and eats it, everyone just listening as the two enjoy their meal. Well...Cass is mostly listening as she rolls her eyes.

Rapunzel sighs dreamily, holding Eugene's hand. "This is so romantic."

"With you Blondie, everything's romantic," Eugene smiles at her.

"Aww," She smiles back, giving him a quick peck on the lips.

"Oh please," Cass rolls her eyes. "Did you two forget there are children present?" She gestures to Harmony and Varian.

"Not children," Varian calls out, eating a bite of his food.

"No romance at all in this one," Lance shakes his head at Cass.

"Because Cassandra has no soul," Eugene smirks at her, getting some food right in his face.

As the two start to argue, the teens take another bite of their spaghetti. They were too busy staring at them that they don't notice they're eating the same noodle. As they continue to listen, their faces get closer and closer. By the time they realize what's happening, their lips are already touching. The two turn away, blushing. Unfortunately, everyone else saw and turns their attention on them instead.

"Aww, cute!" Rapunzel squeals at them, glad that something cute happened between them since the...incident.

"Looks like I don't have to worry about one couple having no romance," Eugene teases the blushing teenagers.

"That-that wasn't a real kiss! I-It was the spaghetti we were forced to share!" Harmony gestures to the food in front of her.

"Oh really? And that's why you're stammering and blushing?" Rapunzel asks smugly.

"Punzie!"

"You guys," Varian mutters in embarrassment.

"Maybe that'll become popular someday," Andrew smiles a little.

"Ha, doubt it," Lance laughs lightly.

Even though she's still embarrassed, she wants to finish her food as she's still hungry. She takes a fork to take another bite, Varian pushing a meatball towards her with his nose. Harmony looks up at him and they both smile weakly as they stare into each other's eyes. Even when things are very awkward for them right now...they still managed to have a nice moment.

"So, Andrew, tell us everything. How did you and Cass meet?" Rapunzel smiles, happy at the moment.

"Well, see, I'm somewhat bibliophilic," He starts off.

"Bibliophilic? Oh, I am so sorry, but don't you worry, Andrew. Corona has the best medical professionals in the world."

Varian clears his throat, playing with his fork. "That's, uh...not what that means, Flynn."

Andrew laughs a little. "Actually, uh, a bibliophile is someone who loves books."

"Oh! Bibliophilic, of course! I read about that..."

"I told you this was a bad idea," Cass whispers to them, slamming down the bowl. Pascal and Daisy squeak in fear as the other four look on nervously.

"I just had to see King Herz Der Sonne's book. As an anthropologist, as a historian, and as a mere amateur chirographist, well, it's been my dream. Anyway, I sent the Captain of the Guards many letters, requesting an opportunity to study the book up close," He places his hand on top of Cass', smiling at her.

"But my dad asked me to send a letter rejecting his request, for security reasons. Instead, I invited him to come see the book on the Day of Hearts, when it's available to the public," She smiles back at him.

"And our letters continued and, well...Cassie and I got to know each other...very well," They stare at each other as Daisy throws paper hearts, Pascal continuing to play. The two then share a hug.

"That is so cute!" Rapunzel smiles at the two. "Yeah, our Cassie is quite the catch. She is the most skilled fighter for miles around."

Cass kicks her underneath the table, causing a slight shake. Harmony snickers a little, glad that Rapunzel got that. "Uh, really?" Andrew asks in confusion.

"And on that note, I think we should call it a night! Andrew has to fly home in the morning," Cass pushes him away from the table.

"Fly?!" The four exclaim in unison.

* * *

And by fly, Cass means by air balloon. Rapunzel smiles happily as they take off. "Ballooning is one of my passions. What better way to see nature's gifts than from a bird's perspective? Besides, I don't condone modes of transportation that exploit animals."

"Whoo hoo!" Rapunzel shouts at the top of her lungs. "It's like being in a giant lantern! It's magic."

"Science, not magic," Varian calls out from the opposite side.

"It's simple science, actually, but yes, your highness, it can be quite magical."

Varian sighs, shaking his head slowly. He'd correct them again, but he notices Harmony leaning near her sister, hugging herself. He steps up to her and takes off his jacket, placing it over her to her surprise. She glances at him and stays silent, darting her eyes back to the stars. The night sky...just like her powers...

"Mona, I miss you," Varian murmurs as they stare out the sky together. "Whatever it is, you can trust me."

"I can't risk it, Varian. Please, just stop it," She blinks back tears as she looks away. "I don't know what could happen to you..."

"Mona...please," He steps closer, placing a hand on her back. "I'm not giving up on you. And whatever you're scared of...we can face it together."

"...All my life, people have been scared of me. And after what happened to my sister, most of them would just see me...and walk away. They have good reason to. I'm not strong enough to stop myself from creating those rocks. I just don't know what to do anymore...the thought of people getting hurt because of me...makes me sick. And then you appeared...and I thought it was over, but It's not. You're not safe around me, Varian...no one is. And it'll only be a matter of time before you're scared of me too..."

"I could never be scared of you!" He turns her to face him, gripping her shoulders. "I like spending time with you. You're smart, you're funny, you're sweet. You're...unique. You could never hurt me or anyone else. And anyone who would be scared of you is too blind to see the girl in front of them. No matter what happens, I'll always be by your side."

She sniffles a bit. "...Really?"

He smiles at her softly. "Really really."

His arms warm around her into a warm comforting hug and she smiles, hugging him in return. Rapunzel smiles happily at the sight.

"You wanna make your life easier, have Cass here pull those cords for ya," Eugene offers, holding up Cass' arm. "She's got some serious pythons under there."

Cass snatches her arm back and joins the trio. "Okay, this triple date needs to end now! You guys are totally embarrassing me," She says bitterly, darting her eyes to the younger duo. "Well, maybe not all of you."

"Really? I'm sorry, we didn't mean to."

"It's fine, but can you please stop talking about my muscles or my fighting skills? I want Andrew to know a different side of me," She pleads with her friends.

"Oh, yeah! Of course!"

"Cass, I'm sure that Andrew would like all of you," Harmony offers with a small smile.

"Thanks, but as soon as the balloon touches down...I'd like to be alone with him."

"But we haven't gotten to the tandem horseback ride ye-" Rapunzel stops speaking once she notices Cass' glare. "Okay yeah, got it."

"We'll just...be over there," Varian chuckles nervously, pulling Harmony over to the other side.

"Cass wants some alone time," Rapunzel whispers to Eugene.

"Oh thank goodness. If I have to spend one more minute with this guy-"

"Eugene, you wanna take us down?" Andrew suddenly interrupts, earning an excited squeal from the former thief that's so loud, Harmony didn't even think it was humanly possible until today. Varian would help, but he had just made up with the girl. "Gently twist the valve counterclockwise to vent the hot air."

"Thanks ace, I'll take it from here."

Andrew shrugs and walks off, releasing an airbag. A golden lock falls from his shirt. "Wow. That necklace is so beautiful. May we see it?"

She notices Cass narrowing her eyes, but Andrew removes it and she opens it. "It's been in my family for decades, it means...love is true inner wealth."

"Wow," Harmony blinks as she stares at the symbol. Varian peeks over her shoulder. Both of them had remembered seeing this symbol before...but they couldn't place it at the moment since nothing comes to mind.

"You said clockwise, right?" Eugene calls out, turning the valve to the right. This sends them sliding to the other side and the necklace goes flying into a bushel of thorns.

"Don't worry, Harmi, Varian, Eugene, and I will find it. You guys go finish your date," Rapunzel tells them.

"Ooh, it was counterclockwise, wasn't it?" Eugene joins them, rubbing the back of his head. He earns glares in return instead of an answer. "Right."

* * *

Once they've dropped the four off, Rapunzel watches them leave. She starts to go through the bushel, only to touch a thorn. "Ouch! I feel terrible about this. Ow! I know I might've come on a bit strong, but I'm really happy for Cass. Ow! I just wish she weren't so guarded. You know, like Harmony used to be."

"You were like Cass?" Varian turns to the girl as they step forward, Harmony lifting up her skirt and jumping over a thorn.

"Well...maybe...sort of...okay, yeah. But I eventually learned that it's okay to share my feelings. Ouch!"

Now if only she could do the same with Varian.

"Ahh! Look, it's not all your fault."

"I know it's not all my fault," Rapunzel rolls her eyes playfully as she starts crawling. "You were the one who turned the valve the wrong way."

"She's right. Who doesn't know that counterclockwise is basically the opposite way of a clock?" Varian laughs a little. "Come on, Flynn."

"It's Eugene! But it's mostly your fault."

"What?" Rapunzel looks up at him accusingly.

"Okay, I'm the last person to defend Cassandra-"

"More like the only person she wouldn't want to defend her," Harmony mutters under her breath as she continues forward, Varian slowly following.

"But not everyone is as open with their feelings as you are, okay? Brownie might've been able to change that part of her life because of you, but Cass plays things closer to her vest. And if you wanna be her friend, which is something I will never, ever, ever, ever, understand...you'll have to accept that and back off of it."

Her eyes widen at his words. He had a point...her sister had been more happier with Rapunzel around, but Cass was more tougher than Harmony was. Suddenly squeaks are heard, turning their attention to Pascal and Daisy. They point to the necklace hanging from a thorn.

"The pendant!"

"We found it!" Harmony smiles at it as Pascal grabs the necklace and lands on Rapunzel's hands. She kisses him on the cheek while Daisy holds up the cover.

"And the other half of the pendant..." Eugene says a bit worriedly as they have no clue how to fix it. Harmony nuzzles Daisy's head with her finger. "You got any gum?"

"Well, I could fix it, but this is from Andrew's family for generations..." Varian rubs his arm nervously. He didn't want to accidentally damage it, Rapunzel had already lost the necklace. "But we all know someone who can!"

"Xavier!" They all exclaim in realization.

* * *

The hot air balloon is just approaching a waterfall as Cass smiles at the view. She was so glad that they could finally be alone. "Sorry my friends have been so intrusive. And I'm really sorry about your pendant..."

He drapes his soft and warm jacket over her. "Don't worry about it, Cassie. I'm just glad that we finally get to be alone." He holds her hands and they stare into each other's eyes.

"Me too..."

Fireflies suddenly appear around them and they smile towards one another. It was like nothing could break this moment...they lean in towards each other as the fireflies continue to follow them...and then the balloon crashes onto the ground, breaking the almost-kiss.

Cass adjusts her skirt once she's gotten off. "You know how you've been saying it'd be great to get a private, up close look at the book?" He just smiles at her. "Well..." She saunters up to him. "I thought we might sneak a peek and...I don't know, I saw some other couples signing it together, so...if you wanted to..."

"Cassie..." He takes her hands. "I-I thought you'd never ask...but isn't it after visiting hours?"

"Perks of being a guard's daughter." She spins the keys to the room on her finger.

* * *

Back in town, Xavier, the local blacksmith and also keeper of legends, is just finishing up fixing the necklace. He puts it in water after welding the pieces back together.

"Xavier, I can't thank you enough for getting out of bed to do this for us," Rapunzel says in relief.

"It's my pleasure," He smiles while drying it off. Then he looks away. "I'm just surprised you would want to fix something like..." He clears his throat, holding up the necklace. "This."

"Why do you say that?" Harmony raises a brow.

"Yeah, the owner's already told us what it means," Varian shakes his head slowly. Why was it so weird for Xavier to fix something like that?

"It's so sweet!" Rapunzel clasps her hands together. "It means love is true inner wealth."

To their confusion, Xavier chuckles, spinning the necklace into his hand. "Whoever told you that was lying." He shows the symbol to them. "This is the emblem of the separatists of Saporia."

The teens gasp sharply. "Saporia?!"

"The rival kingdom Corona had a war with that's part of the Day of Hearts' history?" Harmony screeches in shock.

"The separatists of Saporia…that's their symbol. That's why it's so familiar!"

"...Uhh, the what now?" Eugene couldn't help but wonder and the two facepalm.

"Centuries ago, after the war brought Saporia to Corona together, there was a small sect of Saporians who felt betrayed, and swore revenge on our kingdom," He rolls out a large scroll that shows pictures of their union. "Some say their descendants are still around, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike back at Corona..." The last picture shows the Corona kingdom on fire.

Cass and Andrew open up the door with the book at the end of the room. "We don't have a lot of time," Cass whispers as she steps inside.

"Oh, don't worry. This won't take long," Andrew smiles wickedly, stepping forward.

"Oh no! Cassie's in trouble!" Varian's eyes widen and they take off into a run.

"Cass is gonna be devastated when she finds out the truth about Andrew!" Rapunzel says as they try to get back as fast as they can.

"Yeah, the only guy who can mess with Cass is me!" Eugene declares, getting looks from Harmony and Varian. They reach the castle courtyard within seconds.

"Okay, we better split up. Harmi and I will check the throne room, you two take the courtyard," Rapunzel tells them.

"Got it!" Varian nods at her, following after Eugene. The girls dash the opposite way, hoping that they can reach the two in time.

Andrew stares at the book, lightly touching the pages. "It's exactly as I imagined...find the perfect space for us," He gives her the feather and steps back, watching as she flips through pages. He takes a sword out of his jacket, looming it over her head. Cass sees his shadow and narrows her eyes, taking out her dagger and disarming him. She kicks Andrew to the ground and catches the sword in her hand, pointing it right at his face.

"Sorry, sweetie, but the book stays here."

"But how did you-"

"I knew you were a fraud from day one. You misspelled 'bibliophile' in your letters, bonehead. I was only playing you long enough to see what your angle was, and from my angle, it looks like you've been shut down, Andrew. If that's even your real name," She glares down at him.

"It's..." He sighs in embarrassment. "It's Hubert." A pair of handcuffs lands on his stomach.

"Put these on and don't say another word."

"Cassandra!" Rapunzel and Harmony suddenly arrive. "Watch out, Andrew is-"

Andrew kicks up the sword, pointing it at the two. "Not who he says he is."

Harmony takes out a bow and arrow from underneath her dress, pointing it and ready to fire at him. "You really think that's gonna stop me?" He chuckles at the mundane weapon, holding up the cuffs. "Now drop the weapon, princess, and cuff yourselves to the podium with your friends."

She growls as the handcuffs land in Cass' hands, dropping the bow and arrow. As much as she didn't want to, she couldn't put them in danger.

The young princess sits between her sister and her friend, all of them handcuffed to the podium, the book gone from its post.

"I'd say see you later, but there's not gonna be a later for Corona," Andrew states, backing towards the door.

"We won't let you get away with this," Harmony snarls at him.

"Oh...I already have," He smirks with a light shrug, leaving them there.

* * *

Eugene and Varian run up to the two guards. "Stan! Pete! Have you seen Andrew anywhere?"

"Have I? Let me tell you something, that is one handsome fella," Pete comments about Andrew's looks.

"He sounds like, so worldly. Which makes him handsome on the inside."

"He is not that handsome, okay?" Eugene laughs it off, Varian raising a brow at him.

"Well...he's definitely not ugly, I mean, he's got it going for him-"

"Varian!" He interrupts sharply and he shuts up. "Did you not notice his wonky eyebrows with the-oh, never mind!"

He storms off, followed by the alchemist, who waves to the guards.

* * *

Cass sighs after a few minutes. "You know, after the exposition debacle, this was my big chance to prove to my dad I have what it takes to be a guard. But you messed that all up, Rapunzel!"

"Well," She scoffs a bit. "Maybe if you had told me what you were planning, I wouldn't have messed it up!"

"Didn't you also want to make sure she was happy with a back-stabbing jerk?" Harmony stares up at her.

"...Okay, that too, but I didn't know he was a back-stabbing jerk!"

"Because I couldn't count on you letting anything slip!" Cass retorts back, causing Harmony to sigh.

"Hey! I can keep things to myself!" Rapunzel defends with a small frown.

"Oh yeah? Kinda like when you told Eugene about the night we all snuck out?"

"How did you know-"

"Or when you told your dad about those rocks I showed you?" Cass continues and Harmony narrows her eyes.

"Hey, that was a matter concerning me, thank you very much! He had a right to know because I create them, so it's not like it was something of yours to keep to yourself," She huffs, closing her eyes.

"We had to. He was gonna-"

"And how'd your mom find out who ate her last chocolate truffle, hm?" Cass raises a skeptical brow.

"I turned myself in. The guilt was just-"

"Look, guys, you're my best friends," She sighs a little. "But you're a sharer, especially now that Harmi is more open. It's in your natures, and I'm fine with that since I don't want to come between you two and your sister bond. Of course you wouldn't keep secrets from each other. But you'll have to be fine respecting things I wanna keep to myself, Raps."

"Even if those things have life-threatening consequences?" Rapunzel asks in concern, causing her to laugh a bit.

"Okay, in my defense, no one's life was really threatened until you two showed up."

"...Fair point," Harmony says slowly, opening her brown orbs. "And sis, I love you, but you really should've let Varian and I handle our problems ourselves. I'm not mad since we made up, but not everything has to be done on your terms."

"You're right. Tell you what. Let's make a deal. I'll understand keeping some things to yourself and that my sister can handle some things on her own, if you understand that when something's bothering you, the both of you, I'm gonna wanna help. Especially when my little sister was clearly upset. I love you, Harmi, and I just want to see you happy. You've got my back, so let me have yours."

"I suppose I can live with that," Cass grins a little, Harmony smiling softly.

"Ditto," She nuzzles her sister, who returns the sentiment.

"Rapunzel! Harmony!" Eugene shouts as he arrives, seeing them cuffed. "Well, I bet we don't think Andrew's so handsome anymore, now do we, ladies?"

"I wouldn't say un-handsome, right?" Rapunzel glances towards the two.

"Despite what he did, he's still got the looks," Harmony nods in agreement, causing Varian to open his mouth in shock.

"I mean...him being a rebel doesn't really take away from the fact-"

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me!" Eugene mutters, pulling out a lock pick.

"Oh go after the book, both of you! Don't waste time trying to pick the cuffs, they're double-locking, black steel-"

"Got 'em," Eugene interrupts, putting his pick away as they stare at their hands in surprise.

"Should've known," Harmony murmurs as Varian helps her stand up.

"Huh. Alright, we may just have a chance to catch him if we hurry!" Cass states as they all take off into a run.

"So, you think Andrew's handsome, huh?" Varian pants as he and Harmony run side-by-side.

"Well...yeah, but he's a bad guy, and...I can't really trust him now," She gestures to Cass.

"Y-Yeah, totally, I get it," He stammers, looking away. She notices his sad look and giggles.

"But I really prefer cute over handsome."

She picks up speed, leaving Varian stunned. Did...did she just call him cute? And that she likes it? He shakes his head, snapping out of it and chasing after his friends.

Andrew is just preparing to leave via his hot air balloon. The four arrive just in time to see it lift off the ground. "Ha ha! So long, Corona!"

"I just realized..." Cass jumps over the basket, landing behind him. "I never gave you a good-night kiss," She grins, punching him in the face. He staggers backwards and glares up at her. "Now, hand over that book!"

The others try to catch up to the balloon. "Its pressure is already too high!"

"But we have to get up there to help Cass!" Rapunzel tells Varian as Eugene manages to jump on, gripping the edge. She comes to a stop, eyeing the trees in front of her and forming an idea. "Come on, I have a way to follow after them!"

Andrew swings his sword at Cass, who ducks her head from every attack. Eugene crawls into the basket, sighing in relief. "Oh, that was insanely hard." He notices the fight between them, feeling awkward. "Uhh...guys, who's driving this thing?"

Pascal, Daisy, Rapunzel, Varian, and Harmony climb up a tree all the way up to the top as the hot air balloon passes by them. "Okay guys, hold onto me." They hug her waist and she lets her hair fall loose. She tosses it and manages to snag one of the ropes. Andrew gets pushed back by Cass, who had grabbed his sword. "Hang on!"

She tries to pull it, but ends up falling off the tree with the others and they all scream, swinging. Cass stumbles a bit as the balloon wobbles, falling onto Andrew.

"Sorry!" Varian calls out sheepishly to them. "Well, most of you."

They're left dangling in the air, looking towards the ground below them.

"I knew you cared after all," Andrew says smugly to Cass.

"Well I don't!" Eugene tries to punch him in the face, but he blocks it with the book. "Ahh, bibliophilic!"

"Enough!" Cass grabs hold of the journal. "Give me the book!" She tries to wrestle it out of his hands, and it ends up hitting Eugene in the face, but he catches it into his hands.

"Hey..."

"Get us down from here!" Cass tells him while fighting off her opponent.

"Now that I can do."

"Come on, guys!" Rapunzel urges as they start climbing up her hair. "We're almost there!"

"Now was it clockwise or counterclockwise?" He doesn't get to turn it because the valve breaks right off. "Ooh..."

This releases a bunch of fire at the top, sending them higher up into the air. "Counterclockwise, Flynn!" Varian yells up at him.

"Something tells me he did neither," Harmony deadpans, Eugene rubbing the side of his head. Then he realizes that the book is no longer in his hands.

"The book!"

Andrew steps near it and Cass lunges forward, missing him. He kicks her onto the ground, flinging the sword off the balloon, which heads right near the others.

"Whoa!" Harmony and Varian dodge it and it lands in the bushel of thorns.

"Hey, watch it!" Harmony shouts up to the basket.

"You come up here and trade places then!" Eugene retorts to her. Cass snatches the book back.

"Eugene, grab the book and get us down," She slides it to his foot as he's trying to make the hot air balloon work.

"Working on it!"

"If you turn it counterclockwise, it should vent the air back to normal!" Varian calls out to him.

"Uhh...that's gonna be difficult," Eugene shows the piece that broke off, to their shock. While hitting at the valve, it suddenly lowers, causing his friends to lose their grip on the hair. Varian holds Harmony's waist, gripping the hair tightly enough so that they slide to a stop right above Rapunzel. And they're headed right towards the thorns!

Luckily, none of them seem to touch the three as Rapunzel sees the sword nearby. She swings grabbing the sword from its place, slicing them off. She runs and jumps while cutting, Varian digging into his apron. He drops a pink ball and some of them melt.

"Hey, nice job, Vari!"

"I always keep spares," He pats his apron pocket.

"Ha! You know, I'm starting to enjoy this!" Rapunzel tells the two, yelping as ones she can't avoid are nearing her. Andrew stabs at the valve, sending everyone high up into the air.

"Oh thank goodness," Varian sighs in relief.

"Give me the book, Eugene," He demands to the former thief.

"And have Cassandra mad at me? I think not."

"Oh believe me, you would much rather have Cassandra mad at you than me!"

Cass stands up and he slices at her. She avoids it and he cuts off the rope instead. He cuts another, tilting the basket away right underneath their feet. The three look up as various weapons and sand bags fall around them.

"Geez, bunch of butterfingers up there..." She murmurs as she looks up at them.

"You're telling me!" Harmony wipes sweat off her forehead.

"Eugene, the book!"

"Yup, got it!" Eugene holds up the book in his hand. "And I'm fine too, thank you for asking me!" He slips a bit while hanging onto the basket. Andrew climbs up towards the air, swinging into the blanket. Cass follows after him. Eugene slips, and so does the book. "No! No! No, no, no, no!" He catches it just before it could fall out of his reach, sighing in relief.

As the air gets hotter, Andrew and Cass continue to fight, while also avoiding the flame. "You know, It's too bad, I was almost...starting to like you." He leaps forward towards her.

"Pascal, Daisy," Rapunzel looks towards the two pets. They both nod, hooking a piece of her hair to the sword. She flings it in her hands, glancing towards Harmony and Varian still above her. "Guys, watch out!"

"Don't have to tell us twice!" Harmony squeezes her eyes shut, Varian doing the same. She stabs it right near Eugene's shoulder and he looks up at the duo fighting. Andrew punches Cass across from him and she looks up weakly.

"Oh Cassandra...Saporia will rise again...and will have you to thank for it," He pulls out a dagger menacingly.

"Cassandra!" Eugene throws up the sword and she catches it into her hand. "You're welcome!"

She cuts off a piece of the blanket, falling through it to his confusion. She slices up an opening behind him, smirking. "I wouldn't count on a second date if I were you." She flings back her fist and punches Andrew right in the face.

* * *

That morning, the book is back in its rightful place. Harmony and Varian step up to it, smiling happily that it's safe and sound.

"Mona..." Varian starts off, scratching his cheek with a blush.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to sign the book...together." Her eyes widen at the request. "Uh, well, if you want to, that's your decision-"

"I'd love to," She smiles at him. Both of them step up and see a tiny blue mark sticking out from one of the pages. The two glance at each other. It definitely wasn't there before when they had returned it...Varian opens it up to see a spot circled just for them. How do they know?

Because there's a tiny owl symbol near it.

The two smile, knowing exactly who did it. They sign their signatures, turning to each other and holding hands with warm looks.

Cass looks at herself in the mirror as she had been awarded a medal for her honor. "There's Corona's hero!" Rapunzel startles her as she clutches it into her hands. "Everyone is talking about how you saved Herz Der Sonne's book!"

"Eh, I'm just glad to be on my dad's good side," Cass comments and they walk towards her weapons cabinet. She opens it up and plants the medal...right near the flower that Andrew gave her. Rapunzel's eyes widen at it, smiling as she bounces up and down. "What?"

"Nothing," She waves it off. "Nothing at all. I'm proud of you."

Cass chuckles at her. "I'm proud of you too, and Harmi. I'm glad that she and Varian made up. They seem happy." She shrugs at the flower, closing the doors. She also didn't regret saving a spot for her friends to sign the book, either. She knew how much the two value what they have.

Maybe someday she'll try love again, but for now, she's happy right where she is with her friends. Despite Andrew being a fraud...it was nice while it lasted.


	12. Two Angry Princesses

The bell rings as Rapunzel and Harmony are standing in front of a red ribbon. "Nothing makes me happier than a dream coming true!" The two sisters are holding scissors in their hands. "Especially when that dream belongs to a dear friend like Attila. So let us be the first to welcome Attila the Bun Bakery to Corona!"

They snip off the ribbon, yet no one is around to see it. It's so empty a tumbleweed flies past them. Rapunzel glances to Harmony and Varian, slightly concerned.

"We put up all the flyers, didn't we?" Harmony asks the alchemist, who nods in confirmation. Then they glance away from each other awkwardly. While they had kissed each other and signed the book on the Day of Hearts, they easily fell back into their friendship. She obviously cares about him too much to allow herself to tell him her feelings...

No mistake, she knows she likes him in that way. Ever since the expo, she knew. How could she not? He's sweet, funny, and adorable. But she couldn't risk herself to be a relationship right now.

Attila clears his throat. "My mom always said that you can only get what you want outta life by using the three C's: Crime, carnage, and crime. But thanks to Rapunzel and Harmony, who helped make all of this possible, I've learned there's a fourth C: kindness."

The other pub thugs cheer while the princesses smile bashfully. "Uhh, kindness doesn't start with-"

"Uh uh," Eugene interrupts her.

"Now, who wants a treat?" Attila offers some cakes to them and they holler.

"One bimberry butternut, please," Rapunzel smiles, giving him some coins and taking one.

"Two more over here, Attila," Varian waves a hand, Harmony pulling out some coins from her coin purse. "No, I got it, Mona."

"No, Vari, I insist," She smiles, gesturing to herself.

"You might be a princess, but a gentlemen doesn't allow the lady to pay," He winks at her, giving Attila the coins. Harmony blushes, biting her lip as he holds out a butternut to her. She takes it into her hands and Rapunzel looks on happily. She's taking her sister's advice and wasn't going to interfere with her love life...

Not as much as she did previously, though.

The thugs run up to the plate eagerly, taking one. "Hey guys, come on. You gotta pay for those, you know." They stare at him wide-eyed. "I'm running a legitimate business here." He holds out the tray to Big Nose, who puts it back with a pout.

"Hey, you know I'm good for it, right? V? Harmi? You got me covered?" Hook Foot is about to take a bite.

"Sorry, but the coins I gave him was all I had left," Varian smiles sheepishly.

"And I'm a lady, so with him, I don't pay," She winks back at Varian, who turns red. Attila growls at his friends, who put back the butternuts.

"I want a cookie and a croissant and a baumkuchen and a muffin and, uh-"

"Good afternoon," Attila greets kindly, but all they see is his scary helmet. "Can I interest you in-"

"Mommy, look! A big scary no-faced man!" The child cries, hugging his mother.

"L-Look, mister, we don't want any trouble," The father backs away with his family.

"Oh, let 'em run!" Eugene waves it off. "You know, once word gets out about how good your baking is, no one is gonna care that you are...you."

"Besides, it's still early. Most people don't even like sweets in the morning," Rapunzel crosses her arms confidently.

"I want something sweet this morning!" A different child exclaims as several people are standing in front of Monty's Sweet Shoppe.

"Uncle Monty!" Everyone except Rapunzel shouts as they wave to him.

"Heya kids!" He walks over to the group, glaring at the crown princess. Attila looks between the two frenemies, Harmony pulling him away. "Rapunzel."

"Montgomery," She says with the same amount of animosity.

"They still hate each other?" Varian whispers to Harmony.

"Yup. I feel awkward..."

"I just came by to wish my new neighbor good luck!" He smiles up at Attila. "And to be one of his first customers!" He sees the plate of butternuts. "Wow! Oh my goodness! I believe I will try one of these bimberry butternuts!"

"They're my specialty!" Attila explains proudly. "I grow the bimberries myself!"

Monty takes a bite and gives a pleased look. "Attila, these are bimberry terrific!" He walks away while chewing, Rapunzel glaring after the man. "Hey Feldspar! You simply gotta try one of these bimberry butternuts! They're out of this world!" He states while walking back to his shop.

"Oh, thanks, Uncle Monty. I certainly wi-" He takes one look at Attila and runs off screaming.

"Don't you worry," Rapunzel tries to assure him. "Attila the Bun is gonna be just as successful as the Sweet Shoppe, if not more so." Varian, Harmony, Eugene, and Cass had nodded in agreement with her, but after she said Sweet Shoppe, they sent each other unsure looks. "And we are all going to help! Right guys?"

The thugs cheer as their answer. "Hey, who can float me change for a carp?" Shorty holds up a fish.

* * *

"You see, I figured we can get around the whole 'Attila-is-terrifying' thing by luring people in...with the good stuff," Eugene points to his face while Ulf is holding up free samples. "I was talking about the face, but sure yeah, these could work too. Free samples! Who wants 'em? Free samples! Come on, people, they are free! Don't make me go full smolder on ya, it could hurt."

Hook Foot is cornering a citizen in the alley. "Now listen, pal, you're in the mood to buy cakes. A lot of cakes," He threatens while Vladimir is standing nearby, eating an apple. "Because if you don't..." A guard just happens to be walking by. "My friend and I...will take you on a resplendent walking tour of the Corona Art Museum." He puts the apple in the man's mouth and pushes the man away. "Now you have a wondrous day."

Varian and Harmony hold up a cupcake costume from the costume shop, which Attila and Big Nose put over Rapunzel. "What is more welcoming for a bakery than a giant cupcake? Hello!" Monty looks outside, raising a brow at the girl's outfit. "Now...to get people's attention," She rings a bell.

"Rapunzel, no! Not bells!" Attila tries to warn her, but she rings it anyway.

"Milton hates bells!" Big Nose explains, Varian turning to the princess.

"Milton?"

"Oh no," Her eyes widen, turning to the goat sleeping near Ruddiger. He hears the bell and freaks out. The goat starts running towards Rapunzel. "No! Down, boy!" She runs away, the others chasing after them.

"Seek higher ground!"

"High ground," Shorty closes his eyes as he's laying on a window sill.

* * *

Later on, Attila shakes out a mouse...and two coins. "Sooo..." Rapunzel asks as they return. "How did we do today?"

"Okay...just a minute...that's, I lost count."

"Oh, here, let me count for ya," Eugene takes the coins, giving a look of dismay. "That would be two."

"And me and Vlad have been punching people all day," Hook Foot punches his fist. "And nothing!"

"People just don't respond to threats liked they used to," Vladimir scoffs, shrugging and shaking his head. "People."

"Ahh, punching people isn't a way to bring in business, Hook Foot," Varian speaks up nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Closing time, everyone," Monty announces, earning groans of disappointment in return. "Ahh, what the heck. Come on in!"

Attila sags his shoulders at all the people who willingly go into Monty's place... "I'm really sorry, Attila," Harmony places a hand on his back, Varian giving a small encouraging smile at him.

"Hey, Mona, do you want me to bring you something from Monty's before I go home?" Varian whispers to her.

"Just a lollipop," She tells him as Big Nose approaches.

"Oh, I know what you're thinking, old friend. Sure, the Sweet Shoppe is a Corona institution. Monty...Monty is a pillar of the community. Not to mention, hm! His candy?" Rapunzel glances at Eugene, who shakes his head. "Truly, it's as if magical sugar fairies descended from the heavens and sprinkled blessings on all of us. We are transformed by Monty and all that he makes, and the fructose of his life."

Rapunzel clears his throat as Attila is looking forlornly at his butternuts. "What Big Nose is trying to say Attila...is...never give up on your dream. Harmony and I believe in you."

"I don't know, Princesses. Maybe it was dumb to think a guy like me could ever be good enough to pull off something like this."

"That's not true! Sure, it's your first day and it was slow, but that shouldn't do anything to damper what you've always wanted to!" Harmony defends, Rapunzel nodding in agreement.

"That's very good, Harmi."

"Okay, okay. No need to worry. There's plenty of everything for everybody!" Monty declares to the crowd inside his store.

"...Maybe some folks just ain't allowed to have dreams..." Attila squishes the butternut to pieces...like how his heart felt. The girls glance to each other in worry.

* * *

The next day, Rapunzel, Harmony, and Eugene head over to Attila the Bun, to check up on him and implement a few ideas. "I was up all night and I think I came up with some really neat, bell-free ideas to help Attila the Bun!"

"Wow," Eugene chuckles at her. "You are really committed to this."

"I'm just tired of cutting ribbons, and hosting parties, and making appearances. Well, maybe not all parties. Someone's birthday is coming up~" She nudges Harmony in the arm, causing her to laugh. Yes, Harmony's birthday would be coming soon, and Rapunzel couldn't wait to host it.

"It is pretty tiring doing the same things over and over again," Harmony couldn't help but agree.

"Well, Blondie and Brownie, a statesperson's work is never done," Eugene tells them.

"Being a statesperson is fine, Eugene, but I wanna do things that really matter to the people of Corona. Like helping Attila," She explains with a smile.

"Yeah. With Rapunzel, they realized that they have dreams just like everyone else does," Harmony gestures to her sister. "They're not really so different from us...I just wish other people could look past his helmet."

Rapunzel and Eugene glance at her as she's still walking, a thoughtful look on her face. They couldn't help but wonder if she was doing this not just for a friend, but for herself. When they reach the two shops, the princesses gasp sharply.

"Oh no..."

Monty's shop has been vandalized, with the window broken, the door completely in pieces, and the sign breaking off. Eugene picks up what was left of the sign, confused.

"What...happened?"

"This must've happened after we all left..." Harmony murmurs as she examines the door all over the ground.

"Excuse us, Princesses," Pete calls out as they're taking away a handcuffed Attila.

"I'm innocent, girls! Innocent!" He cries out as they look at him in horror. There was no way he did this, he's since reformed! And even though he was dismayed over Monty having more success, he would never vandalize his store just to get more business...

"He's under arrest for vandalism. It's the Captain's orders," Stan replies, all of them watching Attila get taken away to the prison caravan. He follows after them, turning around. "I'm sorry, princesses." Attila gets locked in and they step forward to talk to him.

"I guess I was right. Some folks just ain't allowed to have dreams..." And that's the last thing he says before the caravan leaves.

"Mona!" Varian runs over to her. "What's going on?" He looks at the caravan disappearing.

"Attila...has been arrested for attacking Monty's shop..." She closes her eyes, not sure who or what to believe.

* * *

"Court is now in session. His Majesty King Frederic residing," Nigel announces in the throne room.

"Attila didn't do it!" Rapunzel insists, gesturing to her friend. "We know he didn't!"

"Please, Pa—your majesty," Harmony corrects herself. In court, she or Rapunzel aren't allowed to address him as such. "He wouldn't do that to Monty, they both respect each other!"

"I'm sorry, your highness..." The Captain sighs, stepping forward. "Not only does Attila have motive and no alibi, the evidence is overwhelming...there were two puncture marks in one of Monty's syrup vats that match the horns on Attila's helmet exactly. When we went to question Attila, I found one of Uncle Monty's stolen secret family recipes stuck to the bottom of his boot. Not to mention, moments before the vandalism was reported, two of my men happened to see Attila in the area. When they called to him...he ran off. Why would an innocent man run?"

The two look towards their friend and he stays silent. "I'm sorry...but after reviewing the evidence and his previous record, I have no choice but to exile Attila...to the Prison Barge of the Lost Sea."

This declaration shocks Eugene, Harmony, Varian, and Rapunzel. The Captain points to the exit, where Pete and Stan take him away.

"This is crazy! He's innocent!" Rapunzel groans in frustration. "There has to be a way we can prove it."

"I don't think we're gonna have enough time..." Eugene frowns at her.

"Time...time..." She gasps suddenly. "Onus procedendi!"

"What?" The Captain asks in confusion.

"Uh, your majesty, I would like to cite onus procedendi!"

"Me too!" Harmony holds up a hand.

"Wait, what is that?" The Captain questions the boys, who shush him.

"It's Latin. Smart people talk. Don't worry, she'll go slow," He whispers to the man.

"We've been reading all about Corona Law-"

"You've been what?" Frederic wonders, baffled as Arianna smiles.

"And by onus procedendi, Attila can be granted a 24-hour period to prove his innocence, provided that he has retained the sponsorship of a statesperson. And I'm pretty sure that being princesses qualify us as statespersons."

"You'll see, we can do this!" Harmony holds up a fist in determination. "And as statespersons, we can also provide him legal assistance."

"They are correct, your majesty," Nigel holds up a finger.

"Very well. Then you two have 24 hours to prove his innocence...princesses."

They curtsy to him, the Captain shocked that this ploy actually worked. The two smile at the boys, walking past them to go do just that.

"Nice job, you guys," Varian whispers to Harmony, and she gives him a thumbs up.

"You should open up a book sometime. It's really, really, fun. Shapes make letters. Letters make words. Words communicate thought," Eugene points to his head. "Circle of life!" He walks off proudly and later that night at 8:23, they visit the Snuggly Duckling, which Varian had to get permission from his father since he's usually home at this hour...

* * *

"Everyone!" Rapunzel announces to the occupants. "Listen up! We need to prove where Attila was last night. Can anybody give him an alibi?"

All of them stand up, raising a hand.

"I'm sorry, can anyone give him an alibi without lying?" Eugene corrects the question.

"And without threat or violence?" Harmony crosses her arms and all of them sit back down, to Rapunzel's dismay. Vladimir gets back up and sits down after a few seconds.

"That's the thing. Attila won't tell anyone what he did last night," Hook Foot tells them.

"Only that he didn't do what they said he did," Big Nose shrugs a little. "You know, Attila is actually a very, very private person. He's painfully shy."

"Attila?" Varian raises a brow, laughing a little. "No offense, but looks can be deceiving, my friend."

"Why won't he tell anyone where he was or what he was doing though?" Harmony murmurs, raising a brow. She wondered what Attila is going to such great lengths for to not say anything. Though, if anything, she really hoped it was nothing illegal, the case against him is already racked up against him.

"He doesn't seem that shy," Rapunzel glances to the others in disbelief.

"Ever wonder why he wears that helmet?"

"I just assumed he was repugnant," Eugene shrugs, getting a look from Harmony. "What? Fair game, we don't know what he looks like underneath it."

"Well, obviously, there's that too," Big Nose rolls his eyes.

"Alright, if no one can vouch for Attila, then we're gonna need hard evidence. I think it's time we checked out the scene of the crime," Rapunzel narrows her eyes.

* * *

The crime scene is being guarded as the others investigate, interviewing Monty. "I closed a little late last night, and there was nothing out of the ordinary. When I came in this morning, well..."

"I'm so sorry this happened, Monty," Rapunzel says honestly as Varian bends down to the barrel, eyeing the two holes.

"Oh, it's alright. I was thinking of remodeling anyway. Although I suppose, a few months ago, that thought never would've crossed my mind," He adjusts the award he won from the Gopher Grab with Rapunzel, who eyes it. Then she steps on syrup, jerking a bit and Pascal lands on some as well.

"Are you sure you don't wanna rethink the whole barefoot thing?" Eugene holds up a handkerchief, Rapunzel rolling her eyes in amusement.

"Yup...these are about as far apart as the horns on Attila's helmet," Cass says regrettably, measuring the length.

"Maybe if we analyze some of the damage, we could deduce what really happened..." The alchemist murmurs to the princess.

"My dad and the Captain are pretty convinced Attila did this, Vari. We'll be lucky if we could get anything to disprove that he's the culprit..." Harmony eyes the scene, noticing the door, the size of the horns, and the broken window. Something wasn't right here, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Attila can't be the only one who could make this kind of damage," Varian points to the barrel. "Maybe if I isolate the wood's structure, we can find out what _did_."

"Good idea," Harmony nods at him.

"Hey!" Eugene holds up a piece of paper with writing on it. "Here's Monty's secret recipe for blondies...Blondie."

She unsticks Pascal with a smile, eyeing something. "What is it?"

"The door shards...they're all over the sidewalk," She notices that all of the remains are outside, and not inside like they should be. "Huh..."

"If someone broke _in _the shop...those shards wouldn't be out there," Harmony raises a brow.

"She's right. Those should all be in here," Varian gestures to the floor around them.

"Boy, Attila really did some damage, huh?" Cass earns some glares from the three of them. "I mean...I mean...someone...someone did some damage."

Pascal snarls at her while Daisy fumes. She sniffs the air, feeling awkward and hoping to change the subject. "Ooh, smell that? Something in here really stinks, huh? Yeah, all the, uh...syrup in here must be going bad."

"Monty would never allow that to happen, or for it to smell," Harmony crosses her arms, Varian sniffing the air and gagging a bit.

"She is right on smell, though..."

"Hey, Cassandra, let's go see if we can find someone to remove that foot from your mouth, shall we?" Eugene pushes her out the door before she could ire them further. Harmony turns to Varian in slight concern.

"Shouldn't you be getting home, Vari? Your father must be worried."

"I sent him a letter saying that I'd stay with you and the others earlier," He smiles softly at her. "I might not know Attila that well, but if you wanna help him, then I want to prove him innocent too. We're in this together, Mona."

He takes a hold of her hand and she smiles, squeezing it. "Yeah...thank you for what you're doing."

"N-No problem," He rubs the back of his neck, picking up the barrel as evidence. Luckily, Harmony's already vouched for them to take any evidence if needed. She's a princess; of course she could make that possible.

Monty walks up to Rapunzel. "Listen Princesses. What you're trying to do for Attila is incredibly noble...but it's not looking good for him."

"I know it's not..." She hands him back the recipe. "But Harmi and I are standing by him. That's what friends do..."

He glances away, wondering just what really happened...

* * *

It's Wednesday morning, almost 4 AM as Rapunzel has a conspiracy board. Varian is still analyzing the evidence, including window shards and the remains from the door. It'd take forever to make a match for the crate, but at least he knows what happened to the door and the window. Harmony had written down everything on paper for Rapunzel, who stares at the board.

"Something's missing..."

"Yeah, sleep," Eugene interjects from the chair behind her. Harmony looks at all the facts she wrote down, rubbing her chin. "Blondie, Brownie, it's 4 AM."

"Eugene, why don't you go get some rest?" She asks while shuffling papers around.

"No! No, we...we are in this together-" He falls asleep right there as Harmony rubs her tired eyes. Rapunzel smiles at him, placing the blanket over her boyfriend and kissing the top of his head.

"How's that analyzing coming along?" Rapunzel looks to the two pleadingly.

"Still going...it takes 24 hours because of the old wood..." Varian rubs at his face.

"If it's not enough to prove Attila innocent...the only way he'd get out of this is for an eyewitness to step forward, and there are none!" Harmony sighs in frustration. The door knocks and the girl looks up at the door.

"Were you expecting someone?" She questions Rapunzel, who shakes her head no.

"I'll get it!" Varian smiles at her eagerly, opening up the door to see Ruddiger laying on top of a food cart. "Mona, I got you some food."

"What?" She glances upwards, seeing the cart. Ignoring the fact that the kitchen was supposed to be closed at this time of hour, she shakes her head, going back to the papers. "I'm too busy to eat right now."

"You haven't eaten at all," He deadpans towards her, holding out a butternut. "You need to eat, Mona."

She sighs slowly, feeling déjà vu. Whenever she visits him before curfew, she's always finding him in his lab almost always without food. Which is why she always brings him food from the kitchen. Now it's like they've switched places all of a sudden.

"Come on, you know you want to," He grins, poking her cheek with the treat.

"Alright, alright," She giggles, taking it from him and biting into it. "Thanks, Vari."

"We can take a break if you want to. The evidence is still being processed," He gestures to his desk and she nods, glancing at the tray with a grin.

"You know...I don't think I can eat all this food by myself. You wanna share?"

"I'll eat if you will."

The princess smiles and he takes a seat next to her, both of them eating. Daisy looks down from the top of her friend's head, glancing between the two teenagers.

Rapunzel squeals quietly, tiptoeing out of the room and to the gazebo where her family sits during breakfast. She takes a seat in front of the fountain, Pascal staring up at her. He places his chin on her knee. A sigh escapes her mouth.

"I don't know, Pascal. Maybe there is no way to prove Attila's innocent. Or maybe he's not innocent..."

"Oh, he's innocent alright," A female voice speaks up, Rapunzel gasping.

"Who's there?" She looks around the area, Pascal crawling onto her shoulder.

"Attila couldn't have been responsible!"

Suddenly, Old Lady Crowley, the oldest maid in the castle, holds up a lantern to reveal herself. "Old Lad—Ms. Crowley?" Rapunzel corrects herself. Everyone around calls her Old Lady Crowley because of her age.

"I saw that half-wit plucking flowers from my garden right about when they said the shop was vandalized," She explains to the crown princess.

"Oh. You saw Attila picking flowers?" Rapunzel asks slowly.

"What did I just say?" She replies sarcastically.

"Do you think you could testify before the king tomorrow?"

"You bet I could!" Old Lady Crowley answers confidently, to Rapunzel's happiness.

"Oh! Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! I know a lot of people give you a hard time, but I just knew deep down that you were-"

"I'm only doing this 'cause I wanna see that knuckle-dragging sod-horse get what's coming to him," The old woman interrupts sharply, "No one messes with my plumbagos!" She disappears behind a bush rather creepily...

"Okay then..." Rapunzel stares to where she left.

* * *

Later at 9:15 that morning, the pub thugs, Monty, Rapunzel, Eugene, Cass, and most of the guards are in the throne room in front of the king and queen. Varian and Harmony were still trying to deduce what happened, as they've worked for hours straight with no sleep. Rapunzel crosses her fingers, hoping that they'd make it.

"Your majesty, you have seen that the evidence undeniably places blame on Attila. Unless evidence to the contrary comes forth, I see no need to carry on," The Captain explains to the king.

"I do!" Rapunzel steps up, holding up a hand. "I call to the stand Ms. Hortense Q. Crowley."

The crowd gasps, before murmuring in confusion as they have no idea who she's talking about. "Uh, Blondie, you probably shouldn't just be making up people. This is a court of law," Eugene whispers to her.

"Ugh," She groans at this. "Old Lady Crowley?"

"Oh!" They all give sounds of recognition. The woman slams open the doors to the throne room.

"Of course," The Captain mutters as she grumbles.

"That's right! I saw Attila that night. He was pickin' my precious plumbagos!" She says to the king.

"So, your majesty, I think we can all agree it's impossible for anyone to be in two places at once. The defense rests," Rapunzel smiles confidently.

"I just have one question," The Captain holds up a finger. "Old Lady-uh, Ms. Crowley, would you be so kind as to point to the man you saw picking the flowers?"

"Of course I can! That's him! Right there!" Instead of pointing to Attila, she's accusing Big Nose instead, who is sniffing flowers. Rapunzel gasps in shock and he starts crying.

"I couldn't help myself! I'm a sucker for plumbagos..." He holds them close to his cheek.

"Ms. Crowley, you told me you saw Attila the other night!" Rapunzel gestures to her friend.

"That's not him?" She points to Big Nose. Rapunzel simply shakes her head. "How should I know? Those boys all look the same." And with that, the old woman storms off, to Rapunzel's disappointment and sadness. Attila hangs his head with a small sigh.

"Then I am afraid I have no choice..."

"But, Varian and Harmony are finishing up, I'm sure of it! If you just give them some time-"

"Time is what we are out of," He gives her a regretful look. "Attila will be exiled to the prison barge of the Lost Sea."

He's taken away by Pete and Stan, Rapunzel running up to him. "Attila! I'm so sorry!" She calls out sadly, the door shutting closed.

* * *

At 1:48 PM, Eugene and Cass are trying to get the saddened princess to eat something at the dining table. "Raps, you gotta eat," Cass places a hand on her shoulder, feeling sympathetic for her.

"How can I? Right now, Attila is being put on a ship that will take him away forever..." She murmurs sadly.

"Look, Blondie," Eugene speaks while eating a sandwich, "I know you try to see the best in everyone, and I think that's great. But sometimes, you know...people let you down. Not us or Varian or your sister, but other..." He lets out a belch. "People."

Cass groans, waving a hand in front of her face. "You stink."

Rapunzel and Harmony gasp sharply at the same time, even though the princess is in her room with Varian. "Stink! That's it!"

"Why do I feel like my sister and I have the same idea?" Harmony mutters before waving it off. "Come on Vari, let's go!"

"Right behind you!" He calls out, fumbling with the papers in his hand as he runs after her.

* * *

The three take Fidella and Max through Corona, hoping to reach the docks in time. "Come on, Max! Fast as you can!"

"Whoa! This is why I don't ride horses!" Varian hugs Harmony tight, causing her to blush.

Attila is being escorted to the ship that will take him away right at this moment. "This will take you to the Prison Barge. You should be there in 3 days time."

Two whinnies are heard. "Wait! Don't leave!"

He turns around to see Rapunzel and the teens, the crown princess' hair out of her braid. "Princesses?" The Captain asks in shock, Pete and Stan with their mouths wide open.

"Princesses?" Attila questions from the ship as it was already moving away.

"Guys, help me out here!" Rapunzel throws her hair, catching a pole. The three jump off the horses, trying to pull back as hard as they can. "We can do it!"

"Princesses, we've been through this!"

"We're sorry, Captain, but we're making a huge mistake! We just want one more chance! Please!" She looks up at him pleadingly while trying to get the ship back.

"We have proof this time!" Varian averts his eyes to his apron, pulling out the papers. "Just give us a chance to explain!"

Without a word, he helps them pull back the ship back to the dock, to their relief. "You have two minutes," He tells the three as they help Rapunzel tie her hair back up.

"That's all we need. Captain, Attila did not break into Monty's that night!"

"Okay, so who did?" He questions them and Varian places his hands behind his back with a smug smile.

"...No one," The three say in unison with a smirk, confusing him.

"Something bothered us about the broken pieces of the door all over the sidewalk. Why would they be outside and not inside?" Rapunzel starts off.

"Because they broke out of Monty's shop, and not in it," Harmony holds up a finger.

"That doesn't make any sense," The Captain says in disbelief.

"Yeah, I didn't think so either, until I noticed that the door had a bell!"

"A bell?" He asks, staring at their smiles. "Princesses, Varian, where is this going?"

"Oh, it's going somewhere, alright!" Varian winks up at him.

"I believe I can answer that!" They all turn to see Shorty being escorted by Cass and Eugene.

"Look what we found at Monty's!" Eugene smiles at the four.

"Just like you said, guys."

"Great? Who's next? The mime?" The Captain asks sarcastically.

"Unlike Old Lady Crowley," Harmony speaks up, "This source is reliable, for he was at the scene of the crime when it occurred!"

"Yup. Two words, Admiral: Sugar fairies."

"_As if magical sugar fairies descended from the heavens," Big Nose said to his friends. Shorty opened an eye._

"_I once led a walnut to a sugar fairy, and she never returned it. So, I figure Monty's sugar fairies might know how I could get it back. Course, it was about then, I remembered it wasn't a sugar fairy that borrowed my walnut. It was a squirrel."_

_Shorty facepalmed himself as he remembered the details, Milton standing next to him in the shop. "And he returned it two weeks ago. So we ate. After our snack, Milton thought it would be prudent to take a nap. I wholeheartedly concurred."_

_Monty, who didn't see them, spun his keys around as he was about to leave for the night._

"_But then..."_

_As he opened the door, the bell went off. "The bell rang."_

_Milton, upon hearing it, went crazy and started trashing the shop. Shorty woke up upon hearing it, crawling away and hiding behind a barrel. Milton jumped behind the counter, tossing a barrel off his head, which spilled syrup._

"Luckily, I recall Rapunzel's advice earlier and sought higher ground."

_Shorty did nothing to stop Milton as he was too tired, hiding in the ceiling. "Where I presumed the aforementioned nap."_

_He stayed there for a whole day, flies buzzing around his head as Cass sniffed the air from their first visit of the crime scene. "Wow! Smell that? Something in here really stinks, huh?"_

"That's why it smelled so bad in there," Cass crosses her arms.

"I object!" Shorty points at her accusingly, sniffing himself and coughing in disgust. "Withdrawn." She rolls her eyes.

"And according to Rapunzel, Cass saying that Eugene stank reminded her of Shorty's smell. I came to the same conclusion, and here we are," Harmony gestures to the short man.

"So the goat obliterated the store from the inside? And where is this goat now?" The Captain demands to him.

"Oh, probably not too far. Never is," Shorty whistles for Milton. "Goat."

He's hiding in one of the rafts, jumping onto the docks and sliding to a stop near Shorty, who hugs him. "You see, Captain, according to these results," Rapunzel points to the papers Varian has and he rolls them out, showing two pictures. One of them is the measured length of Attila's helmet, and the other of Milton's horns, which are the same. "It wasn't Attila's helmet that punctured Monty's chocolate drum. It was Milton's horns!"

Shorty licks the goat, to Harmony's disgust. "Mm, I love me some goat."

"Then why did we find stolen recipes on Attila's boot?"

"They weren't stolen," Harmony shakes her head. "Milton must've knocked them over during his rampage, and some of them had syrup on the back from the floor."

"Yeah, those recipes got tossed all over. Even onto the sidewalk. Attila must've stepped on one just like Pascal did and then it came unstuck back at his bakery."

"And because they were everywhere, it's not impossible for anyone to get one stuck on their foot and not notice," Varian nods at her.

"That's a bit of a stretch," He stares at the three skeptically.

"Everyone who was near the scene of the crime, check your boots," Rapunzel orders, everyone lifting up a foot to see a recipe stuck underneath. "Captain?" She points to his shoes and he scoffs, seeing one on his foot as well. He quickly reads the recipe, looking towards the others as they stare patiently with knowing smiles.

"So you see, Attila couldn't have done it," Varian crosses his arms. "Brown-furred goats have the same length between the horns as he does."

"Uh, clearly, there's been a mistake," He clears his throat, turning to Attila. "Attila, you're free to go."

The others cheer as he's set free from the handcuffs. Max nudges the Captain with a smile, Attila holding Rapunzel into the air out of happiness.

* * *

Together, they all head back to Corona, Attila riding up to Rapunzel, Varian, and Harmony. "I can't thank you enough, guys. Almost everyone gave up on me, except for you three."

"No problem," Varian waves a hand. "It was kind of fun, I felt like a detective today."

"Same here," Harmony giggles, patting Fidella who whinnies a bit.

"Aww, you're welcome. I guess when I really believe in something, I don't give up on it. Conviction...hey, maybe conviction can be the 5th C!"

"Yeah," Attila chuckles a bit. "Too bad it starts on a K."

Cass, who was listening in, leans towards Eugene. "Conviction doesn't start with a-"

"Uh uh," Eugene interrupts her again.

"Tell ya what, kids," Attila speaks up, getting Varian and Harmony's attention. "How about I give ya free butternuts after the repairs for your hard work?"

"Wow! Thanks, Attila!" Varian blinks in surprise, Harmony beaming at him.

"Attila, can I ask you where were you that night, anyway?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't you tell anyone your alibi?" Harmony raises a brow.

"It would've really helped you," Varian explains and the man looks around to make sure no one was listening, sighing.

"You won't tell?"

The three shake their heads no.

"Attila, can I ask you where were you that night, anyway?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't you tell anyone your alibi?" Harmony raises a brow.

"It would've really helped you," Varian explains and the man looks around to make sure no one was listening, sighing.

"Okay...I was afraid Attila the Bun was a mistake. I don't know nuthin about running a business, Princess. I just wanna bake. That's my dream. But everyone was so proud, and I didn't wanna let anyone down...so, sometimes, when I get stressed, I sneak out to my bimberry patch in the woods...and I sing to 'em."

The trio smile towards each other. "Well, your secret is safe with us."

"I get it, you don't wanna be embarrassed if people found out," Harmony looks towards Corona. "Sometimes I...dance around and sing using my hairbrush as a microphone while I'm in the shower."

"Everyone has their tendencies," Varian smiles, patting her back and she grins in relief, glad that he doesn't find that weird.

"It's just too bad about the business part. If only there were someone in Corona who could help out with that...hm," Rapunzel looks away with a small smile. "I know just the person."

* * *

The princesses step up to yet another red ribbon, but this time, they're happy about cutting this one. "And it is with great pleasure we re-introduce to you..."

"Monty's Sweet Shoppe," Harmony smiles at the business to her left.

"With pastries by Attila," Rapunzel gestures to the place to her right. Both men decided to be a co-op business. The princesses cut the ribbon, everyone cheering as the two men shake hands.

"Here Monty," He holds out some paper. "I tracked down all of your recipes for ya."

"Hm," Monty stares at them with a frown.

"Wait...are you still upset?"

"Oh no, son. It's these silly glasses I'm always forgetting to put on!" He puts on his glasses, blinking. The princesses smile to their parents.

"Girls..." He places his hands on top of theirs. "I'm proud of the way you both represented Corona today."

"Thanks Dad."

"Thank you, Papa," Harmony smiles up at him.

"Monty, I can't thank you enough for giving me this chance."

"It's what friends do!" Monty puts his glasses away. "Now come on...let's give you the grand tour. I got new counters, new shelves. I even got a new door chime!"

"Yeah, I see..." He stops short as he remembers something. "Wait a minute. Door chime?"

"Hey everybody, who wants a treat?" He opens the door...but alarms Milton nearby.

"NO!" Everybody gasps at him.


	13. Pascal and Daisy's Stories

_Rain poured down from the dark sky as lightning flashed. Out in the forest, a female chameleon was running through the grass. She looked back to see something white approaching her. She took off again as a white snake with one red and one orange eye loomed over the grass._

_It hissed, chasing after her, then lost sight. A young Pascal gripped onto the tail of his invisible mother, and she turned visible to smile at him, nuzzling his cheek. She sensed the snake moving and she run off. The snake discovered their hiding spot, but saw neither chameleon. The mother sped as fast as she could in the rain, the snake seeing them up ahead._

_Tiny water droplets hit the leaves as they ran by, and she eventually came to a stop at a river. Clearly, they wouldn't be able to get across on their own since it seemed to be too deep. She looked back to see the snake arriving. No matter what happened to her, she couldn't let him hurt her baby. She hugged him one final time, placing him on a lily pad and watching him leave with a sad whine. She took off, hoping to find another way around..._

_But came face-to-face with the snake. It lunged forward and lightning flashed from Pascal's eyes as he stared at the dark fog...with no sign of his mother. He eventually fell down a waterfall, landing in the water. He swam up to the grass, coughing and resting his chin for a second. He got back up sadly, as he was now all alone..._

_He walked a few steps before falling, closing his eyes. Suddenly, he heard humming, his big eyes looking up to see a tower. The lights were on and he smiled, walking towards it...but didn't realize that the same snake had been following him._

_The little chameleon crawled up the walls of the tower, opening up the window from the outside. He fully opened it, but didn't get to see who was singing as the snake appeared. It surrounded Pascal and leaped forward, pricking his side with a fang. Once it got back up, it was immediately hit by a frying pan, causing it to lose a tooth. Pascal looked up to see green eyes peeking behind the weapon. The snake lunged forward at the girl, but she swung forward, sending him out of the tower. She looked at the chameleon as the poison from the fang started to take effect._

_This was it...he was gonna die. He closed his eyes, awaiting his end as his skin turned grey._

_Flower gleam and glow_

_Let your power shine_

_Golden light appeared, moving around on its own._

_Make the clock reverse_

_Bring back what once was mine_

_Rapunzel had wrapped her hair around the little chameleon, using her healing powers to save him._

_Heal what has been hurt_

_Change the fate's design_

_Pascal started to turn green again, looking in awe before seeing the girl in front of him._

_Save what has been lost_

_Bring back what once was mine_

_What once was mine_

_Her hair turned dark in blonde color as the song stopped, confusing Pascal. He suddenly backed away a little as it moved on its own._

"_Don't be afraid, Mr. Frog," She bent down so that she was at eye level with him. "You're safe now." Rapunzel took off one of her purple buttons, holding it out to him. "Here. It's yours." He suddenly freaked out, hiding behind the windowsill. "It's a gift."_

_He eyed the object and stepped forward. She placed it on his head and he turned purple like the button. This made her giggle and he did too, holding the button in his tiny little hands. She held out her own and he jumped onto it._

"_All alone, huh?" She asked as she held him in her hands. He nodded sadly, recalling what happened to his mother. "So am I...most of the time," She stroked a lock of her hair. "If you want, you can stay with me! Then either of us will be alone ever."_

_He crawled up to her shoulder, nuzzling her cheek in happiness. _

_And so they spent years up in the tower, baking, playing chess, makeshift sword fights, and also seeing the lanterns together on her birthdays. She sighed happily at the sight as he wore a little blue birthday hat._

_18-year-old Rapunzel smirked at her friend, who helped her paint the ceiling, try out her cooking, and played chess. She let him win, to his excitement. Then they did a sword fight, and she jumped up into the ceiling, letting him slide on her long hair. She lowered herself to Pascal in the ceiling that night._

"_Goodnight, Pascal," She kissed the side of his head. "You'll always be my best friend..."_

_He opened an eye and smiled, closing it._

* * *

_Young Daisy and her mother were enjoying the pond, sitting in the water. She knew that she was different from the start; she couldn't fly like all the other ducklings. She tried and tried, but nothing worked, though she wasn't too bothered by it. Her mother still loved her the way she was, and she knew so. She didn't care if she couldn't fly, as long as she got to enjoy the way her life was now..._

_Suddenly, a twig snapped, and they looked up to see a strange man holding something. They looked up at him and he just scoffed, holding a gun right towards them. The two ducks squawked in alarm, swimming away as fast as they could. Two gunshots went off, but they hit the water instead. Daisy managed to crawl out just in time, running after her mother. She squawked as loud as she could out of fear, her mother holding her feathers over her head to protect her. They ran side-by-side, the hunter chasing after them and gritting his teeth._

_Daisy was faster and picked up speed, her mother following close behind. She went as far as her webbed feet could take her, faster and faster to the point that she didn't even know if her mother was following anymore._

_She saw a tiny cave up ahead and dashed into it, a gunshot echoing into the forest..._

_Her eyes shut closed as the sound rung in her ears. When she was well enough, she stepped out..._

_But didn't see her mother._

_The little duckling squawked as loud as she could, but got nothing in response. She began to grew worried; wasn't her mother right behind her? It was starting to rain as she looked around._

_She knew that she should stay there where it was safe, but she couldn't do that when her mother could be cold, lost, worried, or even snatched away by that man..._

_Before she realized what she was doing, her little orange feet walked into the cold rain, in search of her mother._

_She called into the forest, but nothing. _

_Daisy tried again, and got the same result._

_Her worry evolved into fear, as she had been searching for what seemed like hours. Not a single trace of her._

_She shivered in the rain, but she didn't care about that right now. Because it was so dark, she didn't see the hunter carrying her mother away...back to his house for..._

_Dinner._

_She never saw her mother again._

_As she walked sadly into Corona, she squeaked sadly, drooping her head. She wished that she was with her again..._

_While walking through the town, a foot stepped in front of her, and she looked up to see a young girl wearing a dark cloak over her body, so she couldn't see the girl's face. The duckling backed away on instinct as she bent down; was she gonna hurt her too?_

"_You poor thing, you must be freezing..." She held out a finger, touching the duckling's head. "You could catch cold..."_

_Daisy could only squeak weakly, as she'd been traveling alone for a while now. "Come on. Let's get you some food and near a fire," The girl held out her hands and the duckling jumped onto them. She felt like she could trust the stranger, and she wanted nothing more than to be warm..._

_The girl came to a stop, noticing a tiny daisy on the ground that was in bloom. "This is so pretty..." She plucked it from the ground and hummed, examining it. Her eyes shifted over to the female duckling, looking between the daisy and the duck._

"_Hmm..." She placed it near the duckling's ear, staring at her. _

"_How about I call you Daisy?"_

_Once Harmony found her that night, the two were inseparable. They'd play hide and seek in the castle, sneak pastries from the kitchen, play pranks on the guards, visit the horses at the stables, and slide down stairs together (though with a mattress)._

_Though there were days that the young princess would just sit in her room in the dark all day...those were the days Daisy hated the most...because her friend was hurting and she understood why. Because of what happened to her sister...and herself. _

_She told Daisy all about it, which only earned understanding and sympathy in return. She knew how it felt to not have a family member around anymore..._

_But that was why they were such good friends, the best of friends. And Daisy never wanted to forget any of these memories with the princess..._

_Once the girl was 14, she got more and more reserved...but she didn't let that show with Daisy. With her only friend, they still played together in her room, except during meals of course. Sometimes they'd sneak out of the castle and come back just before the guards checked up on her in the morning. That was a part of her father's worries since her sister was still missing...though they still kept hope that she would return to them someday._

_Harmony heard the door open and put on a proper look. She looked towards her luggage, as she would be leaving to aid one of the kingdoms. It had been said in a letter that crops were scarce and that some citizens needed guidance. Daisy was glad to go, as she hadn't been past Corona in years._

"_I'm happy to go, but at the same time...I don't want to disappoint my father," The princess sighed a bit, seeing Daisy's happy expression and smiling herself. "You look excited too," She scooped up her hands, the duckling jumping into them. She nuzzled Daisy's cheek with her own. "Thank you for being here for me. I'll never forget your friendship, Daisy."_

_The door knocked and they looked up to see Stan standing there. "It's time to go, princess. Are you ready?"_

_She took a deep breath, grabbing her bag and stepping forward._

"_I'm ready."_

* * *

In Rapunzel's room, Pascal opens his eyes, stretching his back. He lowers his branch near Rapunzel's bed, but doesn't find her in it. He looks around in confusion, silently wondering where she could've went. Then he remembers that it's breakfast time and he lowers the branch further to go find her.

Similarly, Daisy hops off the nest-like bed, sliding down bannisters to reach Harmony, though she's not in bed either. She jumps onto the floor, running off to go find her friend while pushing the door open. Her not being able to fly was a disadvantage at times, but she had gotten used to it, especially after the princess had gotten back into inventing. She's created all sorts of ways for Daisy to get around in her room that require no flight whatsoever.

The two pets meet each other in the hallways, greeting each other with their own noises before walking together to the kitchen.

There, they find the two princesses making breakfast together. Rapunzel hums as she puts some plums into the pot. Pascal and Daisy wave their hands to get their attention, but the two girls don't notice them. Pascal flicks his tongue to Rapunzel's ear, startling her.

"Oh! Pascal! Daisy! Thank goodness my trusty taste tester is here."

"You wanna try some too?" Harmony holds out her hand for Daisy to jump onto. She holds the duckling up as Rapunzel stirs some of the gravy. She holds out a spoonful to her lips, blowing on it and holding some out for Pascal.

"Ooh Mama, plum gravy!" Eugene suddenly moves his girlfriend's hand so that he can try it instead, to the pets' dismay. He swizzles it in his mouth, Harmony staring at him.

"Who tries plum gravy like that?"

"Mm," He swallows it, not noticing the glare from the duckling and chameleon. "Could use a touch more balsamic."

The two continue the glare while the princesses roll their eyes. "Mm. Yeah. Maybe just a little."

Eugene pours in the whole thing and tries it, Rapunzel and Harmony cringing at their friends. "Now that's plum gravy, baby!"

He holds out two spoonfuls to the pet duo, who move their heads away, as the balsamic had probably ruined the taste of the gravy at this point. He force-feeds them and they stick out their tongues in disgust.

"What do you know, frog? It's an acquired taste. Brownie loves it when I make it for her, don't you?"

Harmony slowly inches away, smiling nervously. Whenever Eugene brings her something that he made, she usually throws it out the window. In fact, she's done this so many times, she has a giant trash can right underneath her window.

Daisy spots a little cake nearby and waddles up to it. Before she can take it to Harmony, Eugene snatches it away and eats it.

* * *

Cass walks up to the entrance of the castle, where Rapunzel and Pascal are playing chess. The crown princess eyes the board as he stares at her smugly, waiting for her to make a move. Rapunzel slides her piece in an L shape, but Pascal knocks the piece off the board.

"Nice move, Pascal. I didn't even see that coming!"

"What was that?" Cass demands as she approaches them.

"What was what?" Rapunzel asks in confusion.

"Congratulating your opponent? Chess is war, Rapunzel, and your opponent is the enemy," She picks up Pascal and moves him away, taking a seat. "First rule of a game of chess is getting in your opponent's head. Now, give me your game face!"

Rapunzel twitches an eye, gritting her teeth with a growl. Pascal tries moving her eyebrows and Cass stares at them.

"I don't know, Pascal. That's more...confused face," She puts him down and moves the eyebrows downwards.

"Game face!"

"Uh, we'll work on that later! Now, I want you to look at this board with only one strategy: no mercy!"

Pascal protests as he watches, since he and Rapunzel were playing first before she butt in. "Not now, Pascal, I'm no-mercying my enemy," She puts down a piece and Pascal pushes one down, walking away from the table.

* * *

Daisy and Harmony are playing hide-and-seek together, the duckling looking happy as it was just like they used to. Harmony puts her hands behind her back as she walks past a flower pot with daisies inside. "Hmm, where could a tiny yellow duckling be...?"

She walks past the hiding spot and Daisy thought she had it in the bag when the princess picks her up gently.

"You almost had me there, Daisy. Good camouflage technique," Harmony giggles and suddenly Stan arrives in the hall.

"Princess! I was wondering if you could show me how the Weed-Be-Gone works again?"

"It's a simple tug and then it turns on," She raises a brow in confusion.

"...Oh, by show me, I meant fix it...?"

She sighs and puts Daisy on a table, walking away. "Third one this month..."

* * *

Later on, Pascal and Rapunzel are having a sword fight with wooden swords. Rapunzel laughs while Pascal smiles, but she knocks his sword away, to his disappointment. "I know. We're better with pans, Pascal, but swords seem to be the weapon of choice outside the tower."

She hears a whinny, looking up to see Max grabbing the sword with his mouth, challenging her.

"Ha! Finally, a worthy opponent! En garde!" She charges up to the horse, Pascal looking down sadly.

* * *

Harmony and Daisy slide down a flight of stairs, cheering as they reach the end. The mattress spins around once it touches the floor. Harmony giggles a bit, petting Daisy on the head affectionately. They're about to go another round when Eugene appears at the top of the stairs.

"What are you doing there, Brownie?"

"Mattress sliding. I sometimes do it whenever I'm not busy with princess duties or my classes," Harmony shrugs up at him.

"Oh, Lance and I used to do that at the orphanage! Man, those were good times. But you're doing it all wrong."

"I am?" She asks in confusion and he takes the mattress from her.

"Come on, I'll show ya."

Once they reach the top of the stairs, he stands on top of the mattress and holds out his arms, letting himself ride it all the way down, his hair flying.

"Whoa!" Harmony's eyes widen at him. "I wanna try! I'll go get a spare!" She runs off, leaving Daisy behind, to her dismay.

* * *

Rapunzel is fixing her hair, Pascal brushing the ends. Cass comes in and groans. "Let me," She snatches the brush from him. "We're late enough as it is." He blows a raspberry at her. "And you still need to sign Friedborg's card."

"Looks great!" Rapunzel smiles at the reflection. "Thank you. This girl is ready to party~!" She sees Pascal pumping up his fists and cringes. She sighs, taking him into her hands. "I'm so sorry Pascal, you know Friedborg is allergic to lizards, right? Remember the hives?"

He turns yellow with purple dots and she smiles a little. "I'll save you some cake."

He nods up at her and she kisses him on the forehead. Pascal watches them leave. "This is gonna be so much fun!" He faintly sees them knocking on Harmony's door across Rapunzel's room.

"Come in!" Harmony is just finishing up her hair, leaving it in her usual down style. Daisy is putting the finishing touches, the white roses, as the two come into the room.

"Are you done yet?" Cass asks impatiently. "Let me do it," She moves Daisy onto the ground gently, braiding whatever was left and quickly planting the flowers. "Did you sign Friedborg's card?"

"No, but I have it here," She holds up the card and Rapunzel takes it.

"I can't wait! And I invited Varian too!"

"Great..." Harmony smiles softly at the mention of him, standing up. Daisy chirps, waddling after them, but Harmony stops at the door.

"Aw, Daisy..." She bends down to her. "Friedborg isn't allowing any pets to the party, she's taking precaution for her allergies. Not even Ruddiger's allowed to come...I'm sorry," She nuzzles Daisy's head with her finger and leaves.

* * *

The two pets dejectedly walk through the halls, Pascal having turned his skin blue. Ever since Rapunzel moved in, and that Harmony had returned back to the castle, they've always managed to make time for them. But now their schedules have piled up a lot, leaving no quality time for them...people were either butting in, or replacing them. Daisy was glad that Harmony is being more sociable, given her past, but she was Harmony's friend just as much as everyone else's.

"All alone again, huh?"

They look up to see Shorty sitting in front of one of the doors. "I know how that goes, believe me. Sometimes friends can let you down."

The duo nod in agreement. "But you know what I say? The key to that door is not to let it keep you down."

Pascal looks up with a tiny squeak, turning green again. "Now that's what I'm talking about! Now you get out there and you do that thing!"

They nod with happy smiles, waving and running off. Soon, their friends would be doing all the things they used to do with them. "So, you just gonna sit there all leafy and silent, huh?" Shorty is talking to a dead plant. "Fine, don't take my advice...oh, forget it. I can't stay mad at you!" He hugs the plant.

* * *

Rapunzel wakes up the next morning to see Pascal staring down at her, smiling. He crawls down her body and she notices a guitar, ballet shoes, and painting supplies. "Pascal, what is all this?" He gestures to everything with a big smile. "You planned a whole day for us? How fun!"

He nods and she's about to take the guitar when Cass opens the doors, sighing. "Rapunzel! You're supposed to be at breakfast with the duke's daughter!"

"Oh, right!" Rapunzel throws the covers over Pascal, Cass helping her get dressed. "But after that, we can-"

"After that, you have to teach art class, then you promised Max you'd play polo before your council meeting. After that is the music mix n' mingle with Hook Foot, then audience with citizens. You're booked solid all day."

Rapunzel peeks behind the changing screen to see an upset Pascal. She walks up to him regrettably. "I'm so sorry, Pascal. But these things are really important."

"Come on, Rapunzel. You can play together later."

"Oh, I know!" She clasps her hands together. "Let's have dinner! Just you and me, like old times! We can tackle one of those puzzles."

Pascal smiles and shows hands at opposite sides. "Yup. 6 o'clock. Promise."

She waves to him and he gives a thumbs up in return, the doors closing.

Harmony sits up, yawning and stretching her arms. Daisy squeaks and she looks to her left to see breakfast on the dresser for her. "Daisy? Aw, you made me breakfast in bed."

Daisy jumps onto her lap, gesturing to cooking supplies, some of Harmony's tools, and archery. "A whole day together? That sounds great!"

She's about to eat when Cass bursts into the room. "Harmony, breakfast with the duke's daughter, remember?"

"Oh...but then after that, I have-"

"Archery class taught by you, then you said you'd help Monty with making chocolate. After that is the music mix n' mingle, then also audience with citizens. Both you and Rapunzel are booked solid."

Harmony sighs slowly at this and stands up. In a matter of seconds, both Rapunzel and Cass help her get ready.

Cass suddenly smirks, moving away from the entrance to reveal Varian holding a bouquet of roses.

"Hey Mona...um, these are for-"

Her eyes widen in surprise as she takes them.

"Vari! These are so beautiful!"

"Well, I asked someone from Old Corona if he had any fresh ones, and he let me have them for a price..." He rubs the back of his neck bashfully. "Do you like them?"

"I love them! And so will the duke's daughter when I put these at the table!"

"What?" He asks in confusion as she runs past him. Then he sighs and sags his shoulders. They were really meant for Harmony, but she didn't let him finish...Cass cringes a bit, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Varian," Rapunzel frowns a little.

"You'll have plenty of time to tell her about the confusion, but now, we have to go."

Daisy looks on sadly as she watches them leave. Harmony pops her head back in. "Daisy! Let's sneak out the castle and explore later tonight at 6." The duckling perks up. "And then we can have a midnight snack afterwards," She blows her friend a kiss, waving as she runs off.

* * *

Pascal and Daisy watch the clock as it rings for 6, both of them beaming. This was it, they could finally have their owners to themselves for a change. They look towards the door as a whole feast sits on the table. He fixes a glass, but no one comes in. Thinking that they were just a little late, they wait...but nothing.

The princesses notice the time as it's already been five minutes past 6. "Those are all...interesting official Corona slogan proposals," Rapunzel laughs nervously to a citizen.

"Especially 'Corona: Hittin' them where the sun DOES shine!' Aww, that's my favorite."

"Especially that one," Rapunzel smiles weakly, pointing at him.

"Yeah...we could always use more slogans," Harmony laughs awkwardly, seeing Varian behind some double doors. He was only there for support, as meeting with citizens could be very exhausting. She mouths 'help me,' and he shrugs cluelessly. He couldn't just make the line disappear...

The citizen walks away. "Okay...that was the last citizen," Rapunzel stands up.

"Now if you'll excuse us, we have somewhere to be," Harmony smooths her skirt once she's on her feet.

"Uhh, one more," Cass whispers sheepishly.

"Your highnesses, your highnesses!" Shorty comes in riding a muddy pig, to their disbelief. "This swine demands to be heard. I will translate for your conveniences, for I am fluent in Pig Latin." Rapunzel opens her mouth in shock, seeing that it's already 6:15.

"...This is really happening," Harmony mutters as she sits back down, unsure of how to describe this moment. "We really have to listen to this? Cass, Shorty takes forever to get an actual point across!"

"Sorry," Cass whispers to them. What's worse is that they can't interrupt or leave, as that would be rude.

The two pace around on the table, hearing the doorknob turn. Thinking that it's the princesses, their smiles get bigger and bigger...until it's Lance who opens the door, and they drop their smiles. He sniffs the air and gasps, noticing all the food.

"Gangway! I smell stroganoff!" He's about to sit down when the two signal to him. "It's not for me?"

Daisy angrily shakes her head no, glaring up at him. "Oh, why, I wasn't actually going to eat it. I just wanted a second to raise a glass to you...and then lower it," He traps them underneath the glasses. "Now where was I?" He takes off a lid and there's nothing they can do to stop him.

"Your highnesses, there are more pigs than my washtub bed can accommodate," Shorty states while the princesses are trying to get the pig to stop chewing at their hair. "And so I humbly request a million money coins, that are currency, to build Corona's first piggy bank. Here is a petition, signed by several prominent members of the pig community, oinking their support."

He holds up a paper that has pig nose mud marks on it, which the giant pig snatches, releasing the hair and taking off into a run. This knocks the two on the ground. "No! Buster, we agreed to split that!"

Varian chuckles a bit, he couldn't help himself at the sight. Harmony looks up and gives him a tiny glare.

"I can see that you're mad that I ate every single thing at this table," Lance licks a finger while wearing a napkin over his shirt, seeing the angry looks from the two of them. The feast has been completely destroyed... "And, I know you and I haven't always seen eyeball to weird giant lizard and duckling eyeballs-"

Daisy squeaks up at him angrily. "But the thing is, you shouldn't be mad at me. Really, you should be mad to whoever stood you up, whoever took you two and all this fine food for granted. If it were me," He laughs a little, "You wouldn't see old Lance waiting around, that's for sure. Nope," He lifts up the glass to set them free and they're not even mad anymore...because he was right. "I know when I'm not wanted, but that's what makes you two better than me." He leans back in the chair. "And now, if you'll excuse me..." He sighs a bit, "I've got a food coma to slip into."

He starts snoring, the two walking away sadly.

* * *

Rapunzel and Harmony are running down the hall, just about to reach their friends. "There you are!" Eugene appears out of nowhere, walking next to them. "I need to talk to you."

"Eugene, we really have to-"

"Blondie, I've had two things on my mind all day: 'what is chutney' and you. What say you and I go to the canal for a romantic cruise, just the two of us? And I can bring Varian along," He winks at Harmony knowingly, the girl giving a deadpan look. "Still haven't figured out that chutney thing."

"I'm sorry, Eugene, we promised Pascal and Daisy we'd spend time with them, and we're already late," Rapunzel tells him.

"Plus, that sounds like a double date, and Vari and I are not a couple," Harmony narrows her eyes.

"Oh, getting ditched for a frog," Eugene deadpans to Rapunzel. "Ouch...right in the ego."

"Aww, are we jealous of Pascal?" She pinches his cheek. "Don't worry, you're both still my best friends."

"And mine," Harmony states as her sister opens the door, but the two pets hear this as she shuts it behind her.

"After Pascal and Daisy," They say in unison.

"Oh, maybe Lance can join you on your cruise!" Rapunzel kisses his cheek, waving as they leave. "Night!"

"Have fun," Harmony winks at Eugene.

"But Lance always wants to steer the boat!" He calls out after his girlfriend. "I always steer the boat! And there is no way Lance has any knowledge of chutney!"

"Enough with the chutney, I'll tell you tomorrow!" Harmony shouts towards him as she looks over her shoulder.

Pascal looks at drawings of him with Rapunzel...then the next page is of her with Eugene, her parents, Max, Cass and Owl, and lastly Harmony. He lightly touches the pages, as he's been replaced by all of them...which wasn't their fault, Rapunzel loved all of them. But that left no time for him...

He shuts the journal closed, knocking it and a box onto the floor. He crawls towards the floor, seeing the very same button Rapunzel gave to him when she met him. He takes it into his hand, caressing the button.

"_You'll always be my best friend._"

He turns purple like the button, holding it close before walking away from it. He opens the window and crawls out of it, going to the other side to reach Daisy.

Daisy looks at all of the inventions that she's made with Harmony. Then she notices all of the pencil drawings Harmony has in her own journal: of the girl with Eugene, her parents, caressing Max when they snuck out of the castle, smiling between Cass and Owl, laughing with Varian, and finally hugging Rapunzel. All of them had disregarded Daisy, ignoring her or pushing her away...she was really starting to prefer it when she and Harmony had the castle all to themselves, and now there hasn't been a single time lately that she's been alone with the princess...

She looks up and sees Harmony's portrait by Rapunzel for the hall (the princess managed to paint this copy herself). She can remember the girl nuzzling her before they had left Corona.

"_I'll always remember your friendship, Daisy._"

The window knocks lightly and she sees Pascal standing outside. The duckling takes off the daisy and leaves it on the ground. She jumps onto the desk next to the bed, then uses a tiny catapult to reach the vanity, and hops onto the windowsill. She pushes it open and follows after him outside.

"Pascal?" Rapunzel opens the door to her room.

"Daisy?" Harmony follows after her.

"Are you two in here? We're sorry we missed dinner and sneaking out of the castle."

Rapunzel doesn't find the chameleon on his branch, the curtains flying. "Pascal?"

Harmony gasps sharply, running into her room and finding it empty. "Daisy...?" She notices her window is open as well. Then she sees the flower abandoned on the ground and picks it up, lightly touching as she's realized what's happened.

The two pets jump onto a pile of hay on a cart that's exiting Corona. They look back towards the castle sadly, turning around. The cart gets further and further away from the kingdom.

Eugene is snoring in his room when Rapunzel pops up next to him. "Eugene?"

"Whoa! Leave my cheekbones out of this! Whoa, what, where?" He lifts up the eye mask over his face.

"Are you awake?" Rapunzel looks down at him, worry stricken over her face.

"I am now..."

"Pascal's missing, and Daisy too!"

"Yeah..." He sits up, rubbing at his face. "Doesn't he disappear? Isn't that, you know, his thing?" He rubs his neck.

"Well...yes, but he's-"

"I'm sure he's fine," He interrupts his girlfriend. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm sleepy-" He's about to rest his head on the pillow when she takes it away.

"He's never ever spent the night away from me before! It isn't like him! What if something happened to him?! What if he's alone and scared and in danger?!" She pulls him up to face her, and he can see the agony in her eyes at the thought of Pascal being harmed.

"I'll get my boots. Where's Brownie?"

"She's waking up Cass and then she's going over to Varian's in Old Corona."

* * *

Daisy nods to Pascal, jumping off and landing safely at her spot. He waves to her as he lands not too far away. He looks up at the trees, glancing behind him and heading straight, but a familiar hiss is heard behind him...

He walks down the grass, a white snake eyeing the chameleon. And it's the same one because it has the same red and orange eye, and a missing fang from what Rapunzel did to him. It follows after Pascal, wanting to do the same thing that he did to Pascal's mother.

Daisy waddles into the forest, eventually reaching the same lake that she lived at as a child. She reaches the water and pokes a foot into it before settling on top, closing her eyes. A hunter eyes her, the same one that took out her mother as he readies his gun...

Max sniffs the ground as it's now early morning, the princesses searching for their friends.

"Pascal!"

"Daisy!"

"Pascal?"

"Daisy?"

Eugene and Varian follow after them tiredly. They search a hall. "Pascal?" Rapunzel looks into a flower pot. "Hello?"

Harmony checks one of Daisy's hiding spots, the vent. "Come out, buddy!"

"Daisy, please," The girl pleads as she looks like she's about to cry.

"Blondie, are you sure you wanna keep-"

"YES I'M SURE I WANNA KEEP LOOKING!" Rapunzel screams at him, Varian stumbling back a bit out of fear. After that response, he wasn't going to ask Harmony the same thing...

"Okay! I'm looking! Still looking!" Eugene eyes the hall while Varian looks behind a pillar. Cass walks up to the princesses.

"Girls, I-"

"Hey, good morning. You look less pale today," Eugene points to her nervously. "Looking for the princesses? Yeah, I wouldn't. They're a little upset, so you might wanna keep-"

"Move it, powder puff," She pushes him away, to his annoyance.

"Ole."

"Raps? Harmi?"

They turn around frantically, Harmony's hair a little messy out of panic. "Did they turn up? Did you find anything? Did anyone see anything? Are they okay?"

"Uhhh...no," She says slowly. "No word on either Daisy or Pascal."

Harmony sniffles a bit, Varian hugging her in comfort. "We'll find her, Mona. I promise," He whispers into her hair.

"Look, we're going to have to call off the searches for now."

The princess slowly lifts up her head, staring at her lady-in-waiting in disbelief. "What are you talking about?"

"I know you two are worried about Pascal and Daisy, we all are, but you have another packed day ahead of you. Listen Rapunzel-"

"**No!**" The two interrupt sharply. "You listen!"

"Cancel everything," Rapunzel grits her teeth. "Lock down the castle. Nothing gets done until we find them. Nothing is more important than that. Nothing! Is that clear?"

"I don't care right now about what I have to do today," Harmony clenches a fist. "I'm not going to put my duties first anymore. The day that you ask me to put my position first over Daisy, you'll have to do it over my dead body. So shut up and do what we ask!"

Cass stares at them with wide eyes, unable to say anything as she watches them walking away. Varian simply opens his mouth in shock. He had never seen that side of Harmony before, and it was honestly a little scary...though he understands where she's coming from. If Ruddiger went missing, he'd stop everything and look as well, and be just as annoyed as she seems to be.

"I would do what they say," Eugene whispers to her.

"Now _that _is a game face," Cass couldn't help but be impressed, no matter how frightening they had looked. Max just whinnies, raising a brow at them.

* * *

Rapunzel and Harmony are drawing something and they turn around to reveal missing posters for the two friends.

"How are these?"

"Well...they're good likenesses, but why do they look so terrified?" Eugene notices the eyes from both pictures.

"Because he's so scared and all alone and frightened without me," Rapunzel sits on her bed. "He ran away and it's all my fault. I have been so busy with other things that I've neglected our friendship..."

"It's not just you," Harmony takes her seat next to her, placing her hands on her cheeks. "Daisy was my first friend that I made while being stuck in the castle my whole life. She listened to me, she cried with me...and I was so wrapped up in things that I forgot about her..."

"Uh, plus you missed dinner and sneaking out with them," Eugene interjects, getting two glares in return. "Uh, don't be so hard on yourselves, Blondie and Brownie. You don't know that for sure. Besides, they couldn't have gotten far. They're tiny."

"That's not the point," Harmony says sharply as Rapunzel notices the button on the floor. She takes it between her fingers, nuzzling it slightly. She bites her lip, knowing the one place that Pascal would go to. She gasps, turning around to her mural behind Cass and Varian. She sees the look from her friend and looks up at the wall.

"I know where he is."

"But how are we gonna find Daisy?" Varian looks to Harmony, who looks at the daisy between her fingers.

"...She showed me a lake once...when we snuck out of the castle for the first time..." Her eyes widen as she stands up. "It was the same lake where she grew up with her mother!"

Pascal opens up the window to the tower. He crawls inside, still failing to notice the danger that had followed him inside.

Rapunzel and Eugene ride Max, Cass rides Fidella, while Harmony and Varian ride a white horse with long silver hair. His name is Silver, and he's Harmony's horse for travel. They go over the bridge that lead to Corona.

"You two go after Daisy, and we'll head straight," Rapunzel calls out. Harmony nods at her and she snaps the reigns, Silver turning left.

"Where are we going?" Cass calls out.

"The tower!"

"The tower?" Eugene asks in surprise. "The tower tower? Okay, we really need to start voting on decisions like these."

"So I have to ask," Varian speaks up while the horse is still heading towards the lake. "What happened to you...when your sister was on her way to return home?"

"You mean when all of that...stuff with her and Eugene happened," She bites her lip. "When she lost her hair, my moon symbol just stopped glowing altogether. I lost a few of my powers, but I still had the power to create moonlight. My hair wasn't like the way it is now, but I guess the reason why it's only my bangs that turned blue is because I don't use my powers that often. I don't even remember the song...but I got through it with Daisy..."

"We'll find her safe and sound, Mona," Varian pulls her into a gentle hug and she returns it. "I swear."

"Thank you, Vari."

Pascal had managed to start a fire at the fireplace, hugging himself as he looks up at the ceiling. Everywhere he could just remember a childhood memory with Rapunzel. He smiles at each spot, each memory just as fond as the next one...

He senses that something is off, but shrugs it off. The white snake reveals itself, lunging towards Pascal. He chirps and jumps, the snake knocking him into a pot and breaking it. He lunges forward towards the chameleon.

Daisy looks over her shoulder, eyeing the area around her.

A chuckle is heard as the gun clicks, pointed towards the duckling. "You're gonna go great into my tummy..."

She looks back and moves away in alarm as the gun goes off.

The others reach the tower, the crown princess gasping and recoiling back at the sight. Eugene places his hands on her shoulders sympathetically as they stare up at the tower...the same one that she lived in for 18 years, thinking that she was Gothel's daughter the whole time...

"Wow...so this is where it all happened..." Cass steps up a bit, crossing her arms.

"Yeah...this is the first time I've been back since..."

"Rapunzel," Eugene says, not wanting to overwhelm her, "You don't have to go up there alone."

"Yes...I do. I owe it to Pascal," She starts walking forward.

"Ah, it's probably better I stayed down here. I have a strict rule about dying in the same place twice."

She looks up at her false home, going around to the front door. Moving away some of the plants, she stands in the doorway, glancing to her friends. Cass and Eugene smile encouragingly, which she returns before slowly stepping inside. Some of the plants have overgrown inside as she takes a deep breath.

"Come on, you got this...don't be afraid, Rapunzel. It's just a tower..." With a shaky breath, she raises a foot and takes a step.

Silver finally reaches the lake, where it's all foggy, so they can't see what's happening for the moment.

"This is the lake..."

"Where she was born, yes...it's also where she lost her mother," Harmony finishes for him and his eyes soften.

"I never knew..."

"Neither did I at first...until she showed me where she died. I would show it to you, but I don't think you'd be able to handle it."

Varian smiles weakly, as she knew fully well what would happen if she showed him blood. Suddenly the smile drops as they hear a gunshot. Harmony gasps, running forward through the thick fog. "Oh my god. Daisy?!"

"Daisy, where are you?"

Rapunzel walks further up the stairs while Pascal is being chased by the snake. He looks up and moves around a pot, pushing it towards the reptile. He dodges it, only for a pot to land on his head. The chameleon throws some bottles from the shelf, the snake avoiding them and hissing. Pascal runs up to the ceiling, dropping a pan, but the snake continues its attack.

He looks around and sees the place where he used to sleep, crawling up the stairs all the way to the top. The white snake lunges towards the reptile as he jumped, but misses at the last second. Pascal sighs in relief.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god," Harmony mutters in worry as the two follow the sound as best as they can. Daisy runs left and right, avoiding all the gun shots. She jumps up over another bullet, pushing a little log towards the man. He jumps over it, sliding onto the ground due to mud. Daisy tosses some at his face, causing him to growl. She runs off again, the hunter relentlessly pursuing his prey.

"Hold still!"

She notices what's up ahead, a drinking lake she'd go to with her mother. She sees a lily pad and jumps inside, hiding underneath the pad. She closes her eyes in relief.

"Pascal?"

His eyes widen at the voice and he looks over the basket. The snake hears her and grins, preparing to bite her. "Pascal, are you up there?"

He removes the rope, falling towards the ground. The white snake falls for it and slithers towards the object, biting at it before realizing Pascal's not inside. Rapunzel lifts up the door, her back turned. "Hello?" She steps into the room. "Pascal?"

The snake hisses at her and she turns around in alarm. He slithers up to her, but Pascal, who was hiding, grabs his tail and pulls him back. The snake hits the cabinet, Pascal turning invisible. He appears behind the snake, who hisses and tries to eat him. The chameleon slams his face with the frying pan, the other tooth falling out. The reptile hisses in anger, Pascal making the fire stronger. The large shadow looms over the snake and he sees his prey with a tooth in his mouth, snarling. Pascal walks up to him and he slithers back in fear, only to touch Rapunzel.

She smacks him out of the tower and into a bush behind Cass and Eugene. They turn around and see the snake. "Friend of yours?"

Cass narrows her eyes.

"Daisy!"

The hunter hears the princess' voice, smirking. "Friends of yours, huh? Then I guess I'll have to get rid of them too."

Daisy's eyes widen as Harmony and Varian stumble upon the man. "HEY! What do you think you're doing?" Varian demands to him.

"That little duckie of yours is my prey," He glances over his shoulder, looking at Harmony. "And if you get in my way..." He turns around, pointing the gun. "Well...you'll be saying goodbye sooner than later."

"You sick monster!" Harmony shouts at him. He puts his finger at the trigger.

"Don't believe me?"

The two back away in horror, Varian standing in front of Harmony protectively. Daisy narrows her eyes bravely, shooting out of the water and flying towards the man. To the teens' shock, she pecks at his eyes while flying, causing him to drop the weapon. Harmony grabs it as he falls onto the ground.

"Get off me!" He tries to swat her away and she flies off into hiding. He looks up and eyes the grass, the fog starting to clear up a little bit. Daisy finds two branches and chirps, grabbing them. She moves into the grass, causing it to rustle as the man looks around, unable to see her. Suddenly a large 'monster' appears, thrashing around its arms. He lets out a scream, running into Harmony and Varian. The girl grins, reeling her arm back and punching him in the face.

"Ha ha. Not so tough now, are you?" Varian teases, tossing a pink ball and trapping the hunter in goop. The monster reveals itself to be Daisy, holding onto two arm-like logs.

"Daisy...I can't believe you flew," Harmony bends down to her. The duckling flies up to her eyes, chirping happily. The girl smiles, glad that she's not hurt or worse...

Pascal turns green, noticing his friend. Rapunzel smiles softly and he returns it. She sits down in front of him. "Oh, buddy...I know why you came here. Life was so simple when it was just the two of us," She picks up Pascal in her hands. "But that doesn't mean that I don't love you. That will never change. You'll always be my best friend...besides, nobody could ever take your place in my heart," She places the button on top of his head and he turns purple. He crawls onto her shoulder, nuzzling her cheek. "Or on my shoulder."

"I'm so glad that's over…" Harmony sighs in relief, sitting onto Silver's saddle as they're heading back home. They dropped the hunter off to the nearest authorities, and hopefully, he'll never hurt another animal again.

"We're also glad that you're alright," Varian smiles, nuzzling Daisy with his finger. She chirps happily at the contact.

"I'm so sorry that I've been neglecting you, Daisy," Harmony stares at her guiltily. "You came to the lake because what happened to your mother was the first time you told someone about it...I know that things have been...hectic with my life ever since my sister came back..." She scoops up Daisy into her arms. "No matter what happens, you're my best friend, and I love you. I never wanted to hurt you..."

Daisy smiles up at her, flying around the two. Harmony giggles at her. "And I'm so proud that you can fly! Besides..." She holds up a finger, Daisy landing on it. "Nobody could ever replace you."

Daisy looks up and gestures to Harmony, winking. Varian gets the hint and clears his throat. "Um…Mona, about those flowers-"

"Oh, those roses?" She interrupts, playing with the necklace in her hand. "Those were really pretty, Vari. The duke's daughter thought so too."

He chuckles awkwardly, rubbing his arm. "But, um…those flowers were actually meant for you, and as a gift."

Her eyes widen as her mouth drops open. "…And I thought it was for the breakfast. Oh, of course! So stupid, Harmony!" She chastises herself.

"You're not," He places his hand on her shoulder. "At least you enjoyed it…it was actually a present for your birthday."

She turns to look at him with a soft smile. "My birthday's not for another few weeks, Vari."

"I know," He rubs the back of his neck. "But…you looked like you needed it after the long days you've had lately, and…I just wanted to do something nice."

She leans in and kisses his cheek softly, causing him to blush.

"Thank you...for the flowers and for helping me find Daisy," The girl nuzzles Daisy's cheek with her own.

"Of course! I know how much she means to you...and I'm sorry if I got in the way of that."

Daisy flies up to his head, landing in his hair. They both chuckle, looking up at her as she uses it as a makeshift nest.

"I guess that means I'm forgiven."

* * *

Rapunzel looks at the new picture of herself with Pascal, Harmony, and Daisy. She closes her journal. "It wasn't the same without you here," She looks to her best friend on her shoulder. She plants the book on her dresser, kissing Pascal on the head. "Goodnight Pascal."

He jumps onto the branch, but she uses her hair to bring it down. "Uh uh. I don't think so." She plants him on the other pillow. "Here is better...right by my side."

They both smile, falling asleep together.

Daisy and Harmony stare at the page as the princess is just finishing up drawing herself with Rapunzel, both pets on their shoulders as the girls' backs are towards each other with big smiles. Their hair cascades past their backs.

"Even though Rapunzel's back and my family's complete..." Harmony starts off, nuzzling Daisy's head with her finger. "I really missed you."

She closes the book and puts it away, Daisy flying up to her face. "Hmm. Goodnight Daisy," She kisses the duckling on her forehead, laying her cheek on the pillow. Daisy is about to fly towards her nest bed when Harmony whistles to her.

"Nope. Get back here. You're sleeping by my side tonight," She smiles and Daisy lands on the other pillow. They both fall asleep peacefully.

The four make food together, with Eugene and Varian as taste testers. Then they best Cass as a team in chess, play with Max in a sword fight, and watch as the princesses put up a new slogan, helped by Varian.

_Corona: Hit them where the sun does shine!_

Varian and Harmony nail up the sign for Shorty's Piggy Bank.

Daisy and Pascal smirk at Lance, who got stuck with all the dishes from his feast, which he had to clean up as punishment.


	14. Big Brothers of Corona

**Angel: Some people have asked me exactly how Harmony got in close proximity with the Moonstone, but don't worry, season 2 will answer those questions. However...I'm not even on the finale yet, because with my schoolwork, and work, I haven't had much time lately to finish the 1st season. Hopefully I'll have it done by February at the latest. I'm currently writing The Alchemist Returns at this point in time, so I just need to get that done before I finally get to the season finale special Secret of the Sun Drop (which will no doubt take me days to write just like with the other two specials...)**

**I know that it's still a mystery on what exactly will happen to Harmony, but let me just focus on this season first before I even worry about the other 2. Thank you for your understanding and patience.**

**And it's still a mystery on Cass and what I'll do with her in the third season, but I'll get to it whenever I get to that point. I did not say anything about Cass yet for the third season or Harmony for that matter, Matt. And Varian is just not Cassandra's love. Gross. I don't even ship the two. Varian deserves better!**

In Corona, people are walking around, minding their own business when a man runs past. A wanted posted has been put up for the Silent Striker, a thief who has been recently attacking shops lately and stealing their money from the registers.

"He went this way!" Pete and Stan race after him. The thief is cornered by the Captain and another guard, who growl at him.

"I'm sorry," Eugene takes off the hood. "Were you looking for this?" He tosses the bag and Lance catches it with a smirk. The Captain looks between him and Eugene, who runs off.

"Strongbow's a diversion! Get Rider!" He points behind him and the guard stops in confusion, letting Lance get away. The man grunts in frustration. "After them! Go! Go! Go!"

The two meet Pete and Stan near a painting of Eugene and Lance. "We lost them..."

"Oh come on!" Eugene exclaims, dropping the painting. "Seriously? Guys," He throws down the bag, which is full of books and teddy bears instead of gold.

"Man, we were so close that time!" Pete laments, as this was an exercise.

"Well, if by 'close,' you mean 'not even a little,' then yes, I completely agree. Fellas, if you can't catch us when we're going easy on you, how do you expect to catch this 'master thief' that's terrorizing the town," Eugene crosses his arms.

"Captain calls him the Silent Striker," Stan whispers to him.

"...Yeah, I'm not calling him that," Eugene deadpans as he finds it an unoriginal name. "Well, Captain, I believe this exercise in humility has proven that my esteemed colleague Lance here, is more than qualified to assist me in training your men in the fine art of thief-catching. So, what do you say? Does he get the job?"

"No!" The Captain denies, walking off with the guards.

"Eh, I'm not sure how I feel about this whole public servant business anyway," Lance walks off, Eugene glancing at the wanted poster.

* * *

"Thank you, Varian," Rapunzel is telling Varian as they're walking in the castle. "I just don't know what else to do."

"It's not a problem, but why did you ask me to come here?" Varian asks curiously. The princess waves for him to follow and he does so. He realizes where they're headed once he recognizes the hall. As they approach the room, Friedborg walks out with a tray in her hands. She simply looks at them and tilts her head towards the door. Basically telling the two that it's alright for them to go in.

They stare as she turns and walks down the hallway.

Varian decides to knock.

"Friedborg?" A scratchy and stuffed-up voice murmurs from the other side, "Did you forget something?"

"It's us, Mona," The young boy replies.

"Vari?" The sick voice asks louder, followed by a heavy cough. "Come in," She says once the coughing fit stops.

Varian pushes the door open, seeing the young princess laying in bed under a bunch of blankets.

"Hey Vari," Harmony smiles weakly. It's only now just hitting him that this is the first time in her room. It was about the same as Rapunzel's, but with her own few touches as well. There are several paintings from the crown princess on the walls, and the younger princess has some of her prototypes and blueprints lying around.

"Hey," He says softly, walking into the room. Rapunzel closes the door behind her. "Mona, you're sick?" He walks up to her bedside.

"I have a cold. I just got some soup and I've been resting all morning," Her head rests on the pillow, her hair a mess underneath it. She looks up with a weak smile towards the two.

"Did you drink water?" Rapunzel asks her.

"Yes." Harmony goes into another coughing fit, causing her to sit up. She turns her head away from the two as she continues. Varian pats her back until she stops. "Apparently, not enough," Her voice is even more scratchy. Rapunzel pours her some water and holds it out to her. "Thanks," She murmurs gratefully, taking a sip. "Uggh. I hate being sick."

Sadly, Harmony has had this cold for about 2 days now. Eugene had it last week, and now it's transferred to her. He's better and back on his feet, but now the princess is very sick and bedridden.

"Aw, I'm sorry, Mona," Varian's eyes soften.

"Varian and I are gonna make sure you're comfortable until you're all better," Rapunzel smiles at her sister, whose eyes widen. It wasn't because Varian was going to be here.

It's because of her sister.

"Rapunzel, you really don't-"

"I'll go get hot towels!" She runs out the door.

"Sisters..." Harmony shakes her head slowly, coughing again. Varian places the cup into her hands and she takes a slow sip. "Vari, you don't need to be here to help take care of me. You'll get sick too..."

"You were there for me at the Expo, I have to. Besides...your health means more to me than my own."

She smiles bashfully and he returns the favor.

* * *

"The entire kingdom is in a panic over this Silent Striker, so Pascal and I figured we had to do our part to help catch him," Rapunzel states to Cass in her room, preparing the hot towels. Cass looks up at a handmade trap.

"Uhh, Raps, maybe you should leave the bad guy snatching to the pros," Cass spins around a broom.

"Wait, Cass! No!"

Cass throws up the golden gauntlet, setting off the trap. "It's so obi-" She suddenly gets caught up in a blanket, which acts as a net.

"Obvious was kind of the point," Rapunzel tells her while the lady-in-waiting gives a deadpan look. "Here, let me help you down."

"No. No, I'll do it myself, thank you," Cass pulls out her dagger.

"But I have a safer way to get you-"

Cass cuts off the blanket, falling onto the ground in front of Rapunzel. "My leg!"

"Down..." Rapunzel finishes with a cringe.

* * *

"Oh ho ho," Eugene chortles as he's looking at a wanted poster. "It's almost laughingly simple. We catch this Striker, prove that you're trustworthy, and bam-o, the Captain hires you on the spot."

"Then let's find us a Striker!" Lance looks around and sees nothing suspicious. "Well, he's not here. Ooh!" He notices a cart, rubbing his hands together. "Let's get kabobs."

"Oh, forget the kabobs! We've got detective work to do," Eugene walks off, Lance glancing at the cart dejectedly.

"But the kabobs..."

They interview every single victim that's been hit so far by the Silent Striker. "As I always do each morning, I place my best shoes at the display window. He took all my money from the till, from the safe, even my secret shoe stash," Feldspar holds up the shoe, a fly coming out of it. Eugene looks away in disgust while Lance is trying on some boots.

"Hummina!" He murmurs, writing this down.

"It happened during the after-school rush," Monty states when they ask him. "That's my busiest time. He cleaned me out!" He notices Lance trying cupcakes, to Eugene's ire. "Uh, you know you gotta pay for those, son."

He removes the one in his mouth and puts it back, Eugene pinching his nose.

"I was walking over to get a customer her change. I turned my back for one second, and suddenly, the whole chest was empty!"

"Uh huh," Eugene looks up at Xavier, shutting the notepad. "I believe we have enough to go on here."

"Well, that was a waste of time," Lance is playing with a string, making a diamond out of it as Eugene paces around. "Hey, look at that!"

"Hmm," Eugene stares at the map, rubbing his chin. "Hold a second!"

"We hit a dead end," Lance gets his string taken away. "Hey!" He pouts, hand on his cheek.

"What do we really know about this guy, huh?" Eugene starts putting the string on pins. "He hits his marks during peak hours, his preferred method of extraction is using sleight of hand, and he's after cash only. Oh, and he's also working through town using a distinct inward spiral pattern, which points us to the exact area he will strike next! I'd say we have enough to set a trap for our Silent Striker..."

* * *

They set up a table at the next point, which is an alley. Eugene looks at his pocket watch, closing it. He looks towards Lance, both of them nodding towards each other. Together they set up a makeshift shop, with Eugene hiding in the table. He gives his friend a thumbs up.

"Come on, everybody! Fast, fun money, ladies and gents," Lance calls out, setting up three seashells with a coin hiding underneath one of them. "Just find the coin and win the purse," He puts down a bag of coins, some people walking over. Eugene keeps an eye out behind the tablecloth. "Ah, wrong trail! Who's next up?" A shadow moves past the crowd, stepping on a puddle. Eugene notices this and kicks Lance from behind. "Ow!"

He takes the bag before the Silent Striker could, who falls into the cage next to Eugene. He stands up and holds the plank over the cage. "Gotcha! Ha ha! Not so silent or strike-y anymore, are you? Now, let's get a look at this so-called master thief!" He pulls away the cloth, both of them staring inside of it.

"Wow..." Lance comments slowly, "I did not see that coming..."

* * *

"Your majesty," Eugene starts off to the shocked Captain and king. "Captain...may I present, the Silent Strikers?" He gestures to two little girls, Pete and Stan feeling awkward. They had to put them in handcuffs in case they would escape...

"They're...children," The Captain stares at the two of them.

"Wow Captain," The black-haired girl claps while being sarcastic. "Figured that out by yourself, or did your ace detectives tip you off?"

Lance grins, nudging Eugene as she meant them. The Captain walks up to them, bending down. "What are your names, children?"

"She doesn't talk much," She nods her head towards the red-haired girl with a blue flower in her hair. "But they call us the Bidness sisters. I'm Nunya."

"Well, Nunya Bidness-"

They both giggle and he realizes what he said. "Very funny. No one is laugh-"

Lance laughs out loud. "That was funny."

"That was definitely a little funny," Eugene agrees with him.

"Hmm," Frederic rubs his chin. "We can't send two children to jail...but we can't just let these two criminals go either."

"Yeah, they'll just run off and start stealing again," Lance points out. "Speaking from personal experience, anyway."

"Yes, you and Eugene do have past experience, don't you?" Frederic stands up. "Perhaps the two of you could take these two under your wing for a few days. See if you can't help them straighten up."

"And get them to return what they took," The Captain adds in.

"Oh, huh," Eugene chuckles nervously, "We're flattered, but see, Lance and I really aren't about kids."

"Ha ha, or wings. I'm a drumstick man," Lance gestures to himself.

"You look after my youngest daughter, don't you?" Frederic raises a brow at the two.

Eugene glances away, feeling sheepish. It's true that Harmony does hang around him and the others a lot... "W-Well...technically yes, but she's 14 and can take care of herself from time to time-"

"This might be exactly the thing that could earn my trust," The Captain murmurs while looking away, the two men looking at each other.

"But of course what kind of guys would turn their backs on children in need?" Eugene finishes eagerly. He really needed this for Lance.

"Good. I'll leave them in your hands," Frederic stands up and leaves them all alone.

"So we look after some cute kids for a day or so. How hard could it be?" He takes it back once they see that the two girls have managed to get out of their handcuffs.

* * *

"You will be on your feet before you know it, Cass," Rapunzel states as she wheels Cass into her room, having picked her up from the infirmary. "Until then, nurses Pascal and Rapunzel are at your service. So what would you like us to do first?"

Pascal lands on her cast, wearing a nurse hat over his head. Cass looks up at her. "Uh, I really appreciate it, Raps...really, but I don't do the whole getting nurtured thing, so..."

"Oh, okay," Rapunzel places her hands behind her back, chuckling a bit. "I get it. You wanna handle things in the typical Cass fashion, solo. Remember, though, if you need anything-"

"I just need some peace and quiet," Cass sinks into her bed. "Right...and maybe an extra pillow? Soup? Lullaby?" Pascal rolls his eyes, grabbing the end of her hair. "Should I rotate your mattress?" The chameleon manages to pull her away. "Brush your hair? Bedtime story? Facial? Game of checkers?"

Pascal shuts the door and she sighs, leaning against her pillow with a small smile on her face. She'll be recovered within a week or so, as long as she does this in her own way. The door suddenly opens and she peeks open an eye to see Rapunzel peeking her head in.

"Are you sure you're-"

"I'M FINE! GO TAKE CARE OF HARMI!" She shouts in frustration. She'd apologize later, but she really didn't need nurses.

"Here," Varian gently places a wet rag on Harmony's head. "This might warm you up."

"Thank you," She murmurs quietly. "Where's Ruddiger?"

"He's over there," He chuckles, pointing to Daisy and the raccoon playing together. "You should get some rest, Mona. I promise I won't leave your side until you get better." He takes a hold of her hand and she smiles, squeezing as she closes her eyes. Varian stares at her red nose and slightly sweaty face. Despite the fact that she's sick...she still looks adorable. Her hair is a cute mess on her pillow, and her nose looks like a reindeer's. And of course, he couldn't forget about the sleepy smile on her face. He reaches out and combs his fingers through the brown locks, attempting to fix it.

"Harmi~!" Rapunzel suddenly bursts into the room, causing both of them to look at her, startled. "Okay sis, you'll be better in no time," She tucks Harmony in with the blanket. "Even though it's been two days now...but just like then, Nurses Pascal and Rapunzel are here to help! So, do you need anything?"

She glances up at Varian before turning back to Rapunzel. "Punzie, I love you, and I really appreciate you looking out for me since I got sick. But I heard about Cass getting hurt, and you need to take care of her. I'll be fine with Vari."

He smiles, placing his hand on top of hers. "Oh, I get it, but Cass wants to do it alone! So do you need a pillow, soup, more hot towels? Maybe some more medicine? A tissue? Do your pillows need to be fluffed? Some extra blankets? Chess?"

"No, no, don't do any of that!" Harmony waves her hand in a panic, eyes wide. "I'm really okay!"

"Are you sure?"

She looks up to the alchemist for help and he stands up, pushing her away gently. "How about you keep checking on Cassie, and I'll get Mona anything she needs. You should be focusing only one person."

"You're right...but I'll still pop in to check on my little sister! Every hour! Count on it!"

She shuts the door behind her and Harmony sighs in relief, sinking back onto her pillow. Varian chuckles as he turns around to face her.

"How long has that been going on?"

"Ever since I got sick..." She places a hand on her head. "But ever since Cass is out of commission too, it's getting more excessive. You saw how she was an hour ago. Don't get me wrong, I love her, but sometimes she can be a bit much. I'm still getting used to that part."

"Rapunzel just cares...a lot," He smiles, patting her head. "I do too..."

She blushes, looking away and clearing her throat as she could feel the coughs coming in again. "C-Can you get me some water, please?"

"Of course," He reaches for the pitcher of water.

* * *

The two little girls are running across the rooftops, running around town when Eugene stops them while hiding in an alley. He grabs them by the shoulders and then handcuffs one to each former thief. "Let me go!" The black-haired girl demands, pulling at the chains.

"Okay! First rule of not being a thief, don't steal!" He takes whatever she had in her bag. "Pretty obvious!" He throws it to Lance. "Second rule: Making people chase you five miles makes them cranky." She just stares at whatever is in her hand.

"Aww," Lance bends down to the red-haired girl. "Aren't you a fancy little thief? I'm callin' mine Red. Cause she's got-"

"Red hair, I get it. You can't just-" The black-haired girl kicks him in the leg, causing him to fall. "Ow! Okay, I'm calling mine Angry!"

"We don't do nicknames," Angry crosses her arms at him, frowning deeply.

"Listen, Angry," He points a finger at her. "You don't wanna be here, and we don't wanna be here!"

"So fancy," Lance grins at Red, causing Eugene to growl in frustration.

"So just return what you stole, and we can all get on with our lives. Besides, you don't wanna be thieves. Plus, it's not a viable long-term career."

"Maybe you were just bad at it," Angry retorts back, causing him to gasp in horror.

"Bad at it? Bad at it?" He pulls her towards Lance, both of the striking poses. "We were the original Strikers, okay? We invented techniques that are used by criminals all around the world to this day! You ever heard of the Drop and Stop?"

They both shake their heads no. "Seriously? Never?"

"Kids today!" Lance mutters to him.

"We used to use it all the time to rob caravans back in the day. One of us would find a way to distract the lead carriage while the other would go around back and steal-" He notices the smiles from their faces, realizing that this was not helping them turn around their lives. "La, la, la. Never mind. My point is the life of a criminal is hard. You're always on the run. Not to mention the enemies you make. Whew! We once tried to double-cross this guy called the Baron. He hasn't stopped hunting us since."

Angry's eyes widen at the name, looking up at Red.

"Of course, it didn't help matters that Eugene stole his prized stallion..." Lance trails off, Eugene elbowing him in the arm. He places down Angry to look at her in the eye.

"And the worst part is...is the guilt you have to live with," He takes out a comb from his vest. "See this? First thing I ever stole. It's a shameful reminder of my criminal past."

Angry snatches it from him, eyeing the comb. "Why'd you steal something so...worthless?" She drops it onto the ground, insulting the former thief.

"What?! It's not worthless! It has sentimental-"

Lance takes it from him. "It's worthless," He seems to agree with Angry. Eugene snatches the comb back, glaring at his friend. "Thieving tip number one. Take the most valuable thing in the room."

The two nod in agreement. "Lance, Lance...we've gotta make them better people, not better thieves."

"Thieves are people too," Lance defends, and they hear a click.

The girls have escaped yet again. Eugene sighs at this. "You know, I'm impressed...annoyed, yes, but I'm impressed."

He pants as he holds up Angry by her belt, the girl chained again. "You know...we could scare them straight. Of course, we'd have to take them to some tough-looking types. You and I, we're too pretty to be scary," Lance smirks at Eugene.

"Ha," Eugene pinches his nose. "Well...you're half right, anyway. Who do we know that's both scary and ugly?"

"Well, well, well..." Hook Foot steps up to the tied-up girls. "So you think you can handle a life of crime, huh?" He stares at them in the eye and they don't respond, smirking towards each other. Lance shuts the door, only to hear crying a few seconds later. Confused, they open up the door to see that Red has taken his hook... "I need that to walk!" They toss it above his head.

"You know...that kind of reminded me of us when we were that age."

"Yeah," Eugene chuckles a little. "Me too...man, Hook Foot is really crying, isn't he?"

* * *

Cass sleeps peacefully in her bed before hearing shuffling. Two people are pacing in front of her door and she sighs. "Keep it down!" She pushes her wheelchair towards the door.

"What just happened?" Stan asks from outside.

"She's talking to you, Stan."

"Me?"

"You're the one who wanted to march, I just wanted to stand there."

Cass places her pillow over her ears in disbelief. "Say it. Don't spray it."

"Guys!" She cries out towards the door. "I'm trying to nap in here!"

Suddenly it's silence and she tilts her ear towards the door, smiling and laying back down. The door opens and the wheelchair rolls back to her bed.

"Sorry!" Rapunzel replies sheepishly. "I asked Pete and Stan to stand outside to make sure you got peace and quiet, but...I forgot they tend to bicker."

Cass sighs at this. "Rapunzel, I told you, I don't need-"

"I just wanted to let you know they've been relieved of duty," Rapunzel backs up towards the door.

"Thank you," Cass smiles in relief.

"And replaced with Maximus."

She glares as Rapunzel closes the door, whinnying and clopping heard. Cass ties the pillow over her head, hugging her knees and placing her blanket over herself, whining.

Varian is patting Harmony on the head as she sleeps, snoring softly. He smiles down at her as Daisy and Ruddiger have left the room to give her some quiet. Even when she's sleeping, she's still beautiful...

A loud thump is heard from outside, causing him to look up. Someone is hitting a staff against the wooden floor outside, the princess sitting up slowly. "Kevin, can you not do that?" She calls out and then it stops.

"I'm sorry, princess, but it's necessary."

He starts reciting the rules, Harmony groaning as she lifts up her pillow. She leans back and puts it over her face, whining.

"How am I supposed to nap if you won't stop talking?!"

Varian cringes, looking towards the door. "I-It is pretty distracting."

"My apologies, princess." He keeps quiet and Harmony closes her eyes peacefully, putting her pillow back to her cheek. Rapunzel opens the door, standing behind Varian.

"Sorry!" She smiles at her sister. "I had Kevin stand outside so that you could get some sleep, but I forget sometimes that he's like Maximus."

"Raps, I'm fine," Harmony drags a hand down her face. "Vari's been taking really good care of me."

"Her fever's gone down a little," He grins up at the crown princess. "And she's coughing less now."

"Great! Kevin has been taken off duty..."

"Thank goodness..." Harmony mutters under her breath.

"And replaced with Pascal and Silver."

The girl growls as Rapunzel leaves the two alone, squeaking and whinnying heard outside. "Uggh..." Harmony facepalms at this. "I can't catch a break lately with this cold...nooo! I just wanna sleeeeeeeeep!" She grips the sheets during her exclamation. "I hate being sick..."

Varian pats her shoulder, feeling her pain.

* * *

"Hey, service!" Lance hollers as Big Nose walks past him with plates in his hands.

"Yeah...place has gotten real slow since Attila left to open up shop with Monty," Big Nose adds in. Shorty digs into his beard and holds out...what looks to be a moldy cupcake with a fly on top of it. Red cringes in disgust, Lance slamming his head on the counter.

"That's it! Come on, Red. We're making lunch." He jumps over the counter. Eugene sighs next to Angry.

"What's wrong with you?" She asks sharply.

"Oh, what's wrong? I don't know," He lifts his head up. "I'm trying to prevent two smart little kids with a world of potential from throwing their lives away, and I can't even figure out how to get them to listen!" He slams his head back onto the counter.

"Yeah...got yourself a head scratcher there. Let me ask you something." He turns his head to look at her. "When you were our age, would _you_ have listened?"

"...No," He says after a few seconds. "In fact, I'd probably still be out there cheating and stealing if it weren't for—wait a minute! That's it!"

Hopefully this last resort would work...

* * *

"You two are the Striker?" Rapunzel looks between them. Harmony is nuzzled into her blanket, sitting on Rapunzel's bed and drinking hot tea. Varian pats her back.

"Long hair and brains?" Angry asks smugly. "Good for you." She walks up to Harmony. "Is he your boyfriend?"

The princess chokes a bit on her tea, blushing. Luckily it's not noticeable since she's still sick. "I..."

"He talks about you two a lot," She points to Lance, who smiles sheepishly when earned with glares from the two. Eugene glances up at him, crossing his arms with an 'I told you so' look. "And if you're not the boyfriend, you look like a lot like the guy he says is your boyfriend."

"My dating life is not for public discussion, ever again," Harmony huffs, giving Varian the cup and crossing her arms. "Didn't anyone tell you to not ask personal questions like that?"

"No."

"W-Well, you shouldn't be asking people that!" Varian stammers, pulling at his collar a little while looking away.

Rapunzel laughs at them. "Well, being master thieves, I bet you're really good at Hide-and-Seek."

Angry just scoffs. "That's kid stuff." She takes a book and opens it.

"Ah, too bad. I was hoping you'd play with Pascal and me, but it's probably better if you don't. He's kind of a pro," She holds the chameleon in her hands. He cracks his fingers and flexes his muscles. She holds him out to Red, and he jumps in her hands, turning the same color as her outfit. Then he takes a hold of some of her hair, turning red. Then he copies the flower in her hair, landing back in her hands proudly.

"Can he turn into any color?" Red speaks up, shocking all of them.

"What do you know?" Lance asks while Rapunzel smiles. "Mine does talk."

Angry gestures for her to shush and Rapunzel bends down to her. "Sometimes, it's like he's not even there." She holds out her hands...but Pascal is no longer there. "Pascal? Pascal? You can come out now." Angry looks at Red, who shrugs. "Pascal?" Rapunzel looks underneath her vanity, flipping through a book. "Are you still there?"

She opens up a chest, which has her princess tiara inside. Angry opens her mouth in awe as Rapunzel searches between Harmony and Varian. Pascal suddenly appears on Lance's shoulder, waving. Lance straight u faints, Pascal basking in the glory. Red giggles at this, and Angry can't help but chuckle a bit herself.

Eugene smiles at the sight. "Come on, let's have you meet Daisy," Rapunzel waves them forward.

Harmony stands up and holds out her arms to the girls. "Take my arms. Not my hands, I'm working on a cold."

They do so and she leads them away, Varian smiling warmly at her. She seems to be good with kids.

* * *

A knock is heard at the door as the girls have been given a spare room for the night. "You girls feeling okay?" Harmony suddenly asks them, sitting at Red's bed. She seems to be perfectly fine as compared to earlier that afternoon. No red nose, no coughing, and no sweat dripping down her face.

"Fine," Angry glances at Red curiously. "Why?"

"Because I've had a cold for almost three days. You touched my arms and now it's gone," She smiles at them in amusement. "Can you explain that?"

"No," Red shakes her head with a slight giggle.

"Neither can I."

Eugene tucks in Angry. "Nice, cozy bed. Not too shabby, huh? Just think. If you let me help, you can get one of your very own."

"Why are you doing all this?" She couldn't help but wonder. "Usually, adults just try to get rid of us...they don't take us to meet princesses."

"Well...honestly at first...I was only trying to get Lance a job," He looks towards Red and Lance, both of them sleeping. Red is using him as a pillow and Harmony stands up, going over to stand next to Eugene. "But now...I just really wanna help you start over."

"Believe it or not...I've had a bad childhood too," Harmony speaks up, sitting in front of Angry. "My powers have done a lot of emotional damage...not just to me, but to my family too. My father was so scared of what could happen to me that he locked me in the castle for 14 years. And I never had any friends since they were scared of what I could do...that is, until I met Daisy," She nuzzles the duckling, who returns the gesture. "I was shut out from society until Rapunzel managed to change all that." A grateful smile is on her face.

Angry lets out a small tired yawn. "Well...starting over's not easy," She turns around, her back facing them. "Stealing is."

"Look, we know what it's like to be angry with the world. And you're right. Stealing is easy." Harmony elbows Eugene in the arm. "I'm getting there! But Rapunzel showed me that it's when you stop taking things for yourself that you really get the most in return."

"It's not like we wanna steal," Angry murmurs, feeling conflicted. "We just need enough to get away..."

The two glance to each other in concern. "Get away from who? Angry?"

Angry has fallen asleep herself. Eugene looks at Harmony, genuinely worried for them. He tucks her in and pats the back of her head. She snuggles into her blanket, Eugene patting Lance to wake him up. He looks up to see the two shushing him, gesturing for the man to leave them be. They stare at the two one last time before closing the door.

"Brownie, can't you give them protective detail?" He wonders as they walk down the hall.

"Not if I don't know what they're running away from," She frowns a bit. "I'm sorry, Eugene, but unless they're willing to come forward to the Captain or my dad with me, there's nothing I can do..."

Lance lets out a yawn, stretching his arms. "Well...goodnight, blueberry. Varian gone for the night?"

"Sent him off an hour ago, but he'll be back in the morning to check on me," She rolls her eyes in amusement. "But no more talking about us to those kids. They're too young to know about that stuff."

"Ahh, so you admit that you are a couple. I knew it," Lance grins at her and she tries to punch him in the face, but he ducks, laughing and running away. She grunts, vowing to get him back for that later.

* * *

Cass is sleeping for real this time when the door opens. She sees a small shadow moving past and pulls out her sword to threaten the intruder.

"Cass, wait!" Rapunzel shouts, holding some food and milk. "It's me!"

"Rapunzel! What are you doing?!" She demands as it's getting a bit brighter outside.

"Well, you've been sleeping all day, and I was worried you'd wake up in the middle of the night hungry..." Cass starts pushing her to the door.

"Rapunzel, for the last time...if I need help, I'll ask for it!" Cass grunts, using her sword as a crutch.

She scoffs at her. "You know, Cass, I don't know why you're making this so hard. I'm just doing what any good friend would do."

"Thanks Rapunzel, but I think I got it," She slams the door and the crown princess sighs.

"Oh well...maybe Harmi will eat it..."

Harmony hears footsteps outside and rolls her eyes in amusement, sitting up. Sometimes her sister would come in late at night to talk or just to make sure that her little sister is okay. A knock is heard and she adjusts her messy hair a bit.

"Come in, Punzie."

"How'd you know it was me?" Rapunzel asks teasingly once she's inside, shutting the door behind her.

"This is the third night in a row you've come in with food for me," Harmony jerks a thumb to the empty plates nearby. "Let me guess, Cass refused it?"

"Yeah...I should've just helped her get down from my trap," She frowns, sitting next to her sister. She watches the girl take some bread. "Maybe then she wouldn't have her leg broken...why won't she let me take care of her?"

"Not everyone wants it, Raps," Harmony takes a sip of her milk, leaving her with a tiny mustache. "I personally don't hate it, and I love that you care, but Cass is different. It's not that she doesn't like it, she doesn't want it. She can take care of herself. She still thinks you're a good friend and you're a great big sister; but there are times where you just have to let her handle things on her own. And maybe just tone it down a little when it comes to me."

"...You're right. Thanks little sis," Rapunzel hugs her tightly and she smiles, returning the gesture.

Angry opens her eyes, looking up at the ceiling. Stealing is what they do best...what else was out there for them? No one was ever there for the two, all they had was each other. She looks towards Red and then out the window. She stands up and steps over Red, letting her sleep as she opens the panes. She smiles at the town, looking up at the moon. It couldn't have been easy for the younger princess of Corona: she has a power that she hates using, and people used to hate her...

She had hope that someday they could be free from him...

Suddenly she notices a man walking around...and she recognizes him.

* * *

Rapunzel gasps as she holds out an empty box with no tiara inside the next morning. "I woke up, and it was gone!"

"Mine too," Harmony frowns, holding out her box. Eugene and Lance glance to each other.

"T-The girls wouldn't steal them...would they?" Varian asks slowly.

The two men storm into the room, noticing empty beds and Red's flower left behind.

"Not only did you lose track of two helpless children," The Captain growls at the two once he's heard what's happened. "You managed to let them steal the princesses' tiaras!"

"Okay, I wouldn't call them helpless," Eugene points out.

"Enough! Your services are no longer required here. You're both fired!" He shouts in the man's face, walking away. Pete and Stan look at them sympathetically as they follow after their boss.

"Heh! Joke's on that guy. He never hired me," Lance places his hands on his hips confidently.

* * *

Eugene twirls the flower in his fingers, Rapunzel sitting across from them. Varian and Harmony join them, looking sad for him. "I'm so sorry about your tiaras, girls," He looks up at his girlfriend and the young princess. "I thought for sure I could fix those girls. You know, like how you fixed me."

"Eugene...I didn't fix you. You can't make someone better," She slides further up to him. "The best you can do is give them a chance. If they don't want your help, then..." She pauses, looking up at her sister. "All you can do is be there for them until they do." This was the exact same situation with her and Cass.

"Besides, I forgive you," Harmony places a hand on his shoulder.

"It's what friends do," Varian smiles softly.

"...The thing is, I'm sure they _did _want help...but they're running from something, and I have a feeling it's bad. If I just knew where to look for them."

"Whatever it is...they're really scared if they had to steal our tiaras," Harmony gives Rapunzel a look, and the blonde nods at her.

"Too bad we can't track them..."

"You can start with that flower," They turn to Cass walking up to them, still using her sword as a crutch. "It only grows by the river cliffs."

"Yes! That cliff is full of them," Varian takes the flower, examining it. "It only grows up there because it's so rare and needs the utmost land to bloom."

"You're right!" Eugene stands up, taking the flower back. "I'm going to get Lance!" He kisses the side of Rapunzel's head. "Thank you, Cassandra. In fact, to show my appreciation, I'm not even going to make fun of...that!"

"I'll go with you," Harmony offers, running after him, followed by Varian.

"Me too! I wanna see where these flowers grow!"

The two turn around, giving him a look. "A-And to find the girls," He rubs his neck sheepishly.

They leave Cass and Rapunzel all alone. They look away awkwardly, remembering their little spat earlier in the night.

"Cass...I'm sorry I got so pushy earlier," Rapunzel speaks up first.

"And I'm sorry I yelled at you."

"Huh! I just couldn't bare to see you struggle when I could make things so much easier for you, but I shouldn't have assumed. From now, I will only help if you ask me."

Cass smiles at her. "I can work with that."

"And I have to apologize to Harmony too..." Rapunzel rubs her arm sheepishly.

* * *

Angry and Red are running in the woods, Red staring at her companion. They shouldn't have stolen the tiaras from the princesses, as they were only trying to help them. And Harmony still did it despite her previous cold.

"Don't look at me like that," Angry narrows her eyes. "We had to do it. The Baron's men are here. You heard Eugene. He'll never stop coming after us."

They skid to a stop as they spot a familiar caravan. "For two thieves who thought they were clever enough to steal from the Baron, you sure made it easy to find you," The man Angry saw earlier reveals himself...and he has back-up. A large man stands behind the two, in case they try to run.

The two let out a scream while the four were searching for them. They rush forward and hide behind bushes.

"Weasel...I'd recognize that smell anywhere," Eugene states as Harmony and Varian see him.

"Who?" Varian turns to the princess.

"He works for the Baron. And he's also a jerk according to what they told me," She narrows her eyes at the sight of the man. "He's also the same person who stole everything but my mom's ring from them for the guy."

"Hey, we were forgiven for that," Lance pouts at her.

The two girls are being held by the men. "The girls have been running from the Baron!" Eugene realizes, glancing over his shoulder to the others.

"They're in more trouble than I thought. So what do we do? We're unarmed and outnumbered. We can try the Heave-Ho, a bob and weave, a Shoehorn Sam, a Lucky 18."

"No! No tricks. The girls could get hurt," Eugene denies to all of those tactics.

"And we're not totally unarmed," Varian grins, holding up a pink ball. "...But this is the only one I have left. I only get one shot."

"What, so we just ask Weasel to let the girls go real nicely?" Lance asks in disbelief. "Last time I checked, we were on his boss' most wanted list too!"

"Well, let's just hope that's the case. Guys, you stay here."

"What? But Eugene-"

"He's right. Let us handle it," Lance interrupts, the two glancing at each other. Eugene steps out of hiding, holding up his hands. Lance sighs and does the same thing.

"Anthony the Weasel," He turns his gaze to the two men. "Long time no see. Are people still calling you the Weasel? I mean, I guess if you can't change the face, why change the name, right?"

He chuckles at the sight of them, the two teenagers peeking over the bushes. "Rider and Strongbow. To what do I owe this most dubious pleasure?"

"I'm here to offer you the deal of a lifetime, my frenemy, the infamous thieves who double-crossed the Baron on numerous occasions in exchange for the kids."

"What?!" Varian exclaims in a hushed whisper and Harmony shushes him.

"We have to trust them."

Weasel glances to the girls. "Well, that's an awfully noble and heroic gesture, coming from a notorious scoundrel as yourself, Flynn Rider."

"Well, what can I say?" Eugene shrugs a little. "People change."

Angry looks up at him in surprise. Weasel smirks a bit. These two were definitely worth more than two little girls. "You've got a deal."

He gestures for the girls to be let go, and they run up to the men, hugging them.

"What are you doing?!" Angry hisses in his ear.

"Don't worry about us, kiddo. We've got a plan. I just need you two to run, okay?" The guards take hold of the men and the two girls run off.

"Come on," Harmony whispers to Varian as they manage to crawl past the men undetected.

* * *

A rope is flung in front of a cave, the girls sliding inside. "Hurry! We can still make the last boat out of Corona. I know you're not happy about this, but we finally have enough money to get away from here. Start fresh."

"Everyone's always turning their backs on us," Red speaks up. "Everyone...everyone...but them," She looks away and Angry stays silent. A whistle is heard and they look out the cave to see Harmony and Varian waiting for them by the rock.

"What are you two doing here?" Angry calls out as they climb up to the duo.

"We need your help. We can't just leave our friends with those guys," Varian jerks a thumb behind him.

"And, we know how much you really wanna help them for everything they did for you," Harmony sits in front of the two, placing her hands on her skirt with a small smile.

"...Why did you come back for us?" Angry asks slowly. "We stole your tiara, and your sister's too."

"Because..." Harmony removes two flowers from her hair. "My mother told me that there's more to me. And now I'm telling you." She puts the plants behind their ears and the two jump up, hugging her. She blinks in surprise before wrapping her arms around them.

* * *

Eugene and Lance sit in the caravan, cuffed. "So, uh, Eugene...you wanna let me in on this actual plan part of this plan?"

"Yeah, uh, I'm still working on that," Eugene informs him.

"Let's get back to the Baron," Weasel and the others are on horses. They start to leave and Eugene taps his finger against the bars when he notices four other bushes moving nearby. They look up as birds fly away, smirking.

Two tiaras are placed in front of the horse, the two up front shrugging. They stop to investigate, Weasel feeling that something's off. This was all too familiar to him...

They examine the tiaras when suddenly Angry throws a bag over their heads, disorienting them. "What the-?" Red places one over Weasel. She ducks out of the way from one of the guards reaching for her multiple times. Angry snatches the keys, using them to unlock the door, smirking.

"Angry, you came back, and you used the Drop and Stop! But how'd you know how to do it?"

"Thought I'd go old school. Don't let it get to your head. And...they taught us."

Harmony and Varian step up to the open door, smirking. Eugene laughs in relief, catching the keys. "Now come on."

Red blows a raspberry at the guard, who removes the sack from Weasel. He smiles sheepishly when he gets a glare in return. He growls at the five standing outside the caravan.

"I think these belong to you," Eugene tosses the cuffs to Weasel.

"Wait a minute."

Angry nods as he's thinking the same thing. "Where's the other one and the boy?"

He's suddenly cuffed and pushed to the other guards, all of them trapped in goop. Red holds up the keys and Varian smirks at them, crossing his arms. "I'd like to ask you to look at your arms, gentlemen." The other guards hold up their arms, revealing that they're handcuffed too.

The five lock them in the caravan. Eugene looks towards the girls. "Look, I know I can't force you to accept my help. Heck, I don't even technically work for the guards right now, so I can't even make you return what you took. But I can still give you the chance to change."

Angry looks towards Red. "...What if we don't want it?"

"Then all I can do is be here for you until you do," Eugene smiles at them.

"We all can," Harmony gestures to herself, Varian, and Lance.

"Here," Eugene digs into his shirt. "I want you to have this," He gives Angry the comb.

She chuckles, staring at it. "As a shameful reminder of my life of crime?"

"As a reminder of the first day you didn't have to steal something, because someone was happy to give it to you."

Angry smiles a bit, turning away...then she hugs him and he returns it. The two girls run off, Varian and Harmony waving.

"Well, so much for getting the job," Eugene lightly hits Lance.

"Eh, I didn't really wanna work for the Captain anyway. Too much yelling," Lance points to his ear.

"...But you still have to tell your father what happened..." Varian winces at Harmony, who sighs, shaking her head.

"Yeah..."

* * *

"You let them what?!" The Captain shouts once they've returned.

"I take full responsibility for everything they stole, and I really want to-"

"Sir! You should come and see this!" A guard calls out from outside the balcony. They slide to the doors, seeing sacks full in front of them. One of them says 'sorry' on it. Eugene moves away the first one...to see the tiaras and Red's flower left behind. The Captain stares in shock as Harmony smiles softly, taking her crown into her hands.

"Well Captain, if everything has been returned, there's nothing Eugene needs to take responsibility for."

They look in the crowd, seeing no sign of the girls. "It seems to me the Guards still need the help of a former thief." The Captain looks in embarrassment as Harmony giggles at his face. Lance chuckles, nudging Lance a little. "Or two..."

He sighs in defeat. "I suppose this means you've been reinstated, Fitzherbert. As for Strongbow, I'm willing to try a second consultant if he's amenable."

"Lance?" Eugene looks up at his friend. "Up to you, buddy."

"I appreciate the offer, but no thanks, Captain," Lance starts off.

"Huh?" Varian asks in confusion.

"I actually found a job on my own. You are looking at the new chef of the Snuggly Duckling. Today's my first day."

"Then why aren't you there?" Eugene wonders to him.

"I'm taking a personal day."

The Captain sighs, walking away. "That's not how it works, Lance," Harmony shakes her head at him.

"Look!" Varian points to the archway and they look to see a glimpse of red and black running off.

"You sure you're okay letting them go?" Lance asks Eugene, who smiles. Red and Angry run along the edge of the brick wall, jumping into a wagon full of hay.

"They'll be back...when they're ready."

Lance chuckles and the two girls smile towards Corona, still wearing the flowers Harmony gave them.

"I have a feeling this isn't the last of them," Harmony leans on the balcony, looking towards where they left. "Pretty soon, we might just hear of two little girls running around trying to find their start..." Varian places a hand on her back, sensing that she was just as lost as they were...but they have pillars of support to get them through their situations.


	15. The Wrath of Ruthless Ruth

**Angel: I am not that far into the season finale, but one thing I do know is that Harmony and Rapunzel had their first bonding experience already in Before Ever After. Harmony came back before the event that Rapunzel and Cass did when they weren't friends yet, and she still had her old personality back then. So I wouldn't say that she'll have a significant moment with her sister in Beginnings since she was so closed off to everyone around her.**

**But I am giving her a partner! I just have to get to the season first…**

**Harmony's voice actor...ahh, I really have no choice that comes to mind. If anyone has suggestions, feel free to leave a potential voice actress for Harmony.**

In Corona, the people are decorating with banners, streamers, and balloons. Gifts are being brought towards the castle. Today is a big event: Harmony's birthday. And everyone wants to make it perfect, to show her that they appreciate everything she's done. Rapunzel has a list of everything they need, like a big buffet, her sister's favorite cake, music, dancing, and lastly, her big surprise.

"I can't believe it's Harmi's birthday! ...My first one with her in...well, ever!" Rapunzel smiles happily.

"She's gonna love this, Blondie. I mean, what teenager wouldn't?" Eugene gestures to everything around him.

"I want everything to be perfect for her this year," Rapunzel grins, looking at the list. "Everything should be arriving soon. I've already prepared a sister day with her. And then I'll be taking her to the Snuggly Duckling so that she can have a nice lunch before the ball."

"Rapunzel!" Frederic bursts into her room, holding up two portraits of him and Harmony. "Rapunzel, which one of these should we mount in the main hall? This one says 'They're all business,' whereas this one I feel says 'Stern yet approachable.' What do you think?" His face is the same in both, and he even has the same expression right now.

He looks around the room, noticing that she's not there. He hugs the portraits, walking up to her open journal. He caresses the drawing of the whole family together, flipping a page...and then he notices events that have happened, such as being in Varian's lab, doing the Challenge of the Brave, and the hot balloon fight.

"You'd like to tighten security for the princesses, your majesty?" The Captain asks curiously, as the King has read Harmony's as well, and they're the exact same stories.

"Discreetly tighten, Captain. My daughter may be turning 15 today, and both my daughters are keeping their promises to stay within the walls of Corona...I fear they've been demonstrating a knack for getting into trouble."

He bows to the king.

* * *

Rapunzel has taken Harmony to the bookstore, gesturing to the shelf. "Pick whichever one you want, little sister. It's on me!"

She smiles, looking at a physics book and taking it. She examines the condition and some of the pages as Pete is sneaking past them. Pascal and Daisy jump to a shelf, looking for books that the birthday princess might like. They gesture to an alchemy book and Rapunzel beams at it.

"Oh! You and Varian can read this one," She takes it, but it's pretty heavy. "Look, it's got a list of various chemicals and some potions."

"Don't let Vari hear that one," Harmony smirks up at her. "Potions are magic-"

"And he doesn't work with magic," They recite in unison, giggling in unison. The two suddenly notice a pair of eyes between their friends, which quickly duck away. Rapunzel peeks into the shelf, Pete tiptoeing away.

"That was weird," Harmony murmurs, looking up at Rapunzel, who nods in agreement.

* * *

The sky is starting to darken and they notice the thunder. "Uh oh, guys. It looks like rain. Oh no, all the decorations could be ruined!"

Someone is staring at them from behind a building and their eyes widen once they notice him. He ducks behind the roof, tumbling down into a barrel of water. They glance to each other before silently deciding to leave.

"Oh, my back!" Stan cries out.

The two reach a fountain with ducks, one of the braiding girls staring at them. Pete emerges from the water, a duck on his head, and ducks back in.

"Is it me, or are the guards following us everywhere?" Rapunzel asks her sister in amusement. Pete stares at them as they walk away.

"Nope, not just you. I hope it's not because of my birthday..." Harmony narrows her eyes in annoyance.

"What do you say we don't make it so easy for them?" Rapunzel smirks and they run off, stopping short as the Captain is in the crowd. They cheer upon seeing Harmony, blowing party horns and confetti in the air. She smiles sheepishly with a wave before seeing Stan, and they disappear. Pete appears behind them and the older princess grabs Harmony's hand, running off.

"Captain, they went that way!" Pete points left and the two turn around sharply, disappearing. The Captain sighs at this, groaning. "Hey, there they go!"

"Bye!" The two wave from a pumpkin cart that's leaving, giggling.

"Oh...the king's not going to like this..." The Captain sags his shoulders.

* * *

The two princesses reach the Snuggly Duckling. "We showed them, huh? But now there's a slight chance we'll get stuck in the rain."

Thunder booms over their heads, rain sprinkling down on them. "Okay yeah, huge chance." She turns around and smiles at the pub. "Guess we'll have to do that lunch earlier than I thought. But I'm so sorry that it's raining on your birthday, Harmi."

"That's okay, Punzie," She smiles up at her sister as they walk down the path. "I just really wanted to spend it with you."

"Aww, that's what I wanted too!" Rapunzel gives her a big hug.

Big Nose lights a candle, standing on stage. "It was a dark...and stormy night. And as I stood there before this decrepit old mansion, the door slowly creaked open." The thugs are quivering in fear, even Ulf, who faints. "Out stepped a ghastly figure, an old woman with cold, dead eyes. Hair like tumbleweeds stapled to her head, and teeth that looked as if they could grind bone."

The door slams open, the lightning flashing behind two shadows. Attila, Hook Foot, and Big Nose all scream while Ulf faints again.

"Ooh!" Rapunzel steps in, followed by Harmony. "Are you telling ghost stories?"

"Hey!" All the thugs cheer at the younger princess, who smiles at them.

"Nah, Big Nose here was just telling us about his date last week," Hook Foot jerks a thumb to the thug, who sighs wistfully.

"Sweet, sweet Rhonda."

"Anyway, what are you doing here, Rapunzel? You two weren't supposed to come here for another hour."

"Good question," She and Harmony squeeze their wet hair. "We thought our dad was done being overprotective, but for some reason, it seems like guards were following us everywhere today. And since it started raining while we were escaping, we thought to come here early."

"I thought it might be because of my birthday, but he wasn't like this last year," Harmony glances up at her sister. "Not to mention I didn't go out last year."

"Come on, Raps, this is Corona! Guards are like cockroaches in this kingdom," Hook Foot crosses his arms.

"Hook Foot's right," Big Nose sits at the stage while Attila gives Harmony some food and she beams. "No one's following you. This storm has just put everyone ill at ease, and you're probably just imagining things."

"No we're not," Harmony narrows her eyes. "We're the princesses, remember? Guards don't just follow us for no reason."

The door opens again to reveal the Captain. "Hello fellas," He gives them a two finger salute.

"He did it!" Three of them shout as the four point to each other, thinking he's here to make arrests.

"I was just wandering by, and...Princesses?" He feigns shock as he sees the two. Harmony takes a bite out of her cupcake, unamused by his presence. "What a surprise to find you here."

"Uh huh...hi, Captain," Rapunzel chuckles a little. "Funny seeing you here."

"Funny? ...Why, there-there's nothing funny about it. I'm here all the time to...shoot the breeze with my chums. Hook Toes, Hornswoggle, and...that guy. Ha! Isn't that right, fellas?"

They offer no comment as they look away. "Yup, nothing I love more than wettin' my old whistle at the Cozy Quacker. Heh..."

"Specialty of the house slop," Attila gives him a brown-colored drink...which disappears as a rat has swallowed it. Harmony turns away from the sight, still eating.

"You followed us here, didn't you?" Harmony asks bluntly.

"W-What? Preposterous!" He waves it off, laughing as Rapunzel glances at her sister knowingly. "Well, this has been fun, Princesses. Uhh, let's say I escort you back to the castle."

"But we're in the middle of her birthday lunch," Rapunzel gestures to the young girl.

"Not that I have anything against you celebrating your special day, but you can finish that back at the castle, where it's safe."

"Mm," Harmony narrows her eyes at him and lightning flashes yet again as Vlad comes in.

"No one's goin' anywhere...the roads are all flooded." Another flash and the young girl looks around, wondering why that's always happening when someone enters the pub.

"Fantastic," The Captain deadpans at this. "We'll just have to wait out the storm...and by the way, it's absolutely freezing in here. Don't you people know how to get a fire goin'?" He reaches out towards a dusty old club.

"NO!" Hook Foot shouts at him.

"That's off limits!"

"Don't touch that!"

He grabs it anyway and suddenly the whole pub starts to creak. The Captain drops the club on the floor and Hook Foot runs up to it, placing it back where the object was...even putting the webs back on top of it.

"That club is never to be disturbed," Hook Foot warns the man.

"Why?" Rapunzel and Harmony walk up to him. "What's so special about it?"

"And why are you so spooked over it?" Harmony raises a brow.

"Not special," Vlad corrects Rapunzel, "And you're right, it is more like spooky..." He puts on a scary face. "It belonged to the Duckling's original owner...Ruthless Ruth."

Once the name is uttered, they can hear the laughter. Pascal and Daisy hide, the duckling preferably choosing her hiding spot to be Harmony's hair. "Ruth was the meanest Pub Thug to ever live. She used that club to intimidate her customers."

"They called it her Listen Up Club," Hook Foot continues, "And legend has it that whoever disturbs it will incur the wrath of Ruthless Ruth's wraith!" Thunder flashes inside the pub, scaring most of them.

"The wrath of Ruthless Ruth's wraith?" Rapunzel asks in confusion, the flash occurring again.

"The wrath of Ruthless Ruth's wraith!" Big Nose confirms, and it happens a third time.

"Can everyone just stop saying the wrath of Ruthless Ruth's wraith?" The Captain questions in frustration, and nothing happens this time. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd rather take my chances out in the rain than spend one more minute listening to you buffoons and your silly ghost story!" Thunder strikes yet again, this time the candles blowing out and the window shutters flapping shut. The fire ignites from the fireplace, the thugs running away from it.

"Let's get out of here!"

Big Nose pulls at the knob, but it won't budge. "It's stuck!"

"Ahh!" Hook Foot grips at his hair. "We're trapped in the pub! It's the wrath of Ruthless Ruth!"

"This is all your fault, Captain," Attila accuses him.

"Oh please!" He scoffs at him. "You don't honestly think Ruthless Ruth is behind all this?"

"Guys, he's right," Rapunzel defends the Captain. "Let's not overreact."

"There's no way that ghosts exist," Harmony shakes her head. "It's not possible."

"Just because the lights went out, the shutters slammed shut, and the doors got stuck all on their own doesn't necessarily mean there's a-"

Sinister laughing interrupts her, causing them to go silent. "Ghost...wait, where's Shorty?"

Attila points forward as Shorty starts floating up in the air. "You have disturbed my slumber!" He opens his eyes that have no pupils and are light blue. "If you don't listen up and note my words by dawn, you will all be trapped in here with me forever!"

"What was that about ghosts not existing?" Hook Foot retorts to Harmony, who looks up at him in slight annoyance.

"Shorty! Who-Whoever you are!" Rapunzel stammers at him, "What do you want?"

"I want..."

"Yes?" They all ask nervously.

"I want..."

"Yes?"

Shorty falls onto the ground, lifting up a finger. "A sardine Sammy and a jug of pickle brine."

"Enough of this nonsense!" The Captain shouts in aggravation.

"Captain, didn't you hear?" Rapunzel questions anxiously as they watch him walk away. "He says we have until dawn to figure out what Ruth wants, or else we're gonna be trapped in here forever. Harmony's ball starts in a few hours!"

"You're gonna listen to him? You realize he eats cheese off the floor?"

"One man's floor is another man's plate," Shorty recites, eating some with a rat.

"I don't know what just happened, but those eyes...it definitely wasn't Shorty speaking, and I think we need to find out what to do. It's the only way we'll get out of here," Harmony tells him, crossing her arms.

"The priority is to get the princesses out of this pub and back to the castle as quickly as possible."

"Captain, we wouldn't even be in this situation if you and your guards hadn't followed us! If you left us alone, we wouldn't have come here in the first place!" Harmony argues back, pointing to the floor.

"It's your birthday, Princess Harmony. Your father ordered extra protection for the day," He starts hitting the door with his arms and she pinches her nose. She should've known something caused him to order the guards to follow after them today...and yet she had a strange feeling that it wasn't because of her birthday. Something else was the reason for that...last year she stayed in her room, and all Frederic did was have two guards in front of her door.

"Is there anything we can use as a battering ram?" The Captain holds his arm after trying.

"A battering ram isn't the answer! We need to know more about Ruth and the Listen Up Club," Rapunzel frowns a little towards him. The fire suddenly goes out.

"Well," Big Nose lights a candle with a match. "They say that she lived to terrify those who found her. And legend has it that people's screams were music to her ears. And she would go on terrible rampages, storming through the streets of Corona." Pascal and Daisy both cringe. While the duckling isn't usually scared, a ghost is something entirely different...especially with that description.

"No one knew when she would strike," Hook Foot speaks up. "All they knew was she would disappear from the pub, and when she did, no man, beast, or building foundation was safe from the swing of her fearsome club."

"Afterwords, she'd come back to the pub, and etch a notch in her club, for every walking creature she destroyed in her path."

"Then she'd have dinner, a bowl of putrid, slimy slugs."

"I heard it was spiders."

"i heard it was both! And she ate them alive!"

"And she didn't chew!"

"She had horrible table manners."

"Yeah, a-and they say all of Corona lived in fear of the mighty barbarian until the day she died."

Rapunzel gasps slowly. "And the only way to appease her is to figure out how to listen up."

"Or we're gonna be stuck here forever," Big Nose lights the fire with the candle.

"I don't wanna be stuck here forever!" Hook Foot laments, "There's only one slice of pie left!"

Ulf starts mimicking a sad violin. "Cut it out! Pie's important to me, okay?"

However, they can still hear the instrument, looking up in confusion to see a ghost violin playing all by itself. Harmony opens her mouth in disbelief. Varian was never going to believe this when she gets out of here...and they will. She can't be stuck here, if she was, she'd never see him again...

"Uh, guys?" Rapunzel notices all the instruments moving by themselves, playing on their own. They can only stare as the Captain turns around in a panic.

"We've gotta get out of here, now!" They use Vlad as a battering ram, which doesn't work. "Again, on three!"

"Ruth, please!" Rapunzel begs as she watches them. "All we're trying to do is figure out what you want!"

"We won't disturb the club anymore, just please tell us!" Harmony chimes in pleadingly. The instruments fall down on the stage, where blue mist surrounds the two.

"Listen up, princesses," A female voice speaks up, freaking them out slightly.

"Who said that?!"

"Listen...up," The mist forms into a female face before disappearing. The club and whatever was holding it falls onto the ground behind them. Harmony tugs at her sister's sleeve.

"Look," She points to it and Rapunzel examines the notches that Big Nose mentioned in the story.

"Wow...look at this."

"What does it mean?" Harmony murmurs as she examines it.

"And the club's hook..." Rapunzel takes the hook into her hand, gasping. "It's a tuning fork!"

Thunder strikes, the moose mounted on the wall laughing. The dead fish on mounts move around as do the weapons stashed in a barrel.

"Princesses!" The Captain calls out, dropping Vlad and pulling out his sword. "Listen, and listen to me well, spirit!"

"Uh, Cap, not so sure you wanna take that tone with the undead," Hook Foot calls out as Ulf eats the slice of pie.

"No more games! Under the authority of King Frederic of Corona, I demand you release us or face the consequences!"

Thunder crashes as laughter is heard again...

* * *

Frederic puts down his fork while sitting next to his wife at the table, sighing and looking outside. "Your majesty." He turns to Nigel. "We've evacuated the East Bank. While the flooding caused some damage, there have been no reports of injuries."

"And still no word from..."

He sadly shakes his head no. "Your majesty..." He bows his head in sympathy, leaving them be. The king looks out to Corona in worry for his daughters.

"They'll be here," Arianna places a hand on his shoulder.

* * *

It's almost 9 o'clock as Rapunzel looks at the tuning fork. "We are running out of time. Okay, let's think. What do we have to go on? The Listen Up Club and...this tuning fork."

"Yeah, but how are those two connected?" Harmony rubs her chin. Rapunzel flicks the fork and a circle shows them two spots on the wall. They both eye the spot, glancing at the fork. "They're exactly the same size..."

Rapunzel inserts the fork and turns it around. A secret passage opens up, showing a dark cave with objects inside.

"Don't worry, princesses!" The Captain calls out, none of them seeing what happened. "We'll get you two out of here! One, two, three!" They manage to get the door open, but Shorty suddenly disappears through a portal.

"We're free!" Attila cheers, none of them having noticed. "I'm gonna travel the world!"

"I'm gonna exercise every day-" When they run through the door, the portal takes them back into the pub, and they continue running, the Captain and Shorty staring at them. They eventually tire themselves out.

"What in the world is goin' on?!" the Captain demands, reaching his hand to the door. It goes through the portal, leaving a dangling hand. Hook Foot does the same thing...but with his butt. And then he sees his pants.

"Oh come on! Why didn't anybody tell me my pants were split? I thought we were pals!" He grumbles at the rip.

"Let's try the trap door," Attila points to behind the counter. The Captain jump inside, followed by the others.

"I'm gonna exercise sometimes-"

Same thing with the door: they end up back inside the pub. "We're never getting out of here!" Hook Foot shouts, holding his head.

The two sisters carefully step inside. It feels so creepy, but they only have one goal, which is to get out of there for Harmony's birthday. "Um, Ruth? Are you in here?"

"Ruth?" Harmony scopes the area as Rapunzel touches a whole ceiling full of tuning forks. The same mist that guided them focuses on some notes. The tuning forks sound off again and they back away, passing through a ghost. They both scream, slowly turning around. The ghost turns to them, revealing herself as Ruth, who narrows her eyes at the sight of them.

"Ruth...we-we-we want to help-"

"Listen up!" She yells in a ghostly voice. Then she suddenly disappears, the pages from the book flipping. "The legend is wrong, Rapunzel and Harmony." The pages fly off, surrounding the two. "We all have dreams. All I wanted was for them to hear my song."

"So you weren't a barbarian?" Rapunzel asks her.

"That story isn't true?" Harmony raises a brow.

"Oh no, I was a barbarian," She elaborates, gesturing to herself. "But I never disappeared to go on rampages. I was just hiding away in here, practicing my music. My only dream was to write a rabble-rousing chantey, and hear it sung aloud at the pub!" She sings those last eight words. "But...but I was afraid no one would listen."

"Listen Up means listen to your song," Rapunzel says in realization.

"That's why you keep telling us that," Harmony smiles a little.

"It ain't just a club, princesses," She reveals, disappearing into thin air again. Screams are heard from outside and they come out of the hiding space to see the thugs being haunted by the various objects in the pub. The moose head lands on top of the Captain and he tries to knock it away with his sword. The two run up to the club.

"They're musical notes!" The two reply in unison.

"Listen Up is the song!" Harmony takes it into her hands.

"Guys! Ruth isn't as bad as we thought!" Rapunzel calls out, but they're too busy running. "Oh, and this isn't just a club! It's a secret song, but she was too afraid to share it! And now we all have to play it!"

"This is what she wants from us!" Harmony gestures to the club.

They stop hiding and/or running to stare at them. "What?"

"Here, here, hold this so I can read the music," Rapunzel hands the club to Shorty. She starts to play from the piano, cringing a bit. A dagger goes flying right across her head. Harmony yelps as her sister ducks, sighing in relief. The weapons slowly stop moving, going back into their place with the sound of the song. "Guys, I think she likes it! We're gonna be free!"

A guitar manifests in front of Hook Foot, who takes it and starts playing. The others get their own instruments while the Captain stumbles around to get the moose off his head. Pascal is given an accordion and Daisy a tambourine.

The Captain finally takes off the moose head, pushing past Big Nose and Hook Foot. He narrows his eyes at the club that's caused so much trouble and glares. He takes it away and snaps it in half, throwing it into the fire.

"NO!" The two princesses shout at him.

"Take that, Ruth!" He declares and Ruth gets angry.

"Now I'll never have a chance for my song to be heard! And none of you will ever see the light of day AGAIN!"

The thugs all look to the princesses. "What are you doing, Captain?"

"You just trapped us in here forever! We needed that club to get us out!" Harmony gestures to the fire.

"You don't stop a ghost with a song! You stop it with force!"

"Didn't you hear them? Ruth's not evil," Big Nose speaks up. "The club was just her song."

"Which had the notes we needed to play to escape the pub!" Harmony adds in angrily.

"Well, I-I did have a moose on my head," He points to his head.

"Captain, having someone play her song was Ruth's dream," Rapunzel explains to him.

"Ohh," He facepalms at what he's done. "Sorry."

Lightning strikes at his apology, meaning that he's not forgiven. "You've crushed my dreams, and now I'll crush you!"

Blue smoke turns into red as Ruth reveals herself. "None of you will ever see the light of day again!" Her eyes flash, scaring a rat to death. They all gasp as she floats around, starting to haunt the pub. The group run away, Hook Foot even saving the Captain from a flying barrel. He and Shorty run towards the front door, and end up in the pub again. She grabs Hook Foot, throwing hm onto the counter.

"Hide!" Attila shouts, hugging Big Nose. "Come in closer! Not that close."

Ruth phases through all the thugs, possessing them. They target the Captain.

"Ruth! It's not dawn yet! We can still finish your song!"

"It's not too late!" Harmony clasps her hands together.

"No, we can't," She flies back towards them. "That hothead with the misplaced eyebrow burned my music! The new day is nearly upon us, and I'll be relegated back to the depths of my chamber!"

"No, Ruth, no, that club was just a piece of wood. The song is your dream, and you can't burn a dream. The song must still be in your heart."

"You memorized it. And I know so because you were in here for years. You carved it onto the club...but you never forgot it," Harmony says softly.

Ruth recoils back, placing her hands on her heart. "But I can't do this alone."

"Ruth, only you are in charge of your own destiny," Rapunzel takes a seat in front of the instrument. "And we're here to help."

"You..." She turns blue again. "You really think I should sing it?"

"Face your fear, and let your true self shine."

"It's time that people got to know the real Ruth," Harmony smirks a little.

Rapunzel starts playing the piano again, this time with Harmony on the violin. Ruth smiles at the two as they grin at their skills. Ruth phases through the piano.

_Since I was a lassie_

_Just a sweet young thing_

She smiles, clasping her hands.

_All I truly longed to do_

_Was make up songs to sing_

The thugs are suddenly back to normal as they drop the Captain.

_Sure my voice was rotten_

_And had a pitchy twang_

She moves into the crowd by turning into mist

_But I had dreams, and in my dreams_

_This is what I sang_

She phases through the piano again, getting all of their attention. Rapunzel keeps playing, moving her hands to the right as Harmony slowly moves her arm.

_Listen up, all you goons_

She appears in front of Big Nose, Vlad, and Shorty, showing all of their skeletons as she's turned purple.

_Listen up and hear my tunes_

_Every line, boys, is mine _

_So listen up_

"Catchy," Rapunzel comments with a giggle.

"And this is kind of fun," Harmony grins a little.

_How I yearned to sing it_

_Still I was afraid_

Everything is turned to be vertical, some of the thugs falling.

_Guess I feared they call me weird_

_And mocked the songs I made_

Ruth swirls her fingers near her head, which removes itself and spins around.

_So I shut my PIE HOLE _

_And hid my work away_

Her mouth is sewed shut as her songs were hidden for no one else to see. Harmony and Rapunzel stand on the piano, spotlights on them.

_B: But you had dreams_

_And in my dreams_

_This is what I played_

She flies above them.

_Listen up, if you please,_

_Listen to my melodies_

The two princesses go back to their instruments.

_B: Folks she wrote every note_

_R, H, and Ru: So listen up!_

The two pets end up in Ruth's body as the two girls joined her in singing.

_I kept my song a secret_

_But carved it on this club_

She holds the club in her hand.

_Waiting till the perfect moment came_

A poster for Hook Hand's concert appears, but Daisy throws it up.

_At last I worked the nerve up_

_And stood before the pub_

She floats around, stopping in front of the stage again.

_I let one note come through my throat_

Ruth removes her head, a single note sitting on top of her neck.

_And then I died of shame!_

She lays down on top of the piano, holding a flower above herself. "Died?"

"Died?"

_Dead!_

A gravestone engraved with 'Dreams: RIP' appears.

_And now I haunt this tavern_

Ruth floats out of the dirt.

_Suffering for my art_

She goes through a harp, pieces of her flying off.

_Years and years of doubts and fears_

All that's left is her heart, which goes to the two princesses.

_B: It's time to heed your heart_

They place it back into the ghost.

_I can end this curse now_

_If I can end the song_

Ruth floats in front of a mug, which Vlad takes.

**V: Like in your dreams**

_But in my dreams_

_You ALL must sing along_

Her head hops back to the duo as Rapunzel plays a chord, Pascal hitting a high note with his tongue.

_Listen up, all you thugs_

_Lift your voices and your mugs_

_Don't be shy_

_Let it fly!_

**PT: Listen up!**

Ruth smiles at them.

_That's it!_

**BN: Listen up**

**A: Listen here!**

**HF: Raise the roof**

The trio start dancing to the music.

**S: And rock the house!**

**Make it loud, sing it proud, listen-**

_WAIT!_

Ruth stops everything, to the duo's confusion. They glance at each other. "What's wrong?"

"...HIM," She points to the Captain, who's attempting to leave again.

"Come on, _everyone _needs to sing," Rapunzel calls out to him.

"I...I haven't sung in quite some time," He rubs his neck. "What if I'm rusty?"

"Your name's not Rusty, it's Captain," Shorty chimes in. "And I'm Susan."

Harmony walks up the stairs to him. "Captain please, it's almost midnight, we have to free Ruth!" Rapunzel begs with him, staring at the ghost, who keeps her gaze on the man.

"You want us to get out of here, don't you?" Harmony frowns at him.

**C: Listen up, listen close**

**You're disgusting, old, and gross!**

Harmony opens her mouth, putting a hand to it at the insults.

**But your song is quite strong**

**Listen up!**

He dances down the stairs and Harmony smiles, sitting on the railing and sliding down it.

_**Listen up, listen up**_

The thugs clink their glasses together as the princess flies into the air, landing safely.

_**Everybody raise your cup**_

_**Here's to Ruth,**_

_**That's the truth!**_

_**Listen up!**_

_Listen up!_

_**Listen up!**_

_Listen up!_

_**Listen up!**_

"YEAH!" They all cheer, and with that, the doors are opened. Everyone cheers as Ruth looks on happily, bowing to them.

Morning comes, a bluebird singing on top of the sign. Ruth exits the pub, the princesses standing in the doorway. "Ruth, wait! You've been here for so many years. Why wait until now to free yourself, and why reach out to us?"

"Because I knew you'd understand, princesses." They smile softly at her. "And I'm sorry I made you miss your birthday, Harmony. I promise that I'll make this right...by the way, when it comes to making dreams happen, you might wanna take your own advice."

"Oh, you don't have to do that. My father will make sure that I don't miss a thing this year," Harmony waves to her and she giggles, disappearing. Suddenly the sun goes backwards, shocking all of them. "What just happened?"

Vlad looks at the clock. "Hey, it's 6 o'clock!"

"She must've brought time to the day before, so that you wouldn't miss your party," Rapunzel grins a little.

"Consider it my gift to you," Ruth's voice speaks up in the wind. Harmony smiles softly for the gesture.

"Bye Ruth," Attila says as everyone but the Captain wave.

"Say hi to my Uncle Murray for me!" Hook Foot calls out.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait," Shorty says while leaning at the window. "I thought Ruth was a goat."

"Princesses..." The Captain speaks up. "Are you ready to return to the castle? I know I am."

"We are so ready..."

* * *

They return back to the castle, where the people are waving to the birthday princess, sending her well wishes. "Ruth reminded me of something very important, guys," Rapunzel replies as the two sisters walk down the hall, preparing to confront their father. "No one is just gonna hand us our dreams. We have to go get them ourselves. And I know Dad's heart is in the right place with sending all the guards to protect us, but it's time we put him in..."

They open the doors, seeing the concerned look from their father. He looks up and sees them safe and sound.

"Girls!" He runs up to them and pulls them both into a group hug. "You have no idea how worried I was! I love you so much, darlings. You both mean everything to me," He places them onto the floor, holding one hand each.

"Dad..."

"Papa..."

They were going to say it, and they should've, but...he just looks so relieved to see them right now, and so they'll let it go...for now.

"We love you too."

He hugs them tighter and they look out the window. They knew that someday they'll have to talk to him about it...

* * *

Harmony lightly sighs as she sits at the purple-clothed royal table. The princess wears a floor length gown with dark blue rounded puffy sleeves, a white top, and a dark blue skirt with three layers. Over her hands are wrist length white gloves. Her hair is in a neat bun, with a white rose resting over her right ear. She takes a look around the area at everyone. Couples waltzing across the floor, children in loose little suits and dresses, foreign people from all around greeting the royal family.

Rapunzel stands up, tiptoeing over as she bends down to her sister. "I can't believe I'm actually at your annual birthday ball, Harmi! It's so beautiful!"

Harmony couldn't help but smile. Everyone had been asked to dress in either white or dark blue, to represent the moon or sky at the Over the Moon Birthday Ball for the princess' birthday. All of the tablecloths, centerpieces, and lights are white, while the chairs, dance floor, and table settings are dark blue. Everything looks so beautiful with the white balloons, blue streamers, and white banners...and her big sister is here. She couldn't ask for anything better.

"Swell party, Brownie!" Eugene exclaims, dressed in dark blue. "I can't imagine what Blondie's will be like."

"Hopefully without you," Cass retorts as she's dressed in white.

Eugene just gives her a glare. "Guys, not here," Harmony warns them, frowning a little. Her family notices it immediately.

"Something wrong, sweetheart?" Arianna places a hand on top of her daughter's.

"I'm fine, it's just...I feel like something is missing. Something that would make this party the best birthday ever," Harmony looks up hopefully to the full moon, snapping out of it. "But maybe it's just me."

Rapunzel grins knowingly to Eugene and Cass, who wink. "Trust me, little sis, you're gonna have the best birthday tonight! ...Besides the unexpected ghost at the pub. Let's just say we arranged a little surprise."

Cass and Eugene shake their heads rapidly for her to stop talking. The king and queen glance to each other with a tiny smirk. Harmony stares at them, not seeming to realize that they knew something she didn't.

"Well, I'm gonna take a look at the buffet," She stands up. Thankfully, the cooks made all of her favorite foods to distract her from thinking further on what she's missing. The party was going to end on midnight, where they'd release the fireworks in her honor, similar to how they'd release the lanterns on Rapunzel's birthday. She couldn't wait. Every year, the display improved greatly and now that her sister is with her for the first time in years, she was waiting to spend the rest of her birthdays with her whole family intact.

Soon it's time for presents and she still had the same feeling again. She didn't know why, but a little part of her felt empty...this was her birthday, and her sister is here to enjoy it, and yet she still felt sad...she just needed something to make this day perfect. No one should spend their birthday feeling this way.

"Here you go, little sis!" Rapunzel holds out something rectangular, wrapped up in purple wrapping paper. Harmony opens it up to see a painting of her and her sister enjoying a walk in the garden with their pets.

"Oh, Punzie!" Harmony couldn't help but cry a little, rubbing against the frame with her thumb. "I love it..."

"Aww," Rapunzel hugs her from behind. "Only the best for my little sister."

The crowd couldn't help but clap, shedding a few tears.

"I put in a lot of thought into this one, Brownie," Eugene places a sword into her hands. "Gotta defend yourself somehow, right?"

"Isn't that a little dangerous, Eugene?" Frederic frowns in concern as Harmony looks at it in awe.

"Oh, no one said she had to use it right away," Arianna pats his arm. "It's her birthday, Fred."

Gift after gift after gift, and while she was grateful for each and every single one of them, she still didn't feel like everything was perfect. She kept a small smile for the crowd, but other than that, she was a little bored.

After about 30 minutes of dinner, Nigel walks up to a pedestal, clearing his throat.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time for the princess' formal birthday waltz. She will lead with anyone she chooses, soon followed by King Frederic and Queen Arianna, and then by the princess and the man of her choice. The rest are permitted to join with partners of their own."

Harmony's eyes widen slowly as she registers the words.

_Oh. _

_My. _

_God._

She gulps, tugging at her skirt. With all of the birthday events, she totally forgot about the dance. Usually, it'd be a father daughter dance, but now that Rapunzel is here, she figured that they must've changed the rules...she had no clue who she was gonna pick...what was she gonna do?!

"Psst," She hears, glancing to the side to see her smiling big sister. "Go on! What are you waiting for?"

"Who am I supposed to dance with?!" She whispers back, that smile being too obvious for Rapunzel.

"Trust us! We've got this," Rapunzel gives her a thumbs up. Harmony looks towards everyone staring and fixes her dress, walking slowly towards the dance floor. Only her shoes clacking could be heard as it's dead silence everywhere. She scopes the yard for anyone in particular, but no one stands out.

Suddenly she stops as someone approaches her...the one thing she needed to make this night perfect.

Varian comes to a stop in front of the girl and holds out his hand to her. For once, he's not wearing his goggles or his gloves, and he's dressed in a nice dark blue suit, with his hair slicked back.

"Sorry I'm late, milady. May I have the honor of giving the birthday girl her dance?"

She stares at him in shock, giggling as she takes his hand.

"Nice suit," Harmony whispers as her heart is jumping in and out of her chest.

"It's my dad's," He holds one gloved hand, holding her waist with his other hand. "A friend of his tailored it."

Rapunzel is squealing quietly as her parents join the two teenagers on the floor. She tugs Eugene and he takes her hand.

Harmony and Varian instead focus on each other instead of the pattern they're making with their feet. Eventually, they ease into the dance, their moves in sync. They waltz across the dance floor. Varian holds her hand up, spinning her arm. Her dress spins around gracefully with her movements as the melody of music perfects their performance. It all feels so magical...just what she was looking for.

"How can people as clumsy as us dance?" Harmony giggles a little as she holds onto one part of her skirt.

Varian bashfully looks down, his bangs falling over his forehead. "I don't know, you were always pretty graceful to me."

She blushes as he spins her around again. She can recall every single time that she's bumped into Varian...but he didn't think of her as clumsy? "R-Really?"

"Well...yeah," He smiles softly at her, taking a deep breath. They sway to the music, the alchemist holding their interlocked hands between their chests. "Um...Mona...these past few months hanging out with you have been a dream, and...I wanted to tell you for so long that...I...really like you."

"You...you do?" She asks softly and he smiles again, pulling her in just a little bit closer.

"Ever since I first laid eyes on you."

She blushes and tries not to grin widely. He likes her...they continue to dance as the moonlight shines on them, showing only them in the dim darkness. The band plays soft music this time, her family smiling at the two.

Butterflies are flapping in her stomach as her knees feel weaker with each step of the dance. She only wanted him to know one thing.

"I like you too, Vari."

He hugs her waist with both arms, connecting their lips in a kiss. Harmony kisses back as he holds her up slightly. She clings onto his neck so as not to slip. She was beyond happy.

Rapunzel, Eugene, and her parents watch from afar, smiling as the teenagers continue to dance, Harmony's head rested into Varian's shoulder.

"I told her we had it covered," Rapunzel grins at the new couple. They watch Varian lift up Harmony from the ground and he spins, her skirt flying around from the twirl. They both laugh as they stare at each other happily, focused on nothing else. Harmony smiles, resting her head over his shoulder. He holds her gently as he closes his eyes.

"I think she can chalk this up to being the best birthday after all."


	16. Max's Enemy

**Angel: I'll let you guys decide whether or not Varian and Harmony are a couple, because I'm evil like that XD Also, I am not talking about season 3 until we are ready for it, people XD Please be patient.**

**Also, so many favorites this week, thank you!**

It's a beautiful day in Corona as citizens are walking around or talking. Suddenly all of them stop as the little boy points forward. "Mommy, look who it is!" They all wave to Max as he's trotting through the town. He whinnies happily at all the attention.

Monty waves a lollipop that looks just like the horse. "Pretty good likeness, huh? Well, if it isn't everyone's favorite example of equine excellence. Good morning, Maximums."

"It's Max!" The little boy gasps at the lollipop being handed to him. "Alright!"

Monty winks at the horse, who returns the gesture.

"Ooo, Maxie!" Hook Foot hollers as he, Big Nose, and Vlad all wave to him. "Looking spry and svelte today!"

Pete and Stan salute to him and he salutes back, smiling at all the attention. Rapunzel chuckles as she, Harmony, and Varian walk up to the horse. The princess and Varian are holding hands, smiling. Ever since they confessed their feelings, they've gotten closer and more romantic with each other. Sometimes he'll bring her flowers, and sometimes she'll come over to his house just to see him. They can certainly say that they're going out, but they're not serious yet. They just wanted to take things slow.

"Hey there, Max," Varian smiles up at him.

"Everyone seems to be noticing you today," Harmony looks at all the people around them.

"Max, if this were a popularity contest...you'd come in first place," Rapunzel holds his snout, Harmony putting his mane.

"Or least a close second," Eugene chimes in. "But I gotta say, Max, that mane is looking great!"

He whinnies happily, Varian holding out a shiny apple to him. He eats it from the alchemist's hand. "And that's coming from someone who knows good hair," Eugene nods at him.

"Max wants to look his best. He's got an important assignment. Pulling the armored cart to the depository," Rapunzel explains to them.

"Wow! The depository," Lance joins the group. "Where they keep all the kingdom's money!" He leans in towards Eugene. "Hey, didn't we try to rob that place once?"

"You know, I don't have any specific recollections, but if it's a place with money...I'm gonna go with yes."

Harmony rolls her eyes at them, patting Max's snout. "He's been looking forward to it all week. He's got the route memorized," She grins towards Varian.

"You're pretty excited, huh?" Varian pats the horse, who nuzzles their cheeks with a confirmed whinny.

"Aww, look at Max acknowledging the happy couple," Lance nudges Eugene a bit teasingly. Both Harmony and Varian both blush, glancing away bashfully.

"Lance! We're not at that point yet," Varian whispers to him in embarrassment.

"Stop! Thief!"

Suddenly all the pub thugs and Lance hold up their hands. "Look. There," Rapunzel points to a thief named Dwayne, who Harmony knows well because she's caught him trying to steal before, or he's been brought to the throne room too many times to count. He's also...kind of an idiot.

Max eyes him and he sees the horse, running down the street. "Max, you know what to do," Rapunzel smirks up at the horse. He nudges Harmony a bit.

"You want me to come with you? Okay then..." She quickly jumps onto the saddle, allowing Max to speed up. She hugs his neck, laughing a bit. Now she sees why he wanted her to come: so she could experience this thrill! Not even Silver goes this fast!

Dwayne glances back at the duo, smirking. "Stop right there, Dwayne!" Harmony orders him, and once he sees her, his smirk drops. They run past the baker, Feldspar, and the Captain.

"Good old Max!" He nods in approval, a black figure running past them. Max opens his mouth, ready to catch him, but another horse steps in and catches Dwayne. He comes to a stop in shock, Harmony opening her mouth wide as she sees a black horse with a brown mane standing there. He whinnies, raising his legs as a little girl looks in amazement. His blue eyes wink at her and the bystanders cheer for him.

"Would you look at that?"

Max, while a bit hesitant over the save, smiles gratefully and trots around the horse, congratulating him. "Impressive," Harmony smiles, patting the horse on the head. The others join the three, Varian holding Harmony by the waist and helping her down gently. Dwayne is thrown into the arms of Lance, with Eugene taking back the purse.

Max whinnies, nodding in approval for the horse's speed.

"Brilliantly done!" The Captain runs up to them. "I have never seen such an impressive horse."

"And he's so fast too!" Harmony smiles towards the horse.

"I don't think I've seen any horse capable of that kind of speed!" Varian gestures to the horse.

Max's eyes widen, looking back at the newcomer. "Aww," Rapunzel walks up to him. "What's your name, big fella?"

"O-at bag," Attila points to a bag named this.

"What? O-at bag was my mother's name," Shorty waves a fish around.

"No!" Rapunzel dusts away the name on the collar. "His name is Axel. Where's your owner, Axel?"

He simply bows his head and she gasps, putting her hands over her mouth. "You're all alone?"

Axel nods with a grunt. "Aww, well you can stay in the castle tonight. Yes you can. Tomorrow we're gonna find you a good home," Rapunzel coos at him.

"Yep, a horse like this will have no problem finding an owner," The Captain gestures to Axel. "In the meantime, Max, why don't you show your new best pal around?"

Max whinnies eagerly, jumping up and down. He gestures towards the tunnel, running off. Axel chases after him and the others leave.

"Uh, guys?" Eugene calls out as they still have Dwayne. "Guys? Hey! Don't worry about us, we'll take him in."

"Or...you can let me go?" Dwayne asks eagerly.

"Can it, Dwayne."

"Alright..."

* * *

Axel and Max arrive back at the stables. They watch a man place down hay and they start eating some. Axel chews his way faster than Max usually does, taking the white horse's portion to his annoyance.

While they're walking around town, they notice a pyramid of apples. Axel licks his lips and is about to eat one when Max stops him. He points to the sign that says it costs a coin per apple. Axel looks annoyed and distracts Max so that he can take the apple. This causes the entire pyramid to fall over and he quickly leaves so that Max can take the blame.

"Hey, what is this?"

"Come on, man."

Axel smirks, eating his treat as he watches Max get humiliated.

"Yeah, that's not gonna do it, either..."

They walk past a fence, where they see Fidella eating some grass nearby. Max smiles at her and starts walking towards a bush full of plumbagos. He takes a mouthful and runs over to her, but Axel has more flowers in his mouth, Max getting more. Axel gets the whole bush, shocking the horse as he gives it to Fidella. He drops the flowers in shock.

"Hey!"

He turns around towards Old Lady Crowley. "Who tore up my plumbagos?!"

Max smiles sheepishly, and she thinks he did it because he has one still in his mouth. Old Lady Crowley chases after him while Axel is wooing Fidella.

That night, Max dejectedly walks back to the stables with Axel. Silver lifts up his head to watch them. Max's stable is the most decorated with medals, awards, and even his name engraved above some weapons. Max goes over to his spot...but Axel is already sleeping in it. And since there's no other places available, he has to squeeze in and sleep standing up, much to his dismay.

* * *

Rapunzel is reading a book with Pascal on her shoulder. Harmony and Varian are sitting on the grass, the girl looking over his shoulder. He takes a dead flower on the ground, plants a blue chemical ball over it, and makes it bloom again. She gasps as he gives it to her, both of them smiling.

Axel walks up to them, fully energized. "Axel, you look well-rested." Rapunzel pats his snout. "I'm glad it hasn't taken you very long to get comfortable around here."

"I hope you and Max are getting along too," Harmony looks up at Axel, who bends his neck down so that they can greet him. Max himself looks very tired as he joins them, because he's gotten no sleep at all, proven by the red eyes and eye bags.

"Well good morning, sleepyhead," Rapunzel chuckles at him. "Look who's already up. Your pal, Axel."

He just grumbles and since his neck is lowered, the teens can see his state. "Whoa, you don't look good, Max," Harmony recoils back a bit in shock.

"As if you didn't get any sleep," Varian frowns at him in slight concern. "Everything okay?"

"Oh there you are, Max," The Captain speaks up as he arrives. Max shakes his head, snapping out of it. "I've been looking for you. I know you're aware of our intention to find Axel a home today." Max nods in confirmation, giving Axel a sly look. Soon he'll be gone, and Max won't have to deal with his trouble-making ways and stealing his spot in the stables. "But after some serious thought, I've made a slight change of plans. In light of Axel's impressive show yesterday, and seeing how inseparable you two have become, I've decided Axel is just what we need around here. Maximus, meet the newest horse on the royal guard!"

Max, Harmony, and Varian all open their mouths in shock. Could the Captain just make a decision like that? Axel winks at Max.

* * *

The Royal Guard Rules and Regulations book slides onto the desk. Max wanted to make sure that Axel couldn't just be instated into the royal guard like that without having to do anything. Pascal flips through pages, Daisy flying above him. Max spots a particular rule and huffs.

The princesses and Varian appear in the room. "There you guys are! So Max, are you excited Axel's joining the force?"

He snorts in disdain, sliding the book forward. "The rule book?" Harmony takes it into her hands, Varian and Rapunzel peeking over her shoulders. "Before gaining acceptance to the royal guard...every man, woman, or horse must pass a series of tests designed to measure his or her qualifications."

The three trio of animals give each other smug looks. "Kind of how Flynn had to do all that training when he wanted to be a guard..." Varian murmurs as he stares at the page.

Later on, the Captain has been made aware of this rule. Some guards, Max, Harmony, Rapunzel, and Varian stand in front of Axel.

"Okay, Max was right," The Captain admits, to Max's joy. "I may have been premature in awarding you a spot on the royal guard, but pass these tests, and you're in."

Max holds his head up high, Varian leaning in towards Harmony.

"I think Max is a little, uh..."

"Jealous? Maybe," Harmony finishes for him. Axel walks past the crowd, Pete and Stan joining the four.

"That Axel's some horse, huh, Max?"

Max huffs at the question. "He's a lot like you, but younger," Pete adds in.

"Oh, and bigger. Like really," Stan growls to show his point, "I'm guessing that probably means he's stronger too?"

"I think he's gonna put on quite the show!"

Neither of them realize how much all of this talk is irritating the white horse. "Oh yeah. Pete, did you...did you polish your helmet for Axel?" Stan notices how shiny Pete's helmet is.

"No," He rubs the back of his neck. "I bought a new one this morning."

Max rolls his eyes. The Captain stands near a wall. "Let the testing begin!" Axel and Max give each other smug looks. "Okay Axel, stand on your hind legs and let's see how high you can reach."

He does so, seeing Max's record and beating it within seconds. They all exclaim in awe, the teens' mouths wide open. They've never seen anyone beat Max's record.

"Did he just break Max's record? Oh, he just broke Max's record!" Pete shouts as Stan drops his mouth.

"I can't believe it! I didn't think anyone would break that record!"

Max snorts jealously and stands up on his own hind legs, trying to stretch higher, but he ends up falling onto the grass. Varian glances to Harmony in slight worry for the horse. "Max, what are you doing?" Rapunzel chuckles at him. "You're already on the guard."

"I don't think that's what he wanted to do, princess," Varian raises a brow, crossing his arms. Axel glances back at the other horse as a weight is brought to him. He takes it into his mouth and lifts it up with ease. Stan claps for him and Max glares at him.

"Impressive strength," The Captain claps with a smile. Then Axel stands on his hind legs, the other guards cheering for him. Max gives a deadpan look and rushes over to the weight. He puts it in his mouth and lifts it up, spinning around.

"Max, take it easy," Rapunzel warns him, but he accidentally throws it. Pete and Stan scream, jumping out of the way as it hits Old Lady Crowley's freshly picked plumbagos instead. She glares at the horse as the weight leaves a hole in the wall. Varian cringes as Harmony puts a hand to her mouth in shock. Rapunzel stares at him, slightly concerned.

Axel flips and kicks a target, impressing the crowd. He winks at Max, who grits his teeth and runs up to the pole. He slides to a stop and glares at Axel. He could do this, and show everyone that Axel's not so great. He attempts the flip...but lands on his belly, causing the others to wince.

"Not too good, Max..."

Pete and Stan gasp as they're underneath the horse. "Hey Pete, your helmet's dented!"

Pete gasps sharply. "Don't let Axel see me this way!"

"Well, at least Axel made a good showing today. Congratulations, you are now a member of the royal guard," The Captain declares, to Max's dismay.

"Really Max," Rapunzel smiles up at him sympathetically. "You don't have to be the best at everything."

"Yeah, it's like apples and oranges. T-There's really no comparison," Varian adds in with a small grin.

"There's really no point in being the best."

"Yeah! Cause Axel is," Pete states, causing Harmony to facepalm. Max storms up to Axel, drawing a line on the grass with his hoof. He points to Axel, gesturing to himself. Axel's surprised, but seems to accept it.

"Well, well, well. Looks like we have an old-fashioned horse challenge here."

The guards and horses cheer, but Eugene, Varian, Harmony, and Rapunzel don't. The teens give Eugene a hesitant look. Given Max's current state, they weren't sure that it was the best idea...not that Max is terrible, he's a great horse. This race just seems to be a way for Max to be on top again just because of Axel's incredible skills.

"I'm sorry, what?" Eugene asks in confusion.

* * *

They set up a race for the two and they prepare. Unfortunately, since they're allowed to have riders if they wanted to, the two horses decided to rope Harmony and Varian into it. "First one to make it around Old Man's Bend and reach that tree on the other side of the ravine wins. And horses must be with their riders at all times, or the win won't count. Now, ready to choose your rider?"

"No!" Both Harmony and Varian answer in unison. Despite their protests, Axel nudges Harmony from behind, causing her to give a deadpan look. Max whinnies, trotting around Varian, who sighs slowly. The two get onto their respective horses.

"Now, ready?" He blows the whistle and Axel takes off quickly. The others cheer as the four run past him. Max glances at Axel, who looks up at Harmony. Max picks up speed, Axel moving to the left of the horse.

"They're past the bend!"

"Come on!" Rapunzel runs after them, the two horses reaching the bridge.

"Oh man," Harmony squeezes her eyes shut, hugging Axel in slight fear.

"You can do this, Max," Varian encourages him, but Axel pushes the horse into the mud below.

"Max, Vari!" Harmony gasps, glancing behind her. She snaps the reigns and the black horse comes to a stop, looking down at his rival. He winks at Max and Harmony looks down at the two in worry. "Are you two okay?"

"Ah, well, besides being covered in mud..." Varian looks at himself. "I'm okay."

"Axel, we should go down there and help-" Instead of listening, he goes forward and reaches the tree. "Wha-hey! We can't just leave them down there!"

The crowd reaches the bridge, cheering for Axel. Rapunzel looks around for her friends. "Where are Max and Varian?"

"Down here!" Varian calls out, waving a hand. Max sighs sadly for the humiliating loss.

* * *

The three walk a muddy horse back to the castle, albeit very slowly. "Cheer up, buddy," Rapunzel tries to cheer him up. "So maybe you didn't put your best foot-" She clears her throat. "Uh, hoof, forward today, but...as far as I'm concerned, you are still the best horse in the kingdom," She smiles up at him, Pascal giving a thumbs up with a wink. Daisy flies off Harmony's shoulder and flies around the horse.

"Punzie's right. So what if you've had a bit of a slump? Happens to everyone," Harmony pats his snout, Rapunzel giving him a slight hug.

"Everything's going to be okay, Max," Varian says softly, a hand on the horse's neck.

"Max, just the horse I wanted to see," The Captain walks up to the horse, nuzzling his neck. "I'm worried about you, buddy. You haven't been yourself lately. I think you're overworked, and sometimes us old-timers could use a break, so I wanna lighten your load. Axel can handle the trip to the depository tomorrow."

Max shakes his head no rapidly, giving an angry look. "A little rest will be good for ya."

He walks away, leaving Max dejected and upset. He was really looking forward to that trip...

* * *

Later that night, with Axel in his spot again, Max has trouble sleeping. He suddenly opens his eyes, to find that he's running. Axel appears behind him and he tries his best to keep up, but the black horse slips right by him. He slides to a stop, seeing someone in the distance. Squinting his eyes, it's Fidella, who meets Axel at the top of a hill. She also has a veil in her mane. Axel smirks towards Max, whose mouth goes wide open.

The next thing he knows, Axel and Fidella are getting married, and everything turns red. He neighs in distress, moving around, but he can't stop it.

Cass and Eugene look on, the lady-in-waiting giving her cloth to her father. The two are officially married and Max snorts in anger, jumping up and down. He jumps, but falls onto the grass below and embarrassing himself. Every single criminal in the kingdom stands before him in a cart.

"Axel, with the arrest of all these bad guys, you have proven yourself the most valuable horse in all the land. You can have Max's job, and Maximus' stable. In fact, you can have Maximus' name."

Soon, his name disappears from his tag. "I hereby dub three...Maxelmus!" The Captain gives Axel his new name.

"Whatever happened to the old Maximus?" Pete wonders with a small smile on his face.

"I'm sure he found something to do," Stan shrugs lightly. "But does it really matter?"

"It sure doesn't!"

In the blink of an eye, he's set up to be a hay rider for kids. He runs away, a door closing shut in front of him. Rapunzel tsks at him from the top of the castle door.

"Worst. Horse. Ever."

"I don't know what everyone saw in him," Harmony shakes her head.

"Axel is the best..."

Varian's voice echoes in Max's head, and then he wakes up. He turns his head and sees that Axel has disappeared. He sniffs around and hears something, making sure that no one else can hear. He can see Axel is dragging something from one of the stables before the horse leaves. Max sniffs for Axel's scent, following after him, looking out the stables. His senses are going off as he sniffs around for his rival, ending up inside the castle. He walks past all the royal portraits, the scent leading him in the hall. He sees the horse walking and ducks out of the way. Axel is holding beige sacks with the Corona symbol on them.

Max is using a knight statue as a disguise, moving away from it, but the helmet is still on his head. He notices a gold coin sticking out from a rip in one of the bags. It rolls onto the floor and Max stops it with his hoof, snorting angrily.

Rapunzel, the Captain, and Harmony stare at the coin on the floor, out of bed. "This is why you woke me up, Maximus?"

He nods in confirmation. The Captain facepalms, but Max insists on what he saw, suddenly seeing Axel still carrying a sack. He lunges forward and grips one end. Axel grips the other part, and the bag explodes open, coins falling into a pile. Max neighs knowingly, gesturing to Axel and trying to expose him for a thief.

"What? You think Axel is stealing money?" The Captain asks in disbelief. Max nods to him and the man looks outside, a caravan parked near the entrance. "Max, he's loading the cart for his mission tomorrow. He's taking initiative. Like a good horse!" Max opens his mouth in shock. "And now he's gotta pick up all these coins, thanks to you! Good night."

"Poor Axel..." Rapunzel walks up to the horse and comforts him. "Max," She gives him a brief look, hugging the horse.

"The poor thing, he worked so hard..." Harmony states sympathetically, both of the princesses hugging him. They don't see Axel winking at his enemy. He sees it and jumps up and down, neighing out of control.

"Hey, hey! What is going on with you? Leave Axel alone," Rapunzel defends the horse. He neighs in protest. "We're going back to bed, and you need to do the same."

He walks away dejectedly, Harmony staring after him. Something wasn't right about this...He looks over his shoulder to Rapunzel.

"_Now_," She points forward. He leaves the hall, sitting at the port and looking out the water sadly. He had been so sure that Axel was stealing...

* * *

He walks through the town in disappointment, his head down. No one greets him as he walks past, until he reaches Monty.

"Hiya Max!" He greets kindly. "Pretty good likeness of Axel, huh?"

The horse turns his head away as the little boy from yesterday runs up to the sweet shop owner. "Wow, best candy horse ever! Too good to eat."

"Guys, check this out!" Hook Foot runs up to Attila, Big Nose, and Vlad in front of the combined shops. "Axel signed my forehead! How cool is that?"

Max looks towards Pete and Stan walking by. "You can't grow a mustache, that's my thing," Stan defends to his best friend.

"Why can't we both be stashe guys?" Pete wonders, it's not really that big of a deal who has a mustache.

"Listen, I wanted to tell you, you can't grow a mustache," Max looks up to speak with them, but they just ignore him in favor of their conversation.

"No, I'm telling you-"

"No, no, no, it looks really bad."

"No, Look, I'm telling you..."

A water droplet lands on Max and he looks up at the sky. It suddenly starts to rain, only further dampening his mood over Axel. After everything that's happened...he doesn't feel like the best. He feels like he really is the worst...

"Hey Max!"

He looks up to see Varian, who's holding an umbrella over his head. He's on his way over to see Harmony. "Is...everything okay?"

Max just walks away from Varian, leaving him confused. "Max?"

He goes further into the city, coming across the want ads. He pulls down an ad for hayrides...just like in his nightmare...

He takes a slip...and then he sees something underneath the poster. Lifting it up with his hoof, he sees that it's a wanted poster...

For Axel.

He gasps and takes the poster, running off to go confront Axel. When he reaches his stable, he sees that it's already empty, meaning Axel must've already left for the trip to the depository. He runs off again, examining a stable that's empty. He steps inside and falls into a trap, as the hay was fake. Axel comes into view and he whinnies up at the fake hero. Axel just snickers at him and Max huffs in anger. He was right, and yet no one believed him. He neighs for help, but no one's around to hear it.

* * *

"Hey, guys?" Varian speaks up as he knocks on Eugene's door, coming in. "I just saw Max, and he looks pretty upset."

"Yeah...he tried to accuse Axel of stealing coins, but it didn't stick," Harmony crosses her arms while Rapunzel is pacing. "He's really fixated on putting the horse in a bad light lately."

"Max has no reason to dislike Axel," Rapunzel adds in.

"Or...does he?" Lance asks, leaning against the fireplace and getting their attention. "Back in the orphanage, we had a hopscotch court. I was the best. I could hop, I could skip, I could jump," He chuckles a bit. "No one could out-scotch me. They used to call me the Sweet-Feet Champ! Remember that, Eugene?" He looks over his shoulder.

"I remember you called yourself the sweet feet-"

Lance interrupts him, holding up a hand. "The important thing is, someone did. The other kids loved me. It was wonderful. Until..." He clenches a fist, "She showed up. We just knew her as...Big Hops. She could go from one to ten in a single bound. I grew to despise her. Because once Big Hops hit the scene, it was like Sweet Feet never existed..." He suddenly whimpers at the memory. "I need to be alone!" He runs off to go cry.

"...I can't believe I'm saying this," Eugene speaks up after a few seconds. "But that actually made sense. Lance is right."

"Max is a good, honest, loyal horse, and just because some new horse came into town, doesn't make him any less special," Rapunzel defends the horse.

"Yeah, but when everyone else was praising him, he didn't feel special, Punzie," Harmony tells her.

"Everyone forgot the real horse Corona needs," Varian nods at her. "Including us..."

The crown princess sighs in guilt. "I...I better go apologize..."

"We'll come with you," Harmony states, Varian helping her up to her feet. The two follow her out the door.

"...He was a wizard on that hopscotch court," Eugene sighs a little over what happened to Lance.

* * *

They decide to check the stables, but they don't see Max in his usual spot. "He's usually here when he's upset..." Harmony rubs her chin.

"Huh..." Rapunzel murmurs in confusion. "I wonder where Max is."

Varian hears another whinny and looks in Silver's stable. "Mona, come quick!"

She rushes over and sees the horse all tied up. "Silver!" She gasps in horror, she and Daisy setting him free. "Who could've done this to you?"

"Hey..." Rapunzel picks up the wanted poster that Max wanted to show people. Pascal points to the horse in recognition. "Axel?" She gasps in realization. "Those two are partners! The whole arrest was a set-up! Max?"

Silver guides them over to the hole and they all gasp at Max still stuck down there. "Oh no..."

* * *

Axel walks up to the guards, standing in front of the dungeon doors. "Officer!" Stan blinks in shock. "What are you doing down here?"

He gestures to the exit. "You're relieving us?" Pete asks in confusion. "But our shift isn't over until-"

"If the horse wants to relieve us..." Stan whispers to him.

"Till five minutes ago..."

He chuckles at his partner. "There you go! Yes! That's the great thing about horses. They can't tell time!"

"That's right! That's why they don't have pocket watches." Axel rolls his eyes at how gullible and stupid they are. "Or pockets!"

He walks up to the door and opens it with ease. "Axel!" He looks to his right to see Dwayne running up to the cell bars. "Ma'am, he made it!"

"Of course he did," Lady Caine herself emerges from the cell across Dwayne. "Hello Axel..."

* * *

The trio pull with all their might to get Max out, but it's no use. He's simply too heavy for all three of them. Silver even tries to help, but nothing. "How do we get you out of here, Max?" She sighs, Daisy and Pascal going back to the respective shoulders.

"It's gonna take someone strong to get him out..." Varian wheezes in exhaustion, rubbing the back of his neck. He realizes what he said, eyes widening as he glances at Harmony. "N-Not that I'm not strong enough! I'll keep trying!" He pulls as hard as he can, even though he knows that Max won't budge with him pulling by himself.

Harmony giggles at him, moving his hands away from Rapunzel's hair. "Relax, Varian. We've tried our best, but it'll take more than the six of us to get him out of this hole," She gestures to Max, who doesn't even try to help himself. He's already given up. Pascal and Daisy point to something behind the two teens. They look down in confusion, stepping away to reveal a bushel of apples.

Rapunzel gasps at the sight. "Good idea!" She winks at the others and goes for it. "Oh, Max~! We've got your favorite! Shiny red deliciousness!" She throws up an apple in her hand, Harmony and Varian showing the bushel.

"Look! You love apples," Varian sings a little.

"And...jump!" Rapunzel throws her apple into the hole, but Max doesn't jump and catch it like he usually does. It hits his head and rolls to a stop in front of his hooves. The three glance at each other in concern, wondering just how they were going to get his spirits up...

Rapunzel sighs slowly at Max's state, glancing at Pascal and the three sadly. This was all their fault. If they hadn't paid so much attention to Axel, then Max wouldn't be so dejected, and he wouldn't be doing whatever he could be doing right now...

"You know, Max..." Rapunzel takes a seat in front of the hole, Varian and Harmony joining her. "When Axel showed up, we thought his size...his strength...his speed...all made him the perfect horse. But we forgot the most important thing: his heart. Max...you would do anything for Corona to protect its name, and more importantly, its people. No other horse has half the heart you do. We're so sorry we didn't believe you..."

"And we're sorry for fawning over Axel," Harmony smiles weakly. "I couldn't ask for a better horse. You were there for me when I was in the castle for 14 years...and I shouldn't have taken that for granted."

"And we also should've made sure you were okay..." Varian adds in.

All of the pep talk and heartfulness in their words cheers him right up as he neighs happily. Varian pats his snout with his hand, Rapunzel and Harmony doing the same. "Aw, Max...now, come on, guys!" They rush over to get some apples. "What do you say we catch ourselves a horse? Huh?"

They're all confused to see that the horse has disappeared. Max eats the apple from Rapunzel's hand, smiling at them. They share a group hug.

"That's it, Max!"

"It's better seeing you this way," Harmony smiles up at him.

"Okay, I don't know what Axel's up to, or even know where he is..." Rapunzel picks up the wanted poster. "But I do know where _he_ is!" She points to Dwayne on the poster.

"Time to find that dishonorable excuse for a horse," Harmony narrows her eyes.

* * *

Axel is carrying more gold in his mouth, glancing around the hall. He grins when he sees no one around and walks past the guards with ease. They salute to him and he puts the last of the gold in the green caravan. He shuts it closed.

They reach the dungeons, only to find Dwayne's cell empty. "Ah...there's been a breakout!"

Max zips past them and points to another empty cell. "Where are the guards? And why didn't anyone sound the alarm?" Rapunzel asks in confusion.

"Wait...who else was in the dungeon?" Varian questions Harmony, whose eyes widen in realization.

"Oh no..."

The guards are eating eclairs. "These are delicious."

Axel trots past them with the caravan. "Axel's the best." They salute to the horse as he leaves, smirking towards the back. Lady Caine comes out of the sack, hands on her hips.

"Come on out. We are finally free!"

Dwayne wiggles out of his own bag. "Nice work, Axel," Lady Caine smirks at him. "You always were my favorite horse."

He neighs proudly towards her. "I'm your favorite thief, right?" Dwayne asks her and she gives a look of annoyance.

"No," She pushes him away. "_I'm_ my favorite thief." She looks out the back, waving. "Ta ta, King Frederic! I bid you adieu."

Suddenly, in the distance, she can see two horses, being ridden by Rapunzel, Varian, and Harmony. "What the?!" She narrows her eyes, but isn't fazed by their arrival. "Looks like we've got company. Axel, show 'em what a real horse can do."

Axel speeds up and manages to reach the bridge, going over it to the forest. Silver and Max follow after them.

"There he is, guys! Come on!" Rapunzel shouts as they lock eyes on their target. Axel looks back to see that he's still being followed. Max catches up to the side, where Lady Caine lifts up the ceiling to greet them.

"Well, if it isn't the pathetic princesses and their second-rate steeds," She grins playfully at them, pointing her sword at Varian behind Harmony. "And who's this? Your little boyfriend, Harmi?"

None of them say nothing and she swings her sword at Rapunzel since she's closest. "Just keep chasing him, guys," Rapunzel grits her teeth as she lets down her hair. Silver holds up Harmony's quiver and bow in his mouth, the princess smiling. He throws them up into the air and she catches the items. Rapunzel tries to grab the sword with her hair, failing. Then she knocks it out of Lady Caine's hand into the air. Harmony fires an arrow and it hits the hilt, trapping it against a tree when it lands.

Dwayne lifts up the flap. "Don't worry, Lady Caine!" He calls out. "I'm-" Lady Caine grabs him and lifts him out of the caravan. "Sorry, Dwayne. Time to lose the deadweight!" She pushes him off the roof and he flies off. Varian turns around and throws one of his chemical balls, trapping Dwayne in goop. One of his hands is free, though, and he grabs Rapunzel's hair, knocking her off the horse.

"Rapunzel!" The two teens shout as she lands in a bush.

"I'm okay, guys! Get the other two!"

The two horses run side-by-side. Max gestures for Harmony to jump on and she does so, landing safely on his saddle. Varian takes the reins, though a bit nervous to do so. Silver neighs in assurance, Axel looking back once more to see the four still hot on his tail.

"Faster, Axel!" Lady Caine demands and he takes off the reins holding the caravan, leaving her behind. "Oh no, what are you doing?! I'm not deadweight! You traitor!"

While she's yelling this, the caravan goes backwards right towards a tree. She gasps in fear, holding onto the roof. Harmony and Max notice this and it slowly comes to a stop. She looks back to see the two in front of her, the horse having stopped the caravan.

"You saved my life..."

She narrows her eyes. "I didn't do it for you."

"You know...if either of you are lookin' for a job, I just happen to be in the market for new-" A piece of blonde hair covers her mouth, pulling her towards the tree. Rapunzel tries her up in her hair, Eugene and Lance nearby holding Dwayne.

"This is getting old," Lance mutters under his breath.

"These two are covered," Rapunzel glances at both of them. "Max, you know what to do."

He smiles a little, taking off with the princess again.

Axel is panting in exhaustion as he reaches a small hill. He notices a log over a large hole up ahead. Then he hears a familiar whinny, turning around to see a determined Max and princess.

"Come on, Max! Come on, boy!" Harmony encourages him, holding the reins. Axel opens his mouth in shock and takes off, the two chasing after him. Max catches up to his enemy, trying to push him. "Oh no. Max!"

He sees the log and Axel pushes him again. He suddenly loses his balance, Harmony holding onto him tight. "Whoa!"

Max suddenly does a flip, Silver appearing and scaring Axel, knocking him into the mud. Just like he did with Max during the race. Harmony pants quickly, Max glancing at her in concern. He had no way to warn her, and she looked really scared.

"Mona?" Varian asks gently as her head is down.

"That...was...AMAZING!" She lifts up her head, showing an impressed smile. "I'm not even mad," She hugs Max's neck. "You did great. And nice job, Silver."

They look towards Axel down below and Max winks at him. He lowers his head in shame as the other guards and Fidella arrive, being escorted by Rapunzel.

"Her other accomplice is down there."

The guards walk down carefully to arrest him.

"Brilliantly done, Maximus!" The Captain congratulates the horse. "You are one of a kind. And excellent job to you as well, Silver."

Max looks to Fidella, who smiles and leaves him. "Nice job, you guys," Rapunzel pats both of their snouts. "Max, you really are the best horse in the kingdom."

"That flip was incredible, Max!" Varian smiles as he jumps off Silver. The trio hug the horses.

"It's good to have you back, Max..." Rapunzel tells him and Silver whinnies in agreement. He holds out his hoof to Max, and they do a hoof bump. "Come on!" The crown princess jumps onto the horse, Varian going back to Silver. "I think there's an apple cart with your name on it."

He neighs happily, standing on his hind legs before taking off, followed by Silver. "Now that is how you do it!" The Captain exclaims as he and Fidella follow, leaving Max and Lance behind once again with Dwayne.

"Uh, guys?" Eugene calls out in annoyance.

"Such a good horse..." Dwayne compliments Max.

"Can it, Dwayne," Lance deadpans at him.


	17. The Way of the Willow

**Angel: I'd choose frooom...Cherami Leigh, Kelly Sheridan, or Kimberly Brooks for a voice actress for Harmony. I think I'd pick Kelly Sheridan (she voiced Sango in Inuyasha!). And for a singer...uh...either Natasha Bedingfield or maybe Angelica Hale XD **

**I suck at choices with this so much lol**

**And to be honest, I'm still trying to figure out exactly what to do with Varian for the second season. I have yet to seen Beyond the Corona Walls again ever since it aired, so first I need to watch it again, along with the other two specials. I just know that they will take me days to finish XD Writing Before Ever After alone took me almost two weeks...but I've finished the season finale! Now I gotta get through another special...someone just shoot me XD**

**Oh, and I found out something else too! According to the Rapunzel's World book, Varian's last name...**

**Is Ruddiger.**

**But then it was dismissed because apparently, whoever wrote that book had incorrect information, which I don't know how that's possible. I know that some fanfics give Varian's last name as such, but officially, he has no last name. Honestly, last names aren't brought up that often for the characters. We only know four people with last names, after all: Eugene, Lance, Feldspar, and Crowley. So glad that's not his actual name, because I would've laughed my butt off if they gave Varian's last name from his freaking raccoon XD**

**Wish we knew what happened to his mother, though...**

It's dark as the lid to a box is being rubbed. "You're late," A deep voice growls as a woman approaches him. "Did you find it?"

"Remember lass...heed the warnings."

"Yeah, warnings," She takes the box, "Totally got it."

He grips her arm. "Pay heed! For once you open this box, your life will never be the same..."

"Sure thing. It's not for me, though," She walks off. "It's for someone very special," She smiles over her shoulder.

* * *

"Happy birthday, Mom," Rapunzel tells her mother as they're having breakfast together with Eugene and Lance.

She opens up the gift from Rapunzel to see a golden small telescope. "Oh, a telescope!"

"Yeah, we can use it to watch all the falling stars during the Empyrean Shower tonight!"

"Oh, such a good idea, dear! Thank you," She smiles at Rapunzel happily.

Harmony stands up as she sees someone in the distance. "Wait right here, Mom. Vari's coming with your gift! But don't look."

"Alright, sweetheart," She smiles a little as the princess runs up to Varian, hugging him.

"Hi," He smiles bashfully, hugging her waist. She smiles back in the same manner since they're in public. "How's your day been?"

"Better now," She giggles a bit.

"Same here..." He glances at the onlookers and then to her. They could both mutually agree that they could kiss each other later, mostly because of Rapunzel and the others. So he settles for the top of her head, planting a kiss there.

"Oh," She laughs up at him. "Do you have it?"

"I have it," He chuckles a little, putting it into her hands.

"Great," She takes it from him and slides to a stop next to her mother. "Alright...open your eyes."

Arianna opens her eyes to see a custom-made bow and quiver. "My very own archery set?" She gasps a bit. She can see the tips of the arrows all engraved with her initial.

"You always said you wanted me to re-teach you," Harmony smiles a bit. "I thought maybe you could have your own bow to practice with."

"Thank you, Harmony, I love it," Arianna smiles happily at her daughters. "Both of your gifts."

"Happy birthday, your highness," Varian bows to her.

"Please, join us, Varian. It'd be an honor," Arianna gestures to the table.

"W-Wow!" He stammers in surprise. "Thank you," He takes a seat next to the king, Harmony sitting across her sister.

Lance laughs as he holds out a box. "Open mine next, Ms. Queen!"

"Lance," She takes it into her hands. "You didn't need to get me a-" She opens it up, seeing a fly get away. Lance had given her his tent, but his name is crossed out in favor of hers. "Tent...thank you so much."

"It's for camping! Queens go camping, right?"

"Not usually," She gives him a small smile, though she didn't want to accept it.

Lance gasps suddenly, "Hey, speaking of camping, Eugene and I are making a whole night out of watching the shower. We're actually gonna camp out overnight. It's kind of a tradition." He places his arms behind his head. "Hey...think I could borrow your tent?"

Eugene clears his throat, standing up. "Lance...it's time we have a discussion about royal appropriate conversation," He guides his friend away, who's smiling the whole time. Harmony rolls her eyes at him. Way for Lance to be inappropriate.

"And we better pack for our big night at Mount Saison. Right Mom? Come on, guys."

The three stand up, the princesses kissing their mother on the cheeks and hugging their father. "It was nice joining you," Varian waves to them as Harmony takes his hand, following after Rapunzel.

"They're certainly excited for your trip," Frederic smiles after the two girls.

"Not as much as I am. My first birthday with both of my daughters, and it just happens to coincide with a star shower that only comes once every nine years? It's too perfect," Arianna grins happily, taking her tea into her hands. "But mostly, this is our first trip together. Everything's been so hectic since Rapunzel's come back, and I'm looking forward to some nice, quiet, mother/daughters time..."

"Where's the birthday girl?!" A loud voice booms, causing Arianna to spill some of her tea.

A woman who looks a lot like Arianna is standing in the hall, but has a more colorful, chaotic, and non-royal look to her appearance to coincide with her much more adventurous and suppressible spirit. She has long messy brown hair tied in pigtails with different colored hairbands. She has one pigtail behind her left shoulder and the other in front of her right. She has dark green eyes like her sister, and wears aqua color eye shadow. She wears a puffy sleeve yellow top with an orange corset, and knee length pants. She wears numerous bracelets on both her arms and on her right ankle. Around her neck are two necklaces, one with four blue dangling pearls and an emerald gem in the middle. She travels barefooted, much like her adventurous nieces, and carries a blue handbag.

"Ah...Nigel," She examines his suit. "Looking good as always." She notices Stan. "See, Stan? I told you a mustache would look killer on you." She gasps upon seeing Friedborg. "Friedborg! Radiant as always. I hope you haven't been boring everyone with those crazy stories about all the trouble you and me used to get into."

Arianna stares at the woman in shock. This was her sister Willow, who she hasn't seen since her youngest daughter was 8.

"Ah, she's such a chatterbox..." She squeals upon seeing her sister, giving a bear hug and spinning her around. "There's my older sister!"

"Oh, Willow, I had no idea you were coming," Arianna says in a strained way from the hug.

"And miss your birthday?" She releases the queen.

"Well, you have missed the last 6, but who's counting?"

"Huh...has it really been that many?" She then notices Frederic. "Big Fred!" She hugs him, squeezing him a bit. "You always gave the best bear hugs."

Even though he's not even hugging her...

"Willow!" He chuckles at her, feeling a bit of pain. "What a delightful surprise."

Arianna couldn't help but feel a little bothered by Willow's sudden presence. "Uhh...your majesty," She laughs a bit. "W-What gives? It's the queen's birthday. These folks should have the day off to celebrate!"

"...I suppose there is cause to roister."

"Really, Fred," Arianna whispers to him. "There's no need to shut the whole kingdom down-"

"Did you hear that, everyone? You get the rest of the day off!"

All the staff cheer, running off to go enjoy their day. "Ari," Willow holds up the box she got. "I got you something very special."

"Oh Wilhelmina," Arianna smiles up at her. "You shouldn't have-" She opens it and exclaims in surprise as she sees a tiny creature holding a rattle in its tiny hands. Arianna catches it and cringes. "Uh...it's...uh..."

"It's an UUmlaut," Willow explains to her sister. "And she's extremely rare. I found her on my travels through the Neserdian Empire."

The creature starts shaking the rattle in its hands. "And what's this?" She raises a brow in confusion.

"Her rattle. Oh, the guy who sold it to me said to make sure that she has it on her at all times. I don't know. Must be a comfort thing."

The Uumlaut coos, jumping onto the queen's shoulders. "Well, this is very..." It suddenly drops a hairball on her hand. "Oh...thoughtful..." She finishes in disgust.

"Now..." Willow glances at a picture of the family. Rapunzel has her long hair into a braid while wearing her tiara as she sits between her parents, Harmony wearing hers as she stands in front of her father with a smile. "Where's my long-lost niece and my other niece?"

* * *

"You never wear shoes either?" Rapunzel asks in surprise as they show their bare feet to each other.

"I've always said how can you know where you stand in the world if you can't feel the ground beneath your feet?"

Rapunzel smiles happily as Harmony knocks on the open door lightly. "Hey, Punzie, Mom told me to come over, said I needed to see som-"

"My little Harmi!" Willow gasps, pulling her into a hug.

"A-Aunt Willow?!" Harmony blinks in shock, Varian leaning against the wall next to her. "I haven't seen you since I was 8! What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for Ari's birthday! But I also did want to see my nieces! And wow..." Willow examines the girl. The last time she saw her, she had her hair in a bun, didn't have the bangs she does now, and she was definitely not barefoot. "You've changed a lot since then! I love it."

Daisy flies around the woman, the woman holding up her finger. "And who's this?"

"This is Daisy. She's been there for me through being stuck in the castle for so long."

"Well, it's definitely incredible to meet you," Willow smiles, nuzzling Daisy's head with her finger.

"I've definitely changed. It's all thanks to Rapunzel," Harmony smiles at her sister. "Oh! Varian, this is my Aunt Willow. Aunt Willow, this is Varian."

"It's nice to meet you," Varian holds out his hand, but Willow hugs him instead.

"Any friend of Harmi's is a friend of mine!"

"That's...great," He wheezes a bit and she releases him.

"Are you still doing archery?"

"Yeah!" Harmony beams a little. "I practice whenever I can. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't even be so good."

"Wait," Varian chuckles, glancing between the two. "_She's_ the reason why you're good at archery?"

"Gave me my first bow and arrow," Harmony smiles proudly, hands on her hips.

"And it took a lot of convincing," Willow nods at them. "She used to be like Ari! Not that I don't love her. But now I can see that she's taken my spirit!"

"Huh. Complete 180," Varian murmurs to himself. Harmony used to be like her mother, but now she's gotten to be like her aunt and her sister. And both sisters are the same with being adventurous, even though Harmony is younger like Willow is with Arianna.

"Oh! I almost forgot. Here, since I missed your birthday," Willow pulls out a journal, giving it to Harmony. "My whole list of ideas. Maybe there's something in there you'll love to invent."

"Wow! I've wanted this since I was 5! Thank you, Aunt Willow."

"Punzel..." Willow notices the mural on Rapunzel's wall. Arianna follows close behind. "These are ah-mazing~!"

"Aw, thanks Aunt Willow."

"And..." Willow gasps, seeing Harmony's intricate system for peeling apples. "Oh, I have to have one of these, Harmi."

"Thank you. It's my latest design," She smiles, gesturing to the machine.

"Yes. Rapunzel is quite the artist, and Harmony quite the inventor. Harmony does some painting as well," Arianna smiles a little.

"Obviously, Ari," Willow looks up to the painting of Pascal. "I mean, this one says so much..."

Pascal turns pink bashfully. "Sometimes when I paint, I tell myself I'm not painting a picture, I am-"

"Painting a story!" The three say in unison.

"Right?!"

"Oh my god, yes!"

"I paint too," Willow gestures to herself. "And sometimes I invent ways to help me travel."

"Well, that's funny," Arianna chuckles a bit, looking between the three.

"You do?"

"You three have so much in-"

"You know what my favorite thing to paint is?"

"If you say dreams right now-"

"I was totally gonna say dreams!"

Varian couldn't help but notice Arianna's deep frown as the two look on during the whole conversation. The Uumlaut rings its rattle from her shoulders. "Umm, your highness? Are you okay?"

She clears her throat, smiling a bit. "I'm fine, Varian. If you'll excuse me," She leaves the room.

* * *

It's still ringing as she sits at her vanity. "I'm not angry..." She takes a scroll, squeezing it tightly. "I'm irritated." She turns around to Frederic. "I love Willow. She's fun, she's silly. She's _really_ outgoing. But she can also be loud, inconsiderate, and a little-"

She had accidentally placed the Uumlaut in the bag, and it squeaks loudly. Arianna opens the bag and offers her arm, the creature jumping back up to her shoulder.

"Obnoxious..." She gets back onto her feet. "I just wish I knew she was coming. I-I could have mentally prepared," She walks up to the portrait of her and Frederic with baby Rapunzel, looking to the one next to it of the two with baby Harmony. "At least I'll get a little break from her tonight...Willow will just have to understand that my daughters and I made these plans to watch the Empyrean Shower together a long time ago."

Frederic places his hands on her shoulders, causing the queen to smile up at him. He smiles back, looking back to the portraits.

"Besides, she won't even know we're going, unless-"

Rapunzel and Harmony burst into the room. "Mom! Guess who wants to come to Mount Saison with us?" They gesture to Willow, who appears in the doorway with a wink and thumbs up. Arianna gives a look of horror, the Uumlaut ringing the rattle again. She grits her teeth in annoyance.

She loves her sister, but sometimes she can make her really angry...

* * *

"Bye Vari," Harmony hugs the alchemist, kissing his cheek.

"I'll see you later, Mona. Though...I think you should talk to your mom." She pulls back, giving a look of confusion. "She didn't look too happy while you and Rapunzel were talking to your aunt."

"I'll try my best," She sighs, glancing over her shoulder. "It's just been so long since I've seen Aunt Willow...I almost thought she wouldn't remember me," She chuckles a little, giving him one final wave before following after the three.

The four walk down the path that'll lead them to Mount Saison. Arianna looks over the map, putting it down to see the mountain not too far away from them.

"So the best place to visit the shower is the southern ridge at the peak of Mount Saison," She tells Harmony and Rapunzel.

"Then the southern ridge it is!"

Willow's playing with the Uumlaut. "Who's a good Uumlaut? Who's a good Uumlaut?"

Arianna silently rolls her eyes. "I thought we'd take this trail. Girls, oh my goodness, the view is breathtaking!"

"I can't wait, Mom!" Harmony clasps her hands together. She was only 5 when the last one occurred, and there was no way her father would've let her go back then. So she was only allowed to see it from the barred window, but it wasn't ideal as it was so far away. So this would be the first official time that she'll get to see it.

"Who's fancy? You're so fancy!" Willow continues playing with the creature.

"Now, I timed it out so we should-"

"I love you! Yes, I do!"

She grits her teeth a little. "Get there just before the shower begins." She squeezes her eyes shut at the cooing, looking over her shoulder. "Willow!" She sighs at her tone, placing a hand on her forehead. "Are you ready to go?"

"Always. Uh, Ari...look who you left behind," She holds out the Uumlaut. "Our little Uummy-wummy peanut!" She hands it back to Arianna, where the Uumlaut rings the rattle.

"Thank you, Wlllow..." The queen glances at the creature. "I almost forgot..."

"Oh my gosh! I didn't realize we were so close!" Willow looks at the map with a smile.

"To where?"

"One of my favorite places in the world!" She cheers, running off. Arianna slowly follows after them, gritting her teeth at the ringing.

"You okay, Mom?" Harmony asks her in concern.

"I'm just fine, sweetie," Arianna hides her frustration with a small smile. "No need to worry about me."

She couldn't help but feel like her mother was lying, though, just to save face and allow the two girls to enjoy it...

* * *

Frederic looks at an empty dark hall, sighing slowly. He walks through the hall of rooms, stopping at Eugene's.

"Pascal, you're gonna love this camping trip with the guys!" Lance is laying down on the bed, Varian checking his things. Ruddiger is on his shoulder, looking into the bag.

"The Empyrean Shower is gonna be scientifically astounding, you guys!" He smiles up at them. "I've waited a long time to see them."

"Yup," Eugene tosses away a blanket. "It's gonna be just like old times."

"Out in the woods. No need to worry about rules, manners, or anything!" Lance smiles happily as Pascal crawls up the headboard.

"I'm sorry, were those concerns of yours before?" Eugene replies sarcastically, Lance and Varian laughing. They both stop when they see Frederic coming into the room.

"Oh! Your majesty!"

"Uh, hello, your majesty," Eugene greets nervously, wondering just how much he heard. Varian bows to him, smiling sheepishly.

"Ah, getting ready for the big trip, I see," He sees all the camping supplies and bags.

"Yeah! Seeing the Empyrean Showers. It's just this little thing we do. We decided to invite Varian and Pascal with us."

"Yeah! My dad already gave me permission," Varian smiles, going back to his packing.

"Little thing?!" Lance laughs at Eugene's wording over the tradition. He stands up and wraps an arm around Frederic. "It marks the first job we ever pulled as kids, your majestic one. You know how easy it is to pick someone's pocket when their eyes are on the sky?"

"Lance!" Eugene hisses at him. "Remember our discussion about king-appropriate stories?" He pulls Lance's arm off him.

"Looks like fun," Frederic picks up Pascal in his hand, putting him on his shoulder. "A lot of fun...yup." he sighs sadly. Everyone has their own thing to do today, what with the staff having the day off and the girls already having left for their trip. Leaving him all alone...on his own... "Everyone's having fun..."

"Hey! How 'bout you come with us?"

"What, me?" Frederic grins at the offer, Eugene shaking his head behind the man. "No, no, no, no." The former thief gives two thumbs up, Varian glancing at them over his shoulder. "I mean...well sure, I could use the fresh air. I'll get my things!"

Eugene crosses his arms once the king has left, glaring at his friend. "What? I thought you liked the king."

"Oh, I love the king, Lance. He's the king, and if I'm lucky, my future father-in-law, so if he's coming with us, we have to be on our best behavior. And by we, I mean you. And by our best behavior, I mean your best behavior because you cannot be a total slob in front of the king! That means you too, Varian. No experiments in front of him."

"Oh, trust me, Mona gave me that warning already," Varian waves it off. "Relax! I can behave. And besides...I can get to know him better," He smiles a little.

"Relax, buddy," Lance throws his finished chicken leg over his shoulder. "King or no king, it'll just be a bunch of guys camping, but if it makes you feel better, I'll be a paragon of eti-" He lets out a burp. "Quette."

"I'm sure you will," Eugene deadpans at him.

* * *

"So, I looked at Arianna, and said to the guy, 'You keep the monkey, I'll keep the fez'!" Willow is telling the thugs at the Snuggly Duckling stories, and they all laugh...well, everyone except for Arianna. She just stares at them blankly. "But the most ridiculous thing that ever happened to Ari and me?"

"Ooh! Ari," Hook Foot glances at the queen, who bites her lip, knowing exactly what Willow's talking about.

"When we were kids, I had this idea for this giant cape slash kite, I could use to fly. Harmi, you should build this someday."

"Oh, Willow!" Arianna steps up. "We should probably be on our way."

"I was 98 percent sure it was gonna work!" Willow ignores her sister, continuing the story.

"What about the other 4 percent?" Attila asks curiously and Harmony facepalms at him. She would correct him, but she won't bother. It's just like him with confusing letters.

"That's what big sisters are for. Am I right?" She chuckles a little. "Back then, I called her Dare-ianna. Because she was so eager to impress, she'd do anything I dared! Long story short. Dare-ianna tried it...but crashed into our dad's carriage!"

The pub thugs laugh as Harmony winces a little, glancing up at her mother. "So much for my cape kite."

"Ha ha ha. Just another one of Willow's hare-brained failures, huh?" Everything stops as she looks to see everyone staring at her.

"Awkward..." Shorty sings a little. Willow looks a little upset for the remark while the Uumlaut rings the rattle, the attempt at breaking the tense silence futile. Willow just stares at her older sister, looking a bit annoyed now.

She didn't mean to say it. She's just...really unhappy that Willow barged in on her day with Harmony and Rapunzel.

"Uhh, we should get going. We don't wanna miss that shower," Rapunzel walks off with Harmony.

"Bye, Dare-ianna!" Hook Foot calls out as the others wave to her. She looks up towards the ceiling, silently wishing for this day to end as she walks away.

"We'll see ya!"

* * *

It's now night time as they're just about to reach the southern side as Arianna looks up towards her daughters with Willow.

"I mean, don't get me wrong. I love Corona."

"What's not to love?" Rapunzel smiles a little, cringing as she remembers Harmony had been stuck there for 14 years. "Ooh, sorry sis. I didn't mean...I..."

"Hey, I'm fine, sis," Harmony smirks a bit towards her way. "I mean, I did sneak out a few times here and there...no offense taken."

"It's just once you've seen so much of the world, it's hard to settle down in a place like this. It's too...not fun," She leans in towards the two. "I don't see how anyone could."

"Okay!" Arianna pushes the two apart, pulling Harmony to stand next to Rapunzel. "We're coming up on the southern ridge."

"Woohoo!" Rapunzel and Harmony both cheer. "The Empyrean Shower, here we come!"

"We're gonna go scope out a good spot!" The blonde runs off with her sister. Arianna sees their happy smiles as the two look towards each other. She and Willow used to be like that...until it all went sour with her recent visit.

"Southern ridge, huh?" Willow replies slyly.

"Yes," Arianna narrows her eyes, clenching her fists. "Why?"

"Well, if you really want them to see the shower, you ougta go-"

"I oughta do _what_, Wilhelmina?!" Arianna suddenly exclaims. She thought she'd be able to keep her feelings in for the sake of her children, but she could no longer help herself. Willow turns to her in confusion. "Please...enlighten us. How can we best view the shower? Should we travel to the Mystic Cliffs of Gushombai?!"

"Ari..." She starts off slowly. "Is something wrong?"

"You know what? Yes! As a matter of fact, something is wrong, Willow. You roll in like a cyclone, appropriate my birthday. You embarrassed me in front of my family and subjects." The Uumlaut rings the rattle again, causing her to groan in frustration. "And give me this...Oo-Uumm-"

"It's an Uumlaut," Willow corrects her.

Arianna growls at her sister, the ringing coming to a stop. "And I thought you'd like it."

"No! No no, no you didn't, Willow! You just like what giving me a cute, little exotic thing in front of everybody says about _you_! Did it ever occur to you that maybe a pet isn't the best gift?"

"I found a great spot!" The princesses come back, only to see the argument.

"I'm guessing not, because not only would that take forethought and restraint, but it would also require a grasp of what having an actual responsibility means! ...I need a minute," She leaves them there as she goes in the opposite direction.

Harmony stares after her sadly. She knew that something was wrong, and her mother tried to hide it as best as she can...only for it to take a toll on her...

"...Umm, let's hope Lance, Eugene, and Varian are having more fun..." Rapunzel smiles weakly.

* * *

"Pork chop?" Lance offers the king, but it looks moldy. "I kept it warm in my boot."

Eugene crawls over to him, holding his foot. "Lance, I thought we agreed that because we were in front of certain company that we were going to be on our, I mean your, best behavior?"

"Uh, what do you mean?" Lance wonders cluelessly, taking a bite out of the pork chop...which starts to catch flies.

"Excellent question. Just remember, before you say or do anything, take a second and ask yourself, 'Is what I'm about to do or say inappropriate'?"

He finishes his bite. "I'm on it," He winks at his friend, but it does nothing to assure him in the slightest. Eugene gives him one last warning look.

"So, everything is going well in Old Corona? I haven't seen your father for a while."

"Oh, he's fine, your highness!" Varian smiles at him. "Thanks for asking."

Lance clears his throat, getting their attention. "So, your majesty, let me ask you, how much does a king pull down a year? After taxes."

Eugene yells, tackling him onto the tent. He starts beating him up for his stupidity, Varian cringing towards them. Frederic just takes a bite out of his sausage while Ruddiger and Pascal play cards. The two fall into a bush as Varian offers the two a sausage, the two knocking down the tent.

"See what you did to the queen's tent?"

Eugene yells again, continuing his assault. Varian just sighs at them.

* * *

The Uumlaut looks up at the queen as she sits on the path by herself. The other three have reached the top, looking up towards the sky. Rapunzel and Harmony glance back at the path in worry for their mother. They both sigh in unison.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Willow, but I really think we should go talk to our mom..." Rapunzel speaks up as they get onto their feet.

"You heard her, Punzel, Harmi. She needs a minute. Trust me, she'll be fine," Willow waves it off. "Don't let it ruin our night."

"But it's not...our night," Rapunzel looks away.

"Aunt Willow...no matter what, it's still her birthday. And she really wanted to see it..." Harmony tells her as she follows after her sister. Aunt Willow looks up and sighs, thinking about how angry Arianna was to her...

"Girls, wait," She runs up to them, placing her hand on their shoulders. Suddenly a star passes by and they look up at the sky as the shower is starting.

Arianna doesn't see it as her back is turned to the sky. The Uumlaut purrs up at her and she lets out a deep sigh. "You're right, little guy. This is silly. We can still salvage the night..." She gets onto her feet, turning around and seeing the sight.

Then she notices Aunt Willow wrapping her arms around the girls, frowning and sitting back down. That was supposed to be her moment with her daughters...She tries not to cry as the Uumlaut rings the rattle again. "Ugh! Would you give it a rest?!" She takes the thing and throws it away. It rolls down the stairs and out of sight onto a tree branch. Arianna hugs herself, not noticing the upset creature. She starts to twitch, growing angry.

"Mom!" Harmony and Rapunzel rush down the steps, followed by Willow. "We're so sorry you missed the shower!"

"And I'm sorry I didn't ask you further about how you felt," Harmony hugs her, the queen returning it numbly.

"And me too. If it's any consolation, Ari, you were right about the southern ridge. It was beautiful!"

She glares up at her, remembering the moment she shared with them. "Rapunzel, Harmony, can I please have a moment alone with my sister?"

Rapunzel takes Harmony's hand and walks off with her, looking at them over her shoulder with concern. Willow notices Arianna's face, and that it's still not happy.

"I said sorry. What else do you want?" She rolls her eyes.

"Willow, our whole lives, you've done whatever you could to show me up, and honestly...I've come to accept that. But you know what?! Not when it comes to my daughters!"

The two overhear this and step down further, feeling a bit guilty themselves. As they walk down further, they notice the Uumlaut all by itself, shaking.

Willow at this point is turned away, arms crossed with a scrunched up nose. "Tonight was supposed to be special!"

"Uh, it was special," Willow points out. "I'm not the one who stormed off seconds before the shower."

"I didn't storm off, Wilhemina!"

"What's wrong?" Rapunzel bends down to the creature. "Where's your rattle?"

The Uumlaut growls, turning to them while still shaking. "Uh oh," Harmony's eyes widen. "Ahh, Rapunzel, you might wanna stand back."

"Why?"

"I read about this. When an Uumlaut loses their rattle, it'll-"

The first Uumlaut pops out a second one. "Oh," Rapunzel recoils back at the sight. "I see what you mean..." They both step back a bit.

"I had a specific plan for tonight!" Arianna glares at her.

"Of course you did!" Willow whips around in annoyance, "You've got a plan for everything! You know, you think just because you've always got it so together, that everyone has to do whatever you say!"

The Uumlauts keep multiplying.

"First of all, I never tell you what to do, and even if I did, you'd ignore it and do whatever you feel like anyway!"

More and more arrive, the two princesses running back up the stairs.

"You don't think I would love to have that kind of freedom?" Arianna spits to her sister.

"Mom? Uh, Aunt Willow?" The two girls call out.

"What?!" They turn to the two in annoyance, seeing them arrive.

"We have a problem!" Rapunzel looks over her shoulder and they see a whole stampede of Uumlauts, which are multiplying more and more.

"Willow, what's happening?" Arianna looks at them nervously.

"I can answer that," Harmony nervously holds up a finger. "If Uumlauts don't have their rattles, then they continually reproduce by the mouth with no saliva. And without the rattle, there's no other way to stop them..."

"You know what? I'm gonna take the blame on this one," Willow raises a hand.

"I'm the one that threw the rattle. I can't let you take all the blame..." Arianna says sadly.

"Oh thank goodness! You wanna split it? 50-50? 60-40? Like you said, you threw the rattle."

"Not the time," Harmony replies quickly as she points to the creatures still duplicating.

"We have to get her rattle back to her," Arianna looks at the others.

"Where is it?"

Rapunzel pulls out the telescope she gave her mother and uses it. "I see it!"

"Great! Can we get it?" Willow asks her.

"Shouldn't be a problem," Rapunzel smirks a little.

They can see the rattle down below as Willow tries to reach for it. "Are you sure this doesn't hurt?" She looks up at Rapunzel, who's holding her by the hair, fastened to a tree.

"I'm okay! I'm okay, just hurry!" She calls out as Arianna and Harmony are holding onto her. In the distance, she sees a light in the middle of the dark forest. "Eugene, Varian, and Lance are down there!"

"Wow!" Willow looks around as she's right above the rattle. "The view from here is amazing! It reminds me of the Mystic Cliffs of Gushombai! Just not as-"

"WILLOW!" Arianna shouts at the top of her lungs.

"Oh, right, the rattle." She manages to take it. "Got it!"

Once she has the rattle, they jump over a small hole, running over to the mass of Uumlauts, which are running down the path. Arianna looks at her daughters, all three of them smiling at each other. She holds up the rattle and rings it, but it's not loud enough for them to hear. She cringes nervously as she tries again, but it does nothing.

"It's not working!"

"They can't hear it from here," Harmony looks to her mother in worry.

"We have a Plan B...right?" Rapunzel glances to all of them.

Varian has just finished fixing up the tent with Ruddiger's help. The others are sitting around saying nothing as an Uumlaut appears behind Lance. He yelps in surprise before smiling down at it. "Well hello there, look at you! Little cute-"

It suddenly goes crazy and he exclaims in fear. Then it turns into a scream as trees get knocked down up ahead by all of the Uumlauts. He lets out another girly scream as the others stand up, backing away in shock.

"Your majesty, come on!" Eugene leads him away.

"Uumlauts!" Varian exclaims as he snatches the raccoon and follows after the two. "The original must not have her rattle."

Lance yelps as he jumps away, running down the path. The Uumlauts are merely specks now as they're still multiplying. "Eugene, I want you to know, I will stop being so over-whelmingly ill-mannered."

"No, no!" Eugene looks at him. "I need to yell at you less when you think you're being endearing!"

"And I will try not to be upset with you, when you were yelling at me for thinking I'm being endearing!"

Frederic glances at Pascal, Varian, and Ruddiger. "This trip was a mistake," He says quickly. "This way!" he takes the lead, jumping up to a rock and climbing up it. "Quickly, up here!" The king loses his grip a little, the three looking back as they stampede closer. They rush to the rock, helping up Frederic when they get to the top. The Uumlauts jump past them, leaving behind the tent...

"Yeah. I think this is the worst camping trip ever."

"Eugene!" Rapunzel comes out of hiding from a bush at the top. "Thank goodness you're okay!" She hugs him tightly.

"Arianna, what is going on?" Frederic asks the queen.

"Mona!" Varian rushes forward and they hug as well. "Are you okay?"

"Me, what about you? I wasn't just chased by a bunch of Uumlauts," She looks up at him.

"I'm fine," He closes his eyes, hugging her close to his chest.

"The Uumlaut! I took her rattle away," Arianna glances to her left.

"Mom, uh, we might not have time for explanations right now," Rapunzel steps forward and they all see that they're heading towards Corona!

"Oh no...if they get to Corona, they could destroy everything!" Varian points forward. "Within minutes at the rate they're exponentially multiplying!"

"So what do we do? We tried to give her the rattle back," Willow speaks up.

"No, we tried to give her copy the rattle back," Rapunzel looks up at her. "Guys?" She turns to Harmony and Varian.

"We need to give the original the rattle back. The one that Mom had all day," She gestures to her mother.

"Once it has the rattle back, she'll swallow the duplicates up back into a hammerspace belly until the original remains," Varian explains to them.

"How are we gonna find that cute, fuzzy little thing? It could be anywhere!" Lance whimpers from behind.

"Well, you'd have to somehow get above them to find the original. And trust me, she'll stand out," Harmony looks back to the horde. Arianna takes one look at her sister, turning away and crossing her arms. Varian notices this and leans in towards Harmony.

"Talking didn't work?"

"Nope," She shakes her head slowly.

"Come on, guys. There's gotta be something we can do!" Rapunzel pleads with them.

"Actually..." Arianna notices something on the ground: the damaged tent. "There might be...hand me that rope. We don't have much time."

* * *

Together, they all rip up the tent, gather sticks, and roll around the rope. Arianna and Willow glare at each other, the boys tying up sticks together. The girls sew it up, and together, they've made Willow's cape-kite.

"I don't know what this is...but I know I'm not getting on it," Lance rubs the top of his head.

"Call it a wind-glider, if you will," Harmony gestures to it. "Only two people can fit, though."

Arianna holds up the rattle, shaking it a little. "I just hope we can get her to hear it..."

"Here," Rapunzel hands her the telescope. "Harmi and I made this." Arianna places the rattle at the end, amplifying the sound of the object.

"That'll work!"

"Heh...we owe you one birthday gift."

"Or two," Harmony hands her a crossbow with some sap on the arrow. "I modified it so that you can catch that Uumlaut...but you only get one shot."

Arianna smiles at the two, before giving a determined look. "Okay Willow..." She walks up to her sister. "It's a two-person job. One to steer, and one to shake," She holds up the telescope.

"You'd better let me do the flying this time," She smirks teasingly.

The two walk up to the top of the cliff, wearing the cape-kite. The others help them hold it up. "You ready?" Willow looks over her shoulder.

"Let's go," Arianna smirks back. They let go and start to walk. The princesses give their father some comfort, the family members smiling at them. The two start running and when they reach the edge, they jump off, flying into the air.

The boys cheer at them. "It really works!" Harmony smiles up at the sky.

Willow manages to steer perfectly as Arianna looks over the edge. "Oh come on, where are you?"

"There!" Her sister points up ahead, both of them noticing the large army. Arianna holds up the telescope, ringing the rattle. The original jumps up and down into the air as the others come to a stop.

"There she is! Take us in low!"

Willow does so, getting closer. "Okay sis...now it's all on you. No pressure."

"Thanks," She smiles, aiming the crossbow. Firing it, she catches the original Uumlaut, the arrow sliding back to bring her over. Arianna hands her the rattle, Willow flying away.

"Did she catch it?" Rapunzel wonders as they saw the drop-off. The two look over their shoulders to see her still holding it. The six all cheer for them.

"Nice one, Dare-ianna!" Willow grins a little as they head back to the others. "Would you look at that?"

Just like Varian said, the original sucks up all the duplicates, leaving only one. She shakes her rattle and Willow turns back around, Arianna catching her. They fly towards the sunset.

* * *

The next day, the bell rings in the kingdom, and it's time for Willow to leave. "Bye Aunt Willow," The two princesses hug her. "Please come back soon."

"It was...nice meeting you, Willow," Varian offers her his hand to shake, but she pulls him into another bear hug. "Or, you know, hugging works too!"

She releases him and chuckles towards her sister. "That was one heck of a plan, Dare-ianna."

"It wouldn't have worked without your hare-brained cape-kite," She smiles, stepping forward. The two hold each other's shoulders, smiling as they touch foreheads.

"Love you, sis."

"I love you too."

Varian and Harmony smile at the moment. The Uumlaut shakes her rattle. "Goodbye, my fancy pants," Arianna nuzzles her cheek with her finger.

Willow gets onto her horse. "Now off to explore new lands, tackle new adventures, and see new sights! And then, maybe I'll have a little lunch. Ta ta for now!" The horse stands up on its hind legs, taking off with the woman.

"I'm sorry your birthday didn't happen the way you wanted it too..." Rapunzel tells her mother.

"Yeah, and I'm sorry for not talking to you further about it..." Harmony rubs the back of her neck.

"Well, when am I ever gonna get a chance to fly a cape-kite again?"

"Which, was awesome, by the way," Varian smiles up at her.

"Willow can be a bit of a handful..." Rapunzel takes her mother's hand, Harmony doing the same. "But it was really nice to get to know Dare-ianna."

"I think I'll miss her," Harmony smirks a little.

Arianna smiles warmly. "You just might see her again..."

"And who knows? Maybe Willow will change. I mean, she did promise to take care of that Uumlaut."

They stop walking, eyes widening as they hear the ringing of the rattle. Looking at the ground, they see the very creature in front of them, which spits up a hairball on the ground.

"WILLOW!" The three call out and Harmony rushes towards the stable.

"Don't worry, I'll bring it back to her! Dang it, Aunt Willow! You did this last time with that goat Milton!"


	18. Queen for a Day Part 1

A bunny is hopping along the forest, sniffing around. It smiles happily at some flowers and then recoils back in fear as dark storm clouds appear in the sky suddenly. The wind blows the bunny away.

Quirin is tending to crops when he hears the storm, looking up at the sky. He slightly grows concerned, seeing a little girl climbing up a tree to reach a pink flower. The wind blows her off the tree and Quirin catches her in time.

"What were you doing up there, little one?" He smiles playfully.

"I was getting a flower for Princess Harmony," The girl points up at the flower. "Because I want to cheer her up!"

He's confused, but waves it off. "Well, I'm sure there are some around there that she'll like," He points up to some fields ahead, putting her down. She giggles, running past some black rocks that one of the villagers is eyeing.

_Now _he understands why she wanted to cheer up Harmony.

"What do we do, Quirin?" He gestures to the pile in front of him. "My home—these rocks are destroying everything in their path! I think it's time that we all had a chat with the princess!"

Other villagers gather around, thinking the same thing. "Take ease, friends," Quirin steps forward. "Our situation may seem dire, but we mustn't lose hope. I'm sure that Princess Harmony doesn't have control over it and might not be aware of its growth. She is a trusted friend of ours, and I'm not sure if she'll appreciate it if we confront her at this moment."

"But what are they? Why can't she stop it?"

"I've been studying these rocks with Mona and I think I discovered a vulnerability in their alchemical make-up," Varian gestures to the black rocks.

"Son," Quirin walks up to him. "I told you, leave those rocks alone. We don't know what's going on with Princess Harmony."

"Yeah, I know, I know, I know...but something has to be done and I think I may be onto a solution," He smirks confidently.

"Something is being done. In fact, I plan to travel to see the king and Princess Harmony this afternoon about this very matter."

"Oh," He gasps a little at the thought of seeing Harmony again. "Well, um, can I come with you?" He smiles up at his father, who notices his blush.

"Ahh...Very well," He smiles softly, he can tell that his son wants to see her a lot. "You can travel with me."

"Really? Yes!" Varian does a little victory dance. "Yes! Road trip! Varian and Dad going to see the king and Mona~" He lets out a little laugh. "I will pack ham sandwiches!"

He runs off and Quirin chuckles at him. "Yes...but in the meantime, stay away from those rocks."

Varian had come to a stop, looking up ahead. "Uh, okay, but um...that's getting harder to do by the minute..." He looks at clusters of the black rocks.

He _really _hoped that he and Harmony could come up with a solution soon. Some even grow right near his arm, glancing at them. He's not angry at her, but he would like to know if she could stop this on her own...

* * *

Meanwhile, the princess herself is sitting next to her sister at the far end as they're doing audience with citizens again. "Your majesty," Feldspar bows in front of them. "Ever since you re-paved the roads, wear and tear on people's shoes, are at an all-time low." Pascal and Daisy let out yawns in boredom, as this has been going on for hours. "Not one person has come into the cobbler shop all week!"

"I see...Well, we can't very well unpave the roads, can we, Feldspar?" Frederic glances to Arianna, who giggles. Feldspar squeezes his eyes shut. He couldn't just close down for good... "However, it occurs to me that the royal guard is in need of new boots. Do you think you might be of service, sir?"

"Might-Might I?!" He gestures to himself. "Why of course, your majesty!" He bows gratefully before leaving the throne room. Rapunzel taps her father's shoulder, leaning in.

"Do the guards really need new boots?" She whispers curiously. She's seen their shoes—they look fine.

"No, but the livelihood of our local businesses is worth the extra cost."

Pascal and Daisy nod in approval. "Wow," Rapunzel glances at her sister. "I have learned so much from shadowing you these last few days! And from all your lessons," She gestures to Harmony, hugging her gratefully.

"Well, I've been shadowing him for as long as I can remember," The girl smiles up at Rapunzel.

"Good! Because you must be prepared for any contingency while we're gone," He warns the two.

"Uh, Frederic?" Arianna speaks up, "We're going to be away for two days. We deserve a little break. I think they can manage."

"Oh, I know they can. After witnessing the supreme judgement they exercised while defending Attila, there's not a doubt in my mind," He smiles proudly at the two, who grin towards each other. "But that doesn't mean a father can't worry. And since Rapunzel is Queen Regnant with Harmony being second in line for the throne, everything is by Rapunzel's decision."

* * *

Eugene takes some ink, drawing a crown on the mirror with it. He smiles into the mirror, Lance looking over his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" He teases, scaring Eugene.

"Since Rapunzel is pretty much the queen for a couple of days, that makes me pretty much the king," Eugene smiles proudly.

"Oh pray tell, your majesty, what hast thou planned to do with thine newly bestowed might?" Lance mocks, sitting on the bed.

"Well, I thought you'd never ask," He looks at all the ink on his hands, wiping some off. "I thought I'd start small. You know, take a bath in the royal pool, try out that furry cape-y thing, take a little snooze on the throne. And then from there, I can move on to bigger stuff. You know, make a few decrees, negotiate an accord, proclamate a...proclaiming thing."

"You're out of your head," Lance raises a brow with a smug smile.

"You're out of your head, your majesty," Eugene corrects him.

Lance starts laughing at him. "Your majesty..."

While he's laughing, Eugene notices that some ink landed between his eyebrows, and then he sees that the ink is still on him.

* * *

Quirin and Varian have reached the front of the line. "Okay Dad, what's our strategy?" Varian asks behind him. "I mean, I tried to get a sample of the rocks to show the king, but they just won't cut through. And so I asked Mona, 'Well, can you cut them yourself?' And she said no, so-"

"Son," Quirin interrupts as it's his turn. "Wait here while I speak to the king and Harmony."

"Dad, I think I should go in there to help explain the scientific-"

"Varian," He pinches his nose. "Children have no place in court."

"But I'm not a..." Varian doesn't finish his sentence as he notices his father walking inside the throne room. He looks around and goes to find another door.

"Quirin, my old friend!" Frederic greets the man. "What brings you from Old Corona Village?"

"Your majesty," He bows to them. "Old Corona is facing quite the dilemma."

"Oh?" Frederic asks curiously, the princesses opening their mouths in surprise.

"Ah, yes, it would appear this year's harvest has proven quite bountiful," Quirin states, while Varian is peeking in through another door. Harmony glances to her right, seeing him and waving with a small smile. He returns the gesture. "So much so that I humbly request more land to accommodate such bounty!"

Varian stares at him, baffled at the lie. "What...?"

Quirin bows and Nigel leans in. "Your majesty, we've received no such crop reports from Old Corona."

"Hmm," Harmony glances at him and so does Frederic. She can tell that there's something he's not telling them...it's not right.

"Quirin," The two princesses turn to their father. "I am pleased to hear how well Old Corona is faring. And even more pleased to grant your request."

He looks up and smiles at them. "Thank you, your majesty."

"Tell your son I said hello," Frederic calls out and they watch him leave. Rapunzel can't help but feel the same way as Harmony. It definitely looks like Quirin is holding something back. They look to Nigel, who just shrugs.

Quirin steps out, confronted by Varian. "Dad, none of that was true!" He runs to a stop in front of the man, confused and shocked by what he just did. "Wha...Old Corona is being destroyed! Doesn't Mona deserve to know that-"

"Old Corona will endure. You'll have to trust that I can handle this," He walks past the alchemist, who stops him again.

"How? How can I trust anything when my own father just lied to the king's and Mona's faces?!"

"That is enough, Varian," Quirin gives him a fierce glare, causing him to go silent. He didn't want to ire him further...

"...Yes sir..." He whispers softly, Quirin leaving him in the hall. Shortly after he leaves, Rapunzel opens the door, followed by Harmony as they see the boy standing there. He stares after his father, narrowing his eyes.

"Varian? Is everything okay?" Rapunzel asks in concern.

"No!" He steps away a little, holding his arm. "No it's not...Rapunzel, Mona, we came to see your dad about the rocks in Old Corona."

"What?" Harmony gasps a little in alarm.

"Yeah, but your dad just said-"

"My dad lied," Varian gestures to himself, looking away sadly. "Things have gotten worse."

Harmony looks up at Rapunzel, unsure if she really wanted to hear this... "How much worse?"

He looks away, squeezing his eyes shut. The damage so far has affected farms, homes, wells, and everything in their path. And he hated to have to tell Harmony this, but she deserved to know the truth. Not to mention that he wants to save his village...

"...A lot worse," He whispers, causing Harmony to shut her eyes, hugging herself. Rapunzel places a comforting hand on her sister's back and brings her forward so that they can face Varian. She places her hand on his shoulders, bringing herself to his level.

"Don't worry, guys. I haven't forgotten about our agreement. We're gonna figure out the mystery behind these rocks...together. Just give the two of us until our father returns, everything is gonna be okay. I promise," She smiles at him and he looks up at her. As he smiles, they can see the hope in his eyes, making him have faith in her.

"Mona..." He notices her silence and steps forward, hugging her. "It's not your fault..."

"I should've gone back more often..." She murmurs guiltily.

"You couldn't have known," He holds her cheeks, kissing the top of her head. "No one at Old Corona is upset; they just wanna know what to do."

"I wish I knew how to stop them..." She sighs slowly.

"Don't worry, Mona. I'll study them some more and see if I can stop them with an alchemical solution," He smiles softly at her.

"You don't need to do that for my sake, Vari," She returns the smile. "I'm sure I can find the time to examine some."

"Uh, you're temporary crown princess until your parents come back," He chuckles a little. "That's gonna take up a lot of time that Old Corona doesn't have. You'll be too busy to do anything. Please, let me at least try." His hand reaches out and takes hold of hers. "I want to do this for you."

"Well...okay. If you're really sure about this," Harmony glances at her sister, nodding at him.

"Sure I'm sure! I promise that when I find it, you won't have to worry about your rocks anymore."

Rapunzel smiles between the two, silently squealing. She ships it so hard!

* * *

Later, the two and Eugene stand in front of Frederic and Arianna to say goodbye. Arianna is wearing a blue dress and fur cap while Frederic is wearing a dark blue winter cape. Arianna turns to her daughters, holding their hands.

"We hope to make it to the mountain retreat by noon."

"We are so excited for you guys!" Rapunzel exclaims, hugging her mother. Pascal joins in. Rapunzel pulls Harmony into the hug and she smiles, joining in. "Take good care of them, Max."

He smiles at her, as he's attached to the carriage that'll bring them to the retreat. Pascal dives him a wink and a thumbs up. Daisy flies in front of the queen, who nuzzles her cheek. "We'll miss you guys," Harmony hugs her mother, who wraps her arms around her.

"You kids have fun now!" Eugene puts an arm around Rapunzel. He laughs as Frederic approaches. The pub thugs, Lance, and Cass all smile at the two.

"Are you sure you'll be okay, girls?" He asks in concern. "Because your mom and I can always stay. We have plenty of anniversaries to come, you know."

"Frederic," Arianna whispers to him.

"Don't worry, your majesty," Lance approaches the three, putting his arms around Rapunzel and Eugene. "We've totally got everything under control."

Pascal and Daisy glance to each other, shaking their heads doubtfully. "Uhh, thank you...you. That's comforting." He looks at Lance's feet. "I'm sorry, are those my shoes?"

Lance smiles sheepishly, trying to hide them and Harmony pushes him off her in annoyance, glaring up at him. He laughs nervously and leaves the five alone. Rapunzel hums as she and her sister approach their angry-looking father.

"I won't let you down, Dad. I have Harmony for advice!"

"I'll do what I can," Harmony smiles up at him and he cups their cheeks.

"I know you won't, sweetie. And I know that you'll try your hardest. Now remember, Rapunzel, you'll discover when you become queen, many voices will demand to be heard, but when all is said and done, the voice in your heart is the one you should follow."

He walks into the carriage, Arianna placing her hands on their shoulders. "Bye Mom, bye Papa!" Harmony waves to them and Arianna waves back. Max leaves the courtyard as Eugene also waves to them.

"...KITCHEN RAID!" Lance shouts as soon as they're gone, him and the thugs running off with cheers. Cass pulls out her sword and chases after them with a growl. Eugene runs after her.

"Hey, hey, hey, Cassandra, make good choices! Make good choices!" Eugene calls out. Harmony sighs at the group, pinching her nose. If they really raided that kitchen, she'd ban them from having privileges...or maybe just Lance. Rapunzel takes a deep sigh, taking it all in. For two days, she's entirely in charge...

"So whatta we got, Nigel?" Rapunzel asks the king's advisor.

"Well, first, there's this morning's royal counsel to hear out your subjects' concerns." He rolls out a list that is way too long. Daisy and Pascal gasp at it, looking up at the two. They glance at each other and shrug.

"Alright, people of Corona! Got a problem? Consider it solved!" She crosses her arms with a confident smirk.

"This is nothing," Harmony cracks her hands. "I haven't met a problem I can't solve."

Pascal and Daisy point up ahead...and see a long line of people. They both chuckle nervously at the sight. "Little longer than yesterday, right? But nothing we can't handle."

"Actually, princesses, word got out that you two would be receiving subjects, and well, we have quite a turnout!"

There are TWO lines outside to prove his point, it's as if the whole kingdom is there today. "Oh man," Harmony's eyes widen.

"You've never dealt with this many people before?" Rapunzel bites her lip anxiously.

"No, Papa would just let me observe. This is the first time they've left the castle since I was 6..."

* * *

Back in Old Corona, Quirin has since returned, telling all the villagers what happened. "I have made the good king and princess aware of our problem, and we have their blessings."

They all cheer and Varian watches from outside in his lab. He slams down his fist at the sill. Turning around, he walks up to some rocks that have already gotten into the room, breaking through the ceiling. He studies one closely, taking a deep breath. What if he couldn't find the solution and disappointed Harmony? What if he couldn't do anything?

Ruddiger walks around him and he looks to his companion, picking him up. "Running away isn't going to fix the problem. These rocks must be stopped," He places the raccoon onto the rock. "And then Mona can live a normal life again, and stop suffering alone. Okay, Ruddiger, so what do we know about them?"

Ruddiger slides down a bit. "They're unbreakable, they're somehow connected to Princess Rapunzel, created by Mona through her connection to the Moonstone's power, and..." He digs for a scroll, yelping and falling in front of the wall. "Worse yet, they are growing at an exponential rate..." He opens up a map, showing spots where Harmony's black rocks have been spotted.

"Within a matter of months, they will have reached the castle, and Mona could be incorrigible by then."

He looks up at his friend, who frowns a little. The alchemist takes a deep breath. He vowed to her that he'd look into it, but he doesn't have much to go on...

"Now, physical force has no effect on these rocks, but they have yet to reckon with the awesome power of alchemy!" He smirks, removing the cloth from his table to reveal several beakers connected to a funnel. He chuckles and turns on the burner, watching them go to work. They form a pink liquid and he stirs it with an eyedropper, holding it up. He sends a smile to Ruddiger before placing down his goggles. The solution is dropped onto the rock, catching on fire.

"Ah! Whoa!" Varian exclaims in alarm, Ruddiger jumping off his shoulders. "Uh..."

"Varian! Son!" Quirin calls out from downstairs. "Are you okay in there?"

"Yes, dad, yes!" Varian places a blanket over the rock, hugging it. "Yes, I just dropped a book!"

Suddenly there's an explosion, messing up his hair. "One of my—one of my big books..."

* * *

Eugene is standing in the garden area, where something is being built. The pub thugs are helping out, painting the steps.

"Good, now don't forget the trim on the left," Eugene orders them.

"Really taking advantage of that king clout, aren't we, your majesty?" Lance asks as he arrives, bowing playfully.

"Blondie asked me to do a check-in on the renovations as a part of her queenly duties," Eugene gestures to the work they're doing. Lance raises a skeptical brow. "It's an important job." A bucket of paint lands on him and he takes it off, glaring up at Hook Foot and Big Nose.

"Sorry, buddy! My bad!" Hook Foot waves a hand.

"Good to be the king, huh?" Lance pats his friend's shoulder, getting paint on his hand. He quickly wipes it on the back of Eugene's shirt, which he obviously feels.

"Okay. You wanna see me flex a little muscle? Watch this," He claps his hands. "Alright, boys! Let's get the lead out! After we wrap this up, I'm gonna need some renovations to my room. I'm thinking sunroof." Another bucket of paint lands on him, but this time it's red.

"Just for the record, that one was on purpose!" Hook Foot calls out.

"Mmhm," Lance hums in amusement.

* * *

"There's still a lot to go," Cass tells the princesses as the lines haven't been tended to yet. "Sure you can handle it?"

"Yeah!" Rapunzel adjusts her corset. "Of course we can!" She chuckles, running towards the door, but she comes back and takes their hands. "Come on!"

_Royal decision making_

Rapunzel looks between an apple and a cupcake.

_Hey, we were born to do it_

She points to the apple and continues walking forward.

_Yeah, sure, I'm slightly faking_

Then it's between two shoes, one blue and one yellow.

_But there's not that much to it_

She takes both with a smile, throwing them into Cass' hands. Harmony smiles in amusement, running after her sister.

_Bring it on, I'm ready, cause I got this_

She pushes open the doors, walking into the throne room. There are two for the princesses.

_I've got this_

_Just watch_

She smiles slightly towards Nigel. Harmony peeks into the throne room. To say she was anxious was an understatement.

**People to see**

**And I'm not judging**

She picks up her skirt and starts walking.

**Yeah, sure, I'm slightly nervous**

**I've got you doing this with me**

She smiles towards Rapunzel, who returns the gesture.

**Bring it on, I'm ready, cause I got this**

Once she reaches the other throne, Harmony smooths her skirt and takes her spot next to her sister.

**I've got this**

**Just wait and see**

"Princess Rapunzel, Princess Harmony, may I present...your most humble subjects," Nigel gestures to the doors, where a bunch of people flock in. They both gasp as two people shove past the line, holding two sheep.

**Farmer: He won't let my sheep graze next to his without a fight!**

"Hm," They both hum as a barber comes up next.

**Barber: How can I cut hair with this guy fiddling day and night?**

He snatches the fiddle from the player.

"Gosh," The two murmur.

**Lately half the city's overrun by cats and kitties**

_Peasant Girl: Eating everything in sight!_

Both girls stand up, nodding to each other.

_**Right!**_

They push the two farmers apart.

_**Pasture land is public**_

_**We decree you'll have to share**_

They approach the barber, who was threatening to cut off the strings to the fiddle.

_**Earplugs will do wonders**_

_**You'll receive a royal pair**_

Harmony handles the fiddle back to the musician, a pair of earmuffs being held out to the barber by one of the handmaidens.

"Thanks!" He says gratefully.

_**Henceforth it is written**_

_**We'll feed every cat and kitten**_

Rapunzel walks back up the steps to the thrones, Harmony turning to the citizens.

_**Here within the palace square**_

She hands the crate full of felines to Cass, who walks off with them.

_**Fair?**_

"Yeah!" Everyone cheers at their declarations.

_Folks, the line starts there_

**Just wait and we'll get you nice and fair**

Harmony gestures for them to make a line.

Cass stares at all the people waiting, smiling proudly.

_She's got a knack for reigning_

_So far she's holding steady_

She walks past the line, slightly worried about the amount of people, wondering if they could really handle it...Rapunzel says that she can, but she really didn't know the true weight a princess could face.

_But folks are still complaining_

_So let's not throw confetti_

Cass looks out the window.

_Nonetheless, I guess our girls have got this_

_They've got this_

She approaches the family portrait of the daughters with their parents after they regained their hair.

_No prob_

The two smile at a woman leaving, standing up from their thrones. "Is that the last one?"

"I promised Vari I'd come and see him about his progress with my black rocks," Harmony bites her lip, looking at the clock. He wasn't lying when he said that she's too busy. She'd been wanting to go to Old Corona for a while now, ever since she saw them there, but all of her duties had just piled up and up until it was till the point that Varian started to come and see her.

And things used to be the other way around with him being busy with his experiments.

"Well..." Nigel peeks into the hall. "Not exactly..."

The people barge in and they cringe nervously.

**Farmer: Since we shared the pasture, we can't tell whose sheep are whose!**

"Whoops," Rapunzel winces a little.

**Barber: I can't hear my customers and ruin all their dos!**

"Sorry!" She calls out towards him.

**Now the cats are quiet**

_Peasant Girl: But the rats are running riot_

_Up and down the avenues!_

All of them start shouting, starting to overwhelm Rapunzel and Harmony stands up, walking into the crowd.

**Divide evenly and mark them with these cloths**

She holds out blue and red handkerchiefs.

**Red for you and blue for yours**

**I'll take care of the rest**

"Great!" The two run off.

**Now I have a growth serum for that do**

Harmony holds up a vial with yellow liquid inside, giving it to the customer.

**Here's some coins for your trouble**

She gives the barber the money.

**And Mr. Fiddler, here's the thing**

She walks up to him, gesturing to the fiddle.

**You can entertain customers with your fiddling**

The man with awful hair perks up at that.

**Just please play quieter**

"Yes, your majesty," The three bow, walking away.

**The cats can go into a sanctuary**

Harmony holds up the box of kittens.

**And we'll have the guards catch those rats**

She points to some guards that their father ordered to stay behind.

**Get some cheese **

Harmony holds up a tiny piece, throwing it and the rat catches it into its mouth.

**So that the rats aren't causing a ruse**

"Thank you!" The two say gratefully and Harmony sighs in relief. Nigel pushes away the crowd, closing the doors.

**No more interviews**

Rapunzel and Harmony are left alone to sit and think about what happened.

_Gosh, what a huge disaster_

_And everybody knew it_

She steps onto the carpet. Harmony stares after her, following after the blonde.

_I had one job to master_

_And I completely blew it_

She steps through the open doors, walking into the hall.

_I was so darn certain that I got this_

Rapunzel reaches towards the portrait.

_But I'm not this_

She lightly touches herself and Harmony on the portrait.

_Not yet_

Pressing her back against the large painting, she slides down towards the floor.

_Who would have thought how far from getting this high_

_I could get_

Harmony takes a seat next to her older sister, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Daisy flies up and rests herself on Rapunzel's head. The older princess just sighs, hugging herself.

* * *

Later on, the sky is looking a little darker as she brushes her hair out on the balcony. "So," Eugene speaks up as he and Harmony step forward. "How was your first day on the job?"

She runs up to them and hugs the two. "Whoa!" He glances at Harmony, who looks at her sister sympathetically. "Is everything okay?"

She sighs deeply, wondering just how her parents and Harmony go through this every single day. "I'm just..." She lets out another sigh. "How am I ever gonna do this?"

"Hey, hey, relax. You only gotta hang in there one more day. Your parents will be back soon," Eugene tells her as she sits near the edge.

"Not everyone has it down the first day. You just have to pull through it and with my help, it'll be over in no time!" Harmony speaks up optimistically.

She scoffs a little. "I know. But..." She throws down her brush and it lands near Harmony's foot. "It's not tomorrow I'm worried about. Someday...this is gonna be my job every day, and I'm...I'm not sure I can handle it all. Why can't you just take over for me, Harmi? You're such a natural!"

"Me?" The teenager rubs the back of her neck bashfully. "I just...used what I learned from Papa. That is, whenever he wanted to teach me. But Punz, I'm not next in line for the throne: you are. And I'm not old enough. I know it seems overwhelming, but I believe in you, big sister."

"Blondie, come on. Look at the amazing things you've done since leaving that tower," Eugene picks up the brush she threw. "Do you think you would've been able to do any of them if you'd stopped to worry about how you were going to do it? Look at Brownie, she does lots of things without worrying so much," He hands her the brush and she smiles a little. "I know you didn't choose this, but you of all people should know that when life hands you lemons..." He winks at her and says nothing else, expecting her to finish that sentence.

"Yes...? Finish that thought."

"You're talking to the sister who grew up in a tower by a selfish, greedy woman," Harmony whispers to Eugene, who realizes that Rapunzel might not know that phrase.

"Oh! Well. Uh, no, it's not so much a thought as much as an expression."

"Because you can do a lot with lemons," She points out. "Make lemon meringue. Soften your hair. Uh, clean tough stains."

Harmony giggles at her.

"Or make lemonade," Eugene replies slyly, crossing his arms.

"You know, not a fan," Rapunzel tells him.

"Okay. My point is, or should I say ours, is that you, more than anyone I've ever known, are able to take any situation and make the best of it," Eugene takes a hold of her hands. "You're the queen. Go with it!"

"Eugene's right. I've seen you positive about everything, even when Monty hated you, or when I didn't want to face Vari, or when Cass and Eugene kept fighting all the time. You're relentless and you'll apply that same determination to being temporary queen. And hey, if all else fails, you can just ask me to chip in and I will."

"Hmm. Thank you, little sister," Rapunzel pulls her into a hug and she returns it. Suddenly a white speckle lands on Rapunzel's nose and she pulls back to look up at the sky.

"What...?" Harmony murmurs slowly as she sees that snow is falling.

"Ugh! Snow?" Eugene replies in distaste.

"Oh my gosh!" Rapunzel stands up in amazement. She's seen it from the tower, but was never able to be outside to really experience it. Gothel would always say that inside was safer. "I've never actually been outside when it snows!"

"Neither have I..." Harmony says, lightly touching a snowflake. Frederic would let her see it, but didn't give her permission to go outside and play in it. He was worried that her powers would have a negative effect on her, or that she'd get snatched like her sister and he'd be too far away to stop it...

"Well I have, and you know, I'm not a fan," Eugene hugs himself as Rapunzel sticks out her tongue. "I mean, it's cold, it's a pain, it ruins your day. It's like Cassandra, but warmer."

"It's kinda weird that it's snowing out of the blue, though..." Harmony couldn't help but think as she looks at the sky. There was no indication earlier that it would snow today. Rapunzel just gasps at all the snowflakes, giving a look of awe. She then starts running towards her window.

"Hey, where you going?" Eugene asks curiously.

"To enjoy life's lemons!" She jumps into her room through the window.

"That's my girl," He smiles proudly, some snow blowing onto his back. "Ahh!" He bends down and picks up the brush. "I hate the snow!"

"Oh, stop being such a downer," Harmony smiles as she follows after him and shuts the shutters.

* * *

Max is trudging along the snow, confused at it, but keeps going on. He only had one mission and that was to get them up there safe and sound. He goes up the steep hill, some of the ice starting to crack due to all the weight.

Arianna looks out the glass. "Wow...it's beautiful," She smiles at the sight. "I don't recall the last time it snowed this much..."

"Hmm," Frederic leans in and looks out. "Looks like there's more to come. I don't know, Arianna, maybe we should return to the castle." Not only does it look like it's not going to stop, but he was worried for his daughters.

"Mm, Frederic," She smiles at him, icicles above starting to crack. "I know you're worried about the girls." They completely fall off and land in front of Max, startling him. "But they're going to be fin-"

The caravan starts to shake as it slides as the ice is slippery. Max looks over him to see it slipping and panics a little, running as fast as he can. The ice is just too slippery for him to move fast enough and one of the ropes holding him breaks off. Arianna slips out of her seat.

"Arianna!" Frederic shouts as he watches her.

"Frederic!" She gasps and he takes a hold of her wrist, leaving her slightly dangling out the door. "Frederic..." She murmurs as the caravan is tipping over the edge, threatening to fall. The king pulls her up and she hugs him, both of them looking down below. Max tries his best to pull them up, but the other rope breaks off. He rushes towards the carriage, but it falls over!

Quirin moves away a piece of wall from his room, pulling a chest towards him. He slides away the front, revealing a strange symbol on it. He looks over his shoulder to make sure that no one is watching and opens it up.

He pulls out a helmet that has the same circle symbol, sighing deeply at it. The memories...there was a reason why he keeps these things hidden away...

He looks out the window, seeing all the black rocks and snow. He then looks over to his right, staring at the family photo of him, his baby son...and his wife. He smiles softly at it, and then it drops, remembering what happened to her...

His eyes move towards Varian, the baby smiling happily.

"Never give up, Ruddiger," Varian slams his fist onto the table. "So, our last formula didn't deliver quite the reaction we hoped," He quickly stirs a new formula, staring at the light green color. "So what?" He shrugs towards the raccoon. "The important thing is we got a reaction."

Hopefully, this will fix everything...

He's just about to pour it onto the black rock when Quirin suddenly bursts into his lab. "Son."

Ruddiger moves away out of alarm as Varian's eyes widen. "I just want to-"

"Oh, oh," Varian turns around, accidentally pouring the formula onto the rock.

"Varian, I told you to stay away from those rocks," Quirin scolds, approaching the alchemist.

"Um, yeah, okay. I-I know what you said, but-"

"Then there should be no misunderstanding!" He leads Varian away from the rocks. "Now listen to me. I know that the princess has been creating these rocks and that you want to help her, but you-"

"NO!" Varian pushes him away. He knew what Quirin was gonna say, and he didn't want to hear it. "No, you listen to me, Dad. Our village is dying!" He points outside the window. "You think running away from the problem is gonna fix it? No! And neither is not helping Mona when she really needs it! These rocks aren't going away," He points towards the black rock.

"I know, Varian," He rubs a temple. "And I'm not placing blame on her, and I believe that she does need help, but there is more to them and her than you can possibly imagine."

"Then why won't you tell me?!" Varian demands, the chemical from the rock bubbling, but they're too busy arguing to notice. "Dad! I just-I deserve to know! If it involves Mona, then I wanna know if she's in danger! If it's important to her, then it's important to _me_!"

The chemical turns into amber that shows no sign of stopping...

Quirin slowly removes the glove from his left, the same symbol from his chest and helmet marked onto the back of his palm. He clenches a fist. It's too dangerous for anyone to know, let alone teenagers. "I am sorry, son. You are not ready."

He turns around and finally notices what's going on with the black rock. "Varian, watch out!"

Varian looks and before he can say anything, Quirin pushes him out of the way, the amber growing stronger. He slides to a stop, looking up to see that Quirin's arm is trapped, the amber growing around him. "Oh! Dad! Dad!" Varian runs up to him. "Oh! Hold on, Dad. Hold on! I'll-I'll get you out!" Varian steps forward and Quirin stops him.

"No! Stay back!"

He looks towards his arm and Varian gasps in horror, backing away. "I'm gonna go get help!" He rushes towards the door.

"No, son. Don't," Quirin calls out, but he leaves anyway. Varian puts on his winter gear quickly, grabbing the lantern and rushing out the door. Harmony must be able to do something, or Rapunzel. They have the power of the Moonstone and the Sundrop Flower—surely they could free him!

He runs down the path, Quirin glancing outside in concern. There was nothing he could do, but stand there...

* * *

Rapunzel, Eugene, Cass, and Harmony step up to the entrance. The crown princess is wearing a rogue coat with pink fur trims and a dark red Santa-sized belt. It also has rogue earmuffs and pink gloves. Harmony has the same style coat, but it's a turquoise blue with white fur trims and a dark blue Santa-sized belt. It has turquoise earmuffs and white gloves.

"Loyal subjects of Corona," Rapunzel announces to them. "As your temporary queen, I officially declare today...a snow day!"

Everyone cheers at her exclamation, already dressed up in their own winter clothing. Rapunzel, Cass, and Harmony walk off to go enjoy it as Eugene faces them.

"And as your temporary king, I..."

However, they've already started playing in the snow, Shorty ice-skating and doing a flip. A snowball hits his cheek and he wipes it off, narrowing his eyes slightly at the four little girls.

He chuckles sarcastically, waving to them. "Nice shot, kid," He grumbles as he leaves his spot. Lance just giggles at him.

"Alright, easy..." Eugene takes cautious steps down the slippery slope, as he really hates snow. "One step at a time."

"Whoo!" Rapunzel cheers as she skates down the slide.

"Whoo hoo!" Lance grips the railing, sliding past Eugene. "Pick it up, Eugene!"

"Wha-oh," Eugene lets go and wobbles a bit...then he slips and holds the railing again. "Oh, is there anything worse than snow?!"

"Yay!" Harmony shouts happily as she's sitting, makeshift sledding down the slight slope.

Cassandra slides to a stop on the railing behind him, arms crossed. "Hello, your royal travesty," She quips with a smug smirk.

"I spoke too soon," He deadpans at her appearance.

"Playing make-believe King isn't panning out like you'd hoped, is it?" She asks knowingly.

"It's working out just fine," Eugene stands back up, crossing his arms. "Thanks." He slips and slides down the slope, landing into a pile of snow. Cass slides over to him, silently enjoying this moment.

"You know, it's not like this king thing gives you any actual power. But even if it did, it might be nice to stop trying to exploit it and start trying to put it to good use." And with that, she walks off, leaving him there.

"Yeah, no, that's okay," He muffles as snow is still over his body. "Don't help me up..."

Rapunzel chases one of the little girls as it gets darker, some of the wind getting stronger. It blows her away right into Eugene's arms. "Oh, thanks Eugene. Guess I'm still getting used to this weather. Does it always snow this much?"

"No, actually," Harmony walks up to them. "It's snowed, but nothing like this before."

"But it has once before," A voice speaks up and they walk up to Xavier, who's made a fire. "At least, according to legend." He makes a torch and the three glance at each other.

"Legend?" Rapunzel wonders as others gather around.

"The Legend of Zhan Tiri," He tosses the torch into the fire, igniting it. "Eons ago, an evil warlock, Zhan Tiri, had a deep hatred for Corona. And cast a spell which caused a blizzard to sweep across the land. The storm destroyed everything in its path. All would have been lost had it not been for the ancient engineer, and inventor, Lord Demanitus."

"Wait a minute," Harmony gasps at the name. "I've heard of him from one of the books in the library! He's created all sorts of scientific marvels!" She beams in realization, noticing all the looks from everyone and she smiles in embarrassment. "C-continue Xavier."

"Thank you, princess. Using both magic and science, Demanitus built a massive subterranean machine, deep in the Corona mountains. This mighty device had the ability to change the direction of the wind, and it pushed the flurries out to the sea. The day was saved. Zhan Tiri had, indeed, been defeated. But some say the curse of the storm lives on and is simply waiting to strike again."

"Waiting...?" Rapunzel asks slowly. "For what?"

"For Corona to be at its weakest," Xavier explains while tending to the fire.

"For Corona to be at its weakest...but it is only a legend, right, Xavier?" She couldn't help but feel a little worried.

"Yeah...this happened eons ago, right? T-There's no way that it's the curse today," Harmony gestures to their environment. He just chuckles at them.

"My dears, every legend is born of truth."

Vlad slowly claps for him at the powerful words. "Bravo. Wow!" Eugene laughs at him. "Way to keep the party going as always, Xavier."

The wind gets stronger, blowing onto them and even blowing out the fire. "Whoa! Okay, um, I think for everyone's safety, we should all head indoors," Rapunzel tells them and they heard towards the castle. Suddenly a whinny is heard, and the two princesses turn around to see Max arriving, albeit slowly...

With no caravan.

He snorts sadly, his head tilted downwards. "Maximus!" The two shout, rushing over to the dejected horse along with the Captain. "What happened?"

"Are you okay?" Rapunzel asks first.

"Oh my god, you look awful," Harmony examines him.

"And where..." Rapunzel glances behind him. "Maximus, where are our parents?"

He simply closes his eyes, the Captain noticing the broken ropes. "It looks like there was an accident up on the mountain."

Rapunzel gives a look of horror, Harmony gasping. She tightly hugs her sister, as black rocks on Old Corona start turning red, but only slightly.

"Accident?!" Rapunzel looks up at the Captain.

"Rapunzel...Harmony...I think your parents are in grave danger."

Their eyes widen slowly.


	19. Queen for a Day Part 2

_Rapunzel: Previously on Tangled, our parents have gone away, leaving me in charge. Things didn't do so well for my first day, and now a snow storm hit Corona, but has now gotten worse. It's said that the curse of Zhan Tiri has struck again to plague Corona into a wintery prison. Meanwhile, Varian has been looking for a solution for Harmony's black rocks, despite Quirin's warnings to stay away. And now, we've found out that our parents are stranded in the storm! Can we find them in time? Will Varian find a way to stop these black rocks? And will this storm entrap us forever? Find out soon!_

The Sweet Shoppe sign is almost frozen over as it swings back and forth. Some windows open on their own as no one is outside now. They've all either gone to the castle or shut themselves inside of their homes, as it shows no sign of stopping anytime soon.

Cass tosses a log into the fireplace. Pascal is making tea with Daisy's help, and the chameleon gives one to Feldspar. Daisy takes the teapot, flying over to Monty and giving him a refill on his. Rapunzel wraps a blanket around a woman and the newspaper boy. Harmony gives another out to a peasant girl.

"Nigel...I need to go look for my parents," Rapunzel whispers to the advisor.

"But your highness...you're the queen! You can't just leave your kingdom in its darkest hour," He leads her away.

"Then let me," Harmony steps up to them, dusting herself off. "I'm not in charge."

"No! We can't allow the princess, much less a child, to go outside by herself on a dangerous journey!" He gestures towards outside. Her eyes turn sad at his words. "Oh, Harmony, Rapunzel, as much as it pains me to say this, their chances in elements such as these are...oh, well. Let's pray your parents found shelter before the worst of the storm hit."

"And what if they didn't?! Max had his ropes ripped right off, that means that they're stranded!" Harmony protests to him.

"She's right, we can't just let them freeze!" Rapunzel argues back furiously.

"They'll die of cold out there!"

"My dears, going out in that weather now is a virtual death sentence. You two cannot go!"

"You said so yourself: we can't leave the kingdom in its darkest hour. Well, Mom and Papa are part of the kingdom too. Are we just going to leave them to their peril?" Harmony points out and he pauses at her argument.

"He's right, girls," Eugene speaks up from the entrance, surrounded by the thugs, Lance, and Max. "But we can."

"But you just heard Nigel," Rapunzel steps up to him. "It's a death trap."

"Look at us, princesses," Lance says next, "If the rest of the world had its way, each and every one of us would either be on the run or locked up somewhere."

"But your parents had the heart to give us a second chance," Big Nose explains with a small smile. "A chance to prove ourselves, and go straight."

"The least we can do is give them a second chance of their own," Attila finishes, shaking his head.

"But..." Harmony frowns a little.

"Listen to them. Girls, there's no other option," He places his hands on the blonde's shoulders. "The mountains made for a great hideout back in the day. I know those roads better than anyone. Face it. We're the men for the job. Besides...even a make-believe king has gotta make himself useful."

Cass stares at him, unsure of the chances of survival. "Your highnesses, the guards should really be the ones to go," The Captain steps up to her, actually concerned for Eugene's safety for once. If something were to happen to him like the king and queen...Rapunzel wouldn't be able to handle it well.

"If this storm keeps up, things could get ugly, and this kingdom will need its guards," Eugene tells him.

"Your highness, it's your call," He looks towards Rapunzel.

"I still think-"

Cass places a hand on Harmony's back, shaking her head. The princess gives a disappointed look towards the ground. She wanted to make decisions like this too...but everyone just thinks she's too young.

Rapunzel looks towards Eugene, who smiles softly at her. She trusts him more than anything...and no matter how much she wanted to go out there, he was right. She sighs, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Go..."

He pulls her into a hug and she looks up at him. "We'll be back...I promise." He kisses her forehead and slowly lets go of her. She closes her eyes again, Harmony sadly hugging herself. Hopefully they would come back safe.

Max gives them one last look, walking up to the two. He nudges Rapunzel and she presses her forehead to his. "Bring them home, Max..."

"Please..." Harmony hugs his neck and he nods, following after the others. Pascal and Daisy appear on their shoulders, giving them some comfort.

"Don't worry, guys," Cass walks up to them. "If anyone can find your parents...they can."

"I hope so, Cass..." The princess murmurs slowly, placing Daisy onto Cass' shoulder. "I need some time alone."

She walks off, Rapunzel staring after her in worry. Daisy squeaks at her, just as worried as Rapunzel. "Harmi? Is everything alright? Is it about Mom and Dad?"

"Oh, no," Harmony smiles weakly over her shoulder. "I have faith in them. I just...have a lot of things to think about."

"Little sis...?" Rapunzel whispers as she watches her leave, feeling that something was off.

* * *

Back in Old Corona, Quirin struggles to move, although it's impossible at this point. Half of his body is now trapped in the amber. A desk slowly moves towards him, a piece of paper and a quill sliding into view. He stops them with his hand and quickly writes a note for Varian. He examines the words and holds it up, hoping that the amber will save it...

Varian trudges through the snow and black rocks that are slowly getting affected by the substance as well. Harmony walks through the hall, hugging herself. She couldn't believe what's happened to her parents...deep down, although she loves her sister...she wishes that they'd see the real her...like they do with Rapunzel. What has she done? Caused mayhem within the kingdom when her parents were gone during the heist...created those black rocks in Old Corona...and she can't even stop them on her own.

**Maybe I make things a mess**

He glances back towards the direction he came from, remembering all of his failed inventions that...nevertheless, affect his village.

**And maybe you're right to have doubts in me**

**Maybe, but nevertheless**

Varian slides down the edge from a slight cliff. He falls into the snow, picking himself back up.

**If you for once could just trust me**

_Maybe I should be in bless_

Harmony stops in front of the family portrait.

_And maybe they're right to have faith in her_

She lightly touches Rapunzel's face, sighing deeply.

_Maybe, but nevertheless_

She turns to her own self in the portrait, looking away.

_If you for once could just rely on me_

The princess walks down further the hall.

**Just this once, let me come through for you**

Varian looks towards ice slabs that had separated on its own earlier.

_The way that you want me to_

Harmony looks towards outside.

**Let me make you proud**

Varian starts jumping on them, eventually making his way to the other side.

**Let me show you the best in me**

He balances himself as he walks across the branch bridge that's now covered in ice.

**Let me give a reason to believe that I can stand tall**

He climbs up another cliff, placing the hoodie over himself.

_And when you return_

She steps up slowly to the window, looking on in concern for what could be happening...and then it turns into horror once she sees a black and slightly reddish rock forming from the snow.

Varian walks onto another bridge, and then more snow, also passing through a field.

_And I'm more than you dreamt I'd be_

_**Maybe then you will realize that you never actually knew me at all**_

Varian ends up in the forest, hugging himself as the snow blows at him.

_Yes, I caused a chaos once_

Harmony squeezes her eyes shut as she trudges past Rapunzel's room.

_I know that I could never be her_

_Still, though, no matter what_

She clenches her fists in determination.

_I'm gonna be great, just wait and see_

He walks into a cave, stopping for a moment so that he can use one of his vials to light the way. He takes off the hoodie as he walks through the icy path.

**Sure I've made lots of mistakes**

He looks up towards some rocks in the reflection that look just like his father...

**I know that I've disappointed you**

He looks away, determined to get him help...and for him to see that he can do great things, other than just causing trouble for them and Old Corona. Just like how Harmony wants others to see her for herself and not just some little kid, including her parents.

**Still, though, whatever it takes**

He comes across a pile of snow blocking the exit and pulls out a pink vial this time.

**I'm gonna fix it, just watch me**

He makes the snow disappear by coming the two vials together. The snow disappears in an instant.

_Just you wait, I'll make it up to you_

Harmony pushes open her door, determined to do whatever she can to do her part. Varian ties together his vials to a staff to light his way, taking his lantern.

**If it's the last thing I ever do**

He runs up to a plank, taking into his hands.

_**I will make you proud**_

Harmony bursts out onto her balcony, walking slowly onto it. Varian uses the plank as a sled.

_**I will make you have faith in me**_

She feels like a true princess: dedicated to save her people and her parents from this storm. Harmony grips the balcony bars. Varian puts on his goggles, a fierce look on his face.

_**I will prove that the way I used to be is all in the past**_

Harmony looks towards her kingdom as Varian reaches some rocks, jumping on them.

_**I will save the day!**_

Harmony quickly undoes her braid, ruffling up her hair a bit as it blows to the side. Varian jumps off the last rock, leaping over the small distance. He lands on the other side.

_**And come back here triumphantly**_

She smiles, seeing the black rocks turn fully black again.

_**Cause I long for that look of surprise when your sun/son rising at last**_

Varian trudges up the hill, finally reaching the top.

_**The pride in your eyes when you see your sun/son rising at laaaaaaaaaaast!**_

Varian takes off the goggles, seeing his destination up ahead. He smiles as Harmony holds out her arms like wings, both of them belting out the last note.

* * *

The storm outside blows hard, the snow covering every inch of Corona as Cass looks out the window Rapunzel paces around the room, trying to think about what to do next. The entire kingdom is being covered in the snow, getting deeper and deeper...

Harmony comes back just as Cass looks back to the crown princess. Suddenly, Owl arrives, causing her to gasp in alarm. She opens the window to let him in both her and Rapunzel slamming it shut. He gestures to his right.

"Cass, what is it?" Rapunzel asks in concern as Owl flies away.

"...The worst of the storm has yet to come."

Owl lands in front of the fire, warming himself up. Daisy flies up to Harmony, landing on her shoulder and nuzzling her cheek. The princess smiles, nuzzling back.

"Unless we do something, Rapunzel, the whole kingdom will be buried. Our only hope is to call a state of emergency, evacuate to the shelters on the mainland, and pray this storm blows over," Nigel declares, Harmony shaking her head.

"And if it doesn't?"

He doesn't give her an answer.

"We'll never be able to get everyone to safety in time," Her sister sighs, "That can't be the only way...what about Xavier?"

"Your Highness! With all due respect, lives are at stake here. We can't go chasing after fairy tales – not in our darkest hour."

"It's worth giving a try," Harmony speaks up.

"Princess Rapunzel! Mona!" Varian comes running into the room, followed closely by Pete and Stan.

"Sorry, princesses. He ran right past-"

"Wait! It's okay," Rapunzel cuts him off.

"He's our friend," Harmony gestures to herself and her sister. "W-Well, her friend..." She really didn't know what to call him, they were still figuring that out. The Captain lets him go, leaving the boy panting.

"Vari, take a deep breath," The girl guides him and he does so.

"Rapunzel, Mona! My dad's in danger. You—you're the only ones who can help. Please! You have to come to Old Corona with me! Now," Varian pleads with them as everyone waits for their answers with bated breath. Rapunzel leads Varian away.

Harmony is about to follow when Cass grabs her arm. She gives her friend a pleading look, but she simply shakes her head. "Let your sister handle this."

"Varian is someone I'm really close to, Cass. I have to help."

She grabs her arm back, running towards the doors. Nigel follows after her.

"Varian, what's wrong?" Rapunzel asks, wanting to hear this.

"Please, the rocks, they're-they're encasing my dad!"

"What?" Harmony gasps sharply.

"Encasing?" Rapunzel asks, just as surprised as she is. "Wh-what are you saying?"

"Come! Come! See for yourself," He gestures for them to follow. "You two can help! I-I know you can! You have a connection to these rocks!"

"Alright Vari, I'll-"

"Varian, it's a state of emergency here," She didn't want to, but she couldn't leave her kingdom like this, and neither could her sister, who looks up at her in shock that she made that decision. And didn't even think to ask what Harmony thinks of this. "I'm sorry. I-I-I can't help you! Not right now."

"No! No, no, no, no, no!" He runs back up to them. "My dad doesn't have much time. You two are the only ones who can help! Rapunzel, Mona, _please!" _He gives them a pleading look, clasping his hands and she gives a conflicted look.

"Your Majesty, please. Whatever the boy's problem is, it must be set aside. The storm's growing stronger by the second."

"No!" Varian protests to him.

While Harmony is concerned about the snow storm, her people are in danger after all, she's just as concerned for Varian. It has to be serious if he came all the way here in a violent snow storm that shows no way of stopping.

"Rapunzel," Harmony whispers to her. "Varian needs our help! We can't just turn him away. He made this long journey just to ask us."

"No, no, no, please!" Varian begs them, grabbing Rapunzel's arms and shaking her. "Please, princess, you...wha. You promised you'd help me! You promised!"

The guards begin to drag him away.

"No, please don't do this!" Harmony calls out after them.

"Rapunzel!" He's dragged down the corridor as he shouts at Rapunzel. "Princess! My dad needs help!"

Rapunzel steps forward. "No! Don't hurt him!"

Varian is dragged around the corner. "Rapunzel! You promised! You promised!"

Harmony watches him get taken away, balling up her fists as she's on the verge of tears. "Punzie, why did you do that?!"

"I didn't want to, Harmi, but this storm isn't going away," Rapunzel gestures towards outside and the young princess could feel her heart breaking.

"She's right," Cass comes into the hallway. "She did what was best for all of us. We have to keep the situation under control. Harmi, your feelings for him need to be put aside for the good of the kingdom. You're not old enough to make these kind of decisions on your own, and your sister's word as queen must be followed. You're just a kid."

Harmony's eyes widen slowly. Never did she think she'd have to choose between her kingdom and a boy that she has strong feelings for. And that was a choice she wouldn't even put Rapunzel through. She wanted to scream, to tell her off...but she couldn't find the right words. She tears up and runs down the hall, wanting to get out there as soon as possible.

"Harmony, Harmony wait!"

* * *

Arianna closes the caravan, having gotten some wood. "Thank you, darling," He holds it over the fire as they're both shivering.

"...How's your ankle, honey?" She asks after a few seconds.

"My ankle is the least of our worries. The kingdom..." He closes his eyes, wondering just what his daughters might be going through. "There's so much left to do."

"Fred..." She places a comforting hand on his shoulder. "She's going to make a great queen."

He stares at her and pulls her into a hug. "Happy anniversary, sweetheart."

"Happy anniversary, Arianna..."

Max is leading to the group to where he lost the two, all of them trudging along. It's difficult as the storm is getting stronger, but they had to pull through. Max reaches the spot and Eugene's heart clenches as he sees a blockage of snow up ahead.

"No...!" He runs up to it, fearing the worst. "NO!"

Lance places a hand on his shoulder, Max looking downwards...in the distance is the caravan. His eyes widen and he neighs to get their attention. He moves his head back in their direction and they see the busted carriage.

"There they are! Good job, Max."

He smiles at the praise.

"Great. So how do we get down there?" Lance couldn't help but wonder. Eugene squints his eyes.

"We'll have to reach them by taking that ridge," He gestures his head towards the ridge above the caravan, all the way across from them.

"That tiny little thing?! You'd sooner find a horse on that ledge before you get _me_ on there!" Lance cringes and Max slides along the ridge, followed by the others. "That is one determined horse..."

They carefully slide along, Lance slightly losing his footing. "Uh...I knew I should've stopped at four donuts this morning! Curse you, crullers! And your alluring delectability!"

Eugene shushes him as that last sentence was too loud. "You wanna bring that down on us?" He points upwards towards a bunch of snow, that could cause an avalanche.

* * *

Harmony shivers slightly as the snow gets rougher. She didn't hate the cold, but she was almost never outside in it. Her father never liked her leaving the castle, after all...and it doesn't help that she's all alone out here. But she had to go to him.

She had to do something to help.

Suddenly, she trips down a cliff and her body moves more wildly. She spins around and around until she lands into the white cold substance. Lifting her head up, she takes a look around. She couldn't say anything. The snow was getting heavier by the second. She shields her eyes with her hand as she tries to see, but it was next to impossible. She gets up onto her feet and slowly trudges in the snow. She had no idea where she was, or if she would ever find Old Corona, but anything was better than abandoning him in need like her sister had done.

* * *

"Let's get the people to this point," The Captain is showing them where they have to go.

"Of course, sir."

Suddenly, the storm blows away the top of one of the tower of the castle, all of them hearing it. One of the guards bursts in.

"Your highness...I've just come back from the docks. Between the winds, snow, and surging tide, no ship is leaving Corona."

One of the windows opens, blowing in the snow. Rapunzel rushes over and closes it shut.

"Princess Harmony is gone!" Another guard comes in, all of them gasping. "Her window was left open; she's gone out into the storm!"

"What?" Rapunzel looks towards outside. "H-How do we know for sure? Did you check the balcony?"

"Because we found her," He holds up Daisy, who chirps sadly.

"Daisy!" The princess takes her into her hands. "Harmi didn't want you to follow her, did she?"

The duckling shakes her head sadly and Rapunzel hugs her. "Little sister, no..." She tries not to cry.

"Princess, I'm sorry. If we are going to act, it must be now!" Nigel insists to her.

"But my little sister is out there all alone!" She points towards outside. Everything that could go wrong has: the storm isn't stopping, Eugene is out there trying to rescue her stranded parents, she broke her promise to Varian, and now her little sister has gone out into the worst of the storm.

"She has made her choice. Now it's time for you to make yours."

She sighs slowly. She had to make sure everyone else inside was safe... "Evacuate the island..." She orders, though she didn't want to.

"You heard the princess!"

The guards rush to prepare and Rapunzel starts crying at the thought of her sister being scared and alone...

The guards have started escorting the citizens, packing up supplies, and making sure that everyone is bundled up. A mother hugs her son, being taken away by another guard. The supplies are loaded onto the horses as everyone prepares to leave...

* * *

After a while, Harmony stumbles again, this time landing in an ice cold river. She coughs as she's able to slowly crawl out onto the snow again, her skirt frozen solid now. Her whole body is shaking as she continues onward. A white puff of air escapes her slightly blue lips as she sees someone up ahead...!

"V-Varian..." She murmurs, but he was unable to hear because of the loud wind. "V-Vari..." She tries again, stepping closer. Her eyes start to close, but she uses up all of her strength to scream his name for what could be the last time.

"VARIAN!"

Varian was running through the blizzard as fast as his feet could take him. The storm wasn't letting up anytime soon, and he had to get back home to his father. He had no idea what his state was now. Suddenly he heard a familiar voice screaming his name and then a thud.

He turns around and squints, running over to see if the person was okay. He's shocked to see his own princess laying down in the snow, having passed out.

"Mona!" He says in concern. He gets down on his knees and lifts her upper half. Removing his glove, he places it on her cheek. She's colder than the snow itself.

"...You came back for me..." He murmurs, a warm feeling in his heart. Everyone else had turned him away, but...the princess of Corona came back for him. Harmony actually risked her life just to help him when no one else would...

Varian quickly puts his glove back on, remembering where they are. He picks her up in his arms. "Just hang in there, Mona," He quickly kisses her forehead and continues through the storm. Luckily, Harmony is surprisingly light.

After what felt like hours, Varian finally sees the silhouettes of his village. He tries to pick up the pace as he gets closer to his house. He manages to get the door open and shuts it behind him.

"Dad! Dad, I'm back! Dad, Dad, the princess refused to help, but-"

He freezes in place at the sight in front of him. His father...is now completely in the amber with a look of agony on his face.

He didn't know what to do or say. He was too late...

Varian subconsciously squeezes Harmony in his arms. He wants to go to Quirin, but...she wasn't going to suffer too on his watch.

He quickly starts a fire in the fireplace, gathering up every blanket and coat he could find in the house. He sits next to her, wrapping everything around her and himself. Varian holds her in his arms, bringing her face to his chest.

"You're going to be okay, Mona," He murmurs, rubbing her back furiously to warm her up. "I've already lost my dad. I won't lose you too." Leaning forward, he plants a warm kiss on her forehead, hugging her close as he silently cries for his father. First he's trapped in the amber...and now his princess might freeze to death. She snuggles into Varian as if hearing him so broken, silently giving him some comfort. They just sit there as the storm rages on, the boy hoping that he could keep her safe, warm, and away from outside...

* * *

Everyone starts to leave, Rapunzel frowning towards them in worry. "...I hope I'm making the right decision," She sighs sadly.

"You're not, Rapunzel," Cass places a hand on her shoulder. "You are making the only decision."

She starts to walk with her friend behind some people, hugging herself. All she can think about is her parents and Harmony stuck in the cold...A boy sneezes and she bends down to him with a smile, looking at the mother.

"This evacuation...ugh, it doesn't feel right, Cass."

"Rapunzel, this is exactly what your dad would do if he were here."

She sighs again. "If he were here...he would tell me...to follow my heart." She smiles towards Xavier's shop.

"...What?" Cass catches on. "The Demanitus device?" The crown princess simply nods. "So I am clear, we're talking about the mythical subterranean machine that can magically control weather?"

"Cassandra. In or out?" Rapunzel asks simply.

Cass looks towards the shop. "Looks like we've got a blacksmith to visit."

"Princess," Xavier moves away something from his shelf, looking at a scroll. "I never said the Demanitus device was real for sure," He takes the scroll.

"I know, Xavier, but every legend is born of truth, right? What if Zhan Tiri's curse is real, and the storm will not let up until Corona is destroyed? Even an evacuation won't help then! That machine might be our only hope!"

"Hm," He looks away, having a small feeling that it could be the curse. After all, there hasn't been snow like this since eons ago, just like in the story.

"Please," Rapunzel gives him a begging look. "My sister is out there, possibly dying because of this storm, and I have to find her. If the legend is true, where would the Demantius device be?"

He looks towards the fire, creating a torch.

"I have an idea."

* * *

"There they are!" Eugene calls out as the caravan is down below. "Vlad, give me the rope."

Two ropes fall towards the carriage, Eugene and Lance tied around them. Max pulls on one, helped by Big nose and Hook Foot. They lower the rope slowly for the two to get down. Eugene's foot slips and he falls, the trio pulling as hard as they can. He gets his grip back, sighing in relief and giving Lance a thumbs up.

Big Nose pants a little. "You know what happens when I get stressed?" He prepares to sneeze, but Hook foot covers it with his finger.

"What are you trying to do? Bring the whole mountain down on top of us?" And then he's the one that sneezes, causing the snow to fall.

"Oh, man, I hate snow," Eugene deadpans before it hits them.

* * *

Harmony groans slightly as she slowly opens her eyes. She recognizes immediately where she is, as she's been there too many times to count, but she didn't remember how she got into Varian's house...she could feel the many garments around her, along with the fire still burning behind her. Something's on her forehead and when she touches it, she feels a hot rag.

"Mona!"

She turns her head towards the doorway to see Varian standing there, holding a cup of hot chocolate. However, he immediately drops it in favor of running over to her, bending down to examine her features. He holds her cheek gently, smiling happily.

"Vari..." She murmurs, trying to get up, the blankets sliding off her.

"No, don't get up," He makes her lay down again, tucking her into the blankets. "You're not warm yet. You might get hypothermia!"

"What happened?" She asks softly as she still feels groggy.

"I found you out in the snow storm...you called for me..." He takes the rag off her head and dips it in warm water. "Why did you go out there by yourself? You got so cold you passed out. I don't know what would've happened if you didn't find me..."

"I came back...for you," She reaches out and takes his gloved hand. "I wanted to see what I could do to help you..."

His eyes soften as he holds her hand with both of his. "But Mona, you could've died."

"It doesn't matter," She mumbles, looking up at him. "I couldn't leave you to deal with this heavy problem on your own."

He smiles weakly, kissing the back of her hand. He looks at her brown orbs. "...Thanks..."

"Wait!" She sits up in alarm. "H-Has anyone from the kingdom come for me? My parents are still out there trapped in the snow and Rapunzel must be worried sick by now..."

"Hey..." He places his hands on her shoulders, laying her down again. "It's okay. You don't have to worry about that right now, but to answer the question...no. W-Wait, what happened with your parents?"

"Their carriage broke and they have no way to get out..." Harmony blinks back tears. "I-I'm scared, Vari...what if they...I've had my family back together for so long, and my friends, you...you've all made me so happy, I don't wanna lose that!"

"Shh...everything will be okay," He wipes away a stray tear. She suddenly sits up again, hugging him tightly. "Mona...?"

"Thank you...for everything," She whispers, hugging him tighter. He wraps his arms around her and returns the hug.

"I'd do anything and everything for you," He murmurs and they stay like that for a few minutes. "Mona?" He strokes his fingers into her hair and she hums at the feeling.

"Yes?" She responds, pressing her face between his neck and his shoulder.

"...Would you do anything for me?"

"Of course I would..." She raises a brow at him. "Are you okay? Why are you asking me that all of a sudden? And where's Quirin? Is he okay?"

"I'm okay...just let me hold you." She nods and lets him hug her tight, resting her cheek on his chest. He couldn't tell her just yet that because of her sister, her dad was now trapped in the amber...was he even aware of his plight? Was he even feeling anything...? Right now, all he needed was to hug her and never let go...

"Are you angry that I went after you?" She whispers loud enough for him to hear. He looks at her straight in the eyes. "Varia-mmph!" Harmony gets cut off when she feels Varian's lips on hers. Her eyes are wide before she closes them, sighing in content. He snakes his arms around her waist, gently pushing her onto the ground. Her hands cup his cheeks as her knees grow weak. Butterflies are swarming in her stomach as her head feels light.

After what felt like a minute, they had to pull away for air. "I could never stay angry at you," He rakes her bangs through his fingers. "You came here for me, after all...and you should really get some rest now."

"I will if you cuddle me."

He simply smiles and she scoots over, making room for him. Varian crawls in under all the layers, laying behind her back. He nuzzles into her neck, wrapping his warm arms around her. She goes to sleep in a matter of minutes.

* * *

Xavier is guiding Rapunzel and Cass through the tunnels. He takes a right as Rapunzel looks at her surroundings. They stop in front of another tunnel.

"According to the legends, there should be a passageway here..."

"Ugh, I knew this would be a waste of time," Cass grumbles at this. Xavier examines the wall, lighting his torch near a symbol. He presses on the brick. "Come on. If we hurry, we can still catch up with the evacuation."

The passageway opens up just like Xavier said it would. "This way."

* * *

Arianna's hands dig through the snow, moving it away to reveal Eugene's face. He spits them out and then sees her smile. "Oh! Hello, your majesty. We've come to rescue you."

"Eugene!" Lance's voice is muffled. "I'm stuck! I'm stuck!" His feet pop out of the snow. "I can't feel my face!"

Arianna helps Eugene onto his feet. "We need to hurry. The king's hurt."

* * *

Everyone is almost to the exit when the Captain turns around, gesturing the others forward. "Keep pushing, people. We can make it!"

They start to walk across the bridge, when one of the wagons breaks away from the horse. One of the barrels falls off, spilling liquid and then a lantern falls onto it, causing fire to go towards the cart!

"Everyone get down!" The Captain shouts to the others, the explosion knocking him onto the ground. Unfortunately, this also causes a hole in the bridge, with no way to get anything or anyone across it. One of the guards looks up in surprise. "We're trapped!"

The trio walks into the room, Rapunzel looking over the edge. "Rapunzel!" Cass rushes forward, catching her just in time. "Gotcha..."

Pascal gulps in fear, Daisy patting his back.

"I think this is it," Xavier tells them, lighting up the circle around them...to reveal the device in the center of the room.

"I don't..."

"Believe it," Rapunzel finishes for Cass.

"Your highness. The Demantius Device," Xavier gestures to it. They walk down the stairs and reach the device.

"So this is the device that's gonna blow the storm out of the sea?" Cass asks, a bit skeptical.

"Not if we just stand here looking at it," Rapunzel steps forward. "Let's try to get this machine up and running." She starts to push one of the beams sticking out from it, Cass going over to help her. With Xavier's help, it starts moving. Electricity starts to spark, Rapunzel looking up. "I think it's gonna work!"

It starts to shine, a beam going up towards the sky. Cass continues pushing as the walls start to crack, a rock falling into the machine...and getting stuck in one of the gears. Everything suddenly stops, as does what's happening outside.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" Cass exclaims at this.

* * *

Arianna looks towards the caravan, climbing all the way to the top. Lance signals to Eugene that they're ready for Frederic. "You ready?"

"Okay your majesty, this should hold you," Eugene turns to Frederic in a make-shift platform, having used one of the wheels. Lance nods to the others, who start to pull. "Alright, up there, steady now!"

The wind makes it difficult as it says Frederic side to side. "No, no, no, no. Oh no," Eugene starts to panic a little.

The swinging causes the whole thing to fall apart, and for the king to fall off. "Frederic!" Arianna shouts, Eugene gasping. He slides all the way past the former thief.

"Your majesty!" He runs up to the man and catches his arm just in time before he could fall to certain death. "Hold on, your majesty!" Frederic's hand already starts to slip, and Eugene tries to get a good grip.

"Quick, help me get down there," Lance turns to the others.

Eugene struggles to hold on and Frederic sees this. "Eugene...please...take care of my daughters."

"We are gonna get you outta here. Besides, you should know by now, the girls don't need anyone to take care of them."

* * *

Rapunzel undoes her hair, tying Pascal to an end. Together, Cass and Xavier help Rapunzel lower the chameleon towards the rock, but he's too far away. "Come on, Pascal!" He reaches out his hand and snaps his fingers. He uses his tongue instead, but it's no use. The chameleon looks up and shakes his head at the four.

"Okay Pascal, let me pull you up, and we'll figure out some other way," Rapunzel smiles a little, though he didn't think that it was possible...unless...

He smiles up at Rapunzel, shedding some tears. She notices his eyes and starts to grow uneasy. "Pascal?" He undoes the tie around him. "Pascal! NO! PASCAL!"

He falls towards the rock and removes it. Daisy swoops down towards him. "Daisy, no!"

The device starts to work again, Rapunzel crying as Cass pulls her up. "Pascal? Daisy?" She asks slowly, the princess shedding tears. Cass pulls her into a hug as Rapunzel sobs into her shoulder, sadly looking towards the gears.

* * *

Eugene loses his grip, but Lance comes in and catches Frederic. Eugene smiles at his friend, gripping the king's hand as well. "Almost got it!"

Together, they help pull him up. The device starts up again, a cyclone appearing from the mountain. It spreads out, stopping the storm for good and then disappearing. The wind goes back to normal, regular snow falling. They all cheer at this as the snow then stops completely.

Frederic turns to Eugene. "Thank you, son." He turns to Lance and notices something. "Excuse me...is that my hat?"

* * *

Rapunzel sobs into her hair. "They're gone..."

"I'm so sorry, Rapunzel..."

"What am I gonna tell my little sister?" She continues crying. She couldn't even imagine the look on the girl's face...when she tells her that her friend is gone...

Cass hugs her and she sobs into his shoulder, Xavier closing his eyes in respect as he could only listen.

A daisy suddenly appears as the duckling flies into view, carrying Pascal with her feet. She chirps to get their attention and Xavier looks up.

"Wait..."

The two are a little banged up, but they're okay. "Look!"

Rapunzel listens for the chirping and turns to them in surprise. "Daisy! Pascal!"

Daisy drops Pascal into her hands and she smiles in relief, pressing her forehead to his. "Thank you, Daisy," She says gratefully, kissing her on the forehead. She was so relieved that they were alright, safe and sound...

The same bunny from before pops out of the snow as Monty knocks off the snow from the sign, sweeping it up. Feldspar waves to him not too far away and he returns the gesture.

Rapunzel looks on happily as her parents return with everyone else. She runs up to Eugene and hugs him. She then walks up to her mom, hugging her too, and then her father. She smiles towards Max, nuzzling him with her hand.

"Where's Harmony?" Arianna looks around for her.

"She...went missing during the storm," Rapunzel squeezes her eyes shut. "I'm so sorry, Mom and Dad, but the guards started searching as soon as it was over."

"What?" Frederic gasps a little.

"But why?" Arianna couldn't help but wonder.

"I...made a hard choice and she wasn't happy," Rapunzel hugs herself. "I wish I hadn't sent her away..."

"You didn't," Cass pats her back. "She's probably on her way back to you right now."

"They'll find her," The Captain places a hand on the king's shoulder.

* * *

Some time later, Varian wakes up and sees that she's turned around, face in his neck. He smiles as he moves a stray hair away from her forehead, kissing her temple. Varian slowly gets up, careful not to wake her, and goes into the kitchen. He starts making some soup when he hears footsteps. Looking up, Harmony is standing there.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" He asks softly and she approaches him.

"No…" She shakes her head. "I can't thank you enough for saving me, Vari." The girl smiles at him gratefully.

"I'd do it again," He murmurs, holding her hands. "Mona…these past few months I spent with you…were the best in my whole life. I…feel complete with you. And I don't wanna lose that."

"Vari…" Her eyes soften at his words. He links his fingers with hers and steps forward, staring into her eyes.

"Princess Harmony of Corona…be mine."

She opens her mouth in shock. Her and Varian…she thought about it for so long she thought he would never actually get the courage to ask her. Before she can answer, a loud knock is heard from the door.

"Open up in the name of the king!"

The door bursts open by the Captain of the Guard, other men rushing into the house. "The princess!"

She rushes inside the room at the loud noise, seeing all of them. "What is-"

"Mona!" Varian exclaims in worry, running after her.

"You," The captain glares at him. "How dare you kidnap the princess of Corona in the middle of this blizzard?"

"Kidnapped?!" Both teenagers screech in shock.

"But I didn't-"

Varian gets tackled to the ground by the other guards.

"Vari!" She shouts, about to go over to him, but more guards come over to her, pick her up, and head for the door. "Vari!"

"Mona!" Varian calls out with pain in his voice, trying to get to her, but the guards hold him back.

* * *

They take her back to the castle, where her family and friends are waiting. "Harmony!" Everyone runs up to her.

"Mom, Papa, Rapunzel!" She cries out happily, but they take it as relief for what happened. They engulf her into a group hug.

"Are you alright?" Arianna asks in concern, hands on her shoulders.

"We heard about the kidnapping," Rapunzel frowns at her.

"She was being held as a hostage in Quirin's home, by his son," The captain informs them.

"That's not what happened, at all!" Harmony shouts in defense, glaring up at him. "What happened was-"

"It's alright, Harmony," Frederic interrupts her. "You don't have to worry. You're safe now. We'll make sure that you'll never see him again."

"What? No! Papa, he-"

"We better get you some rest," Arianna lifts up her chin, seeing her tired eyes. "You'll need plenty."

They take her to her room, place her in her bed, and tuck her in. She starts to cry as she grips the necklace Varian gave to her. All she wanted was for someone to listen...and to know that Varian did not kidnap her, but they won't...and now she can never see him again? Her heart is already aching for him...she never got to answer his question…

She wanted to say yes…

* * *

Rapunzel finishes drawing the events in her journal, looking out the window. The snow has since gone away and Eugene opens the door.

"Hey, celebratory cupcake, huh?" He greets as he steps inside.

"No..." She closes her book. "No thank you..."

"Hello, Blondie? Come on! You kicked butt and saved the day, and your sister is back home. What are you upset about?"

She turns to him, frowning. "Eugene...today, I turned my back on a desperate friend in need. My sister needed someone to treat her the way she wanted, which no one gave to her. I sent the man I love to face possible death, and then did the same to my oldest friend. I entrusted the welfare of Corona to a fairytale. In a lot of ways...today was the most difficult day of my life...and part of it because I thought my sister was dead."

"Sweetheart...what are you saying?" He asks in concern.

"I...I'm not sure I want to be queen," She frowns towards him. He opens his mouth a little and she looks back towards outside.

"Hey, Rapunzel," He takes a seat next to her. "I know today was overwhelming, and I can't say I wouldn't be feeling the same way, but you becoming queen is a long time away. Just know that when that time comes, no matter what you decide...I will be right here with you."

The two hug and she smiles. "Thank you for bringing our parents home."

"Hey...you got it," He holds her cheek. "If you want, I can talk to Brownie for ya. I'm sure she's okay now."

"How can she be okay when I sent someone dear to her heart away? She probably hates me now," Rapunzel sighs a little. "And that's not something I want to become real...so I think I should be the one to talk to her."

"I understand, Blondie, but I'm not so sure if you should be the one to do that. Cass told me her reactions today, and I think what she needs is a friend...not someone who had to make a hard choice right in front of her."

"You're right...good luck," She pecks his lips and he lets go of her.

Eugene knocks first before he comes in, seeing Harmony's back to the doors, her hair rested over her pillow.

"Can I come in?"

"It's a free country," She replies back in a low voice. He shuts the door behind him and sits next to her, feeling a bit awkward. He has no idea what to even start with.

"Are you okay, Brownie?"

"You tell me," She sits up, leaning her back against the pillow. "But if I'm gonna tell you anything…will you listen? Or are you going to turn me away too?"

He cringes a bit, understanding her distrust. "Look…I know I wasn't there, but I just think that something like that happening…you're gonna want to tell someone. I just want to understand."

She hugs her knees. "You'll just tell my sister. I know you don't keep secrets from her even if you tried. I don't wanna talk about this subject for it to get around."

"Brownie…if it's gonna help yourself, then just tell me! I won't tell Rapunzel."

"I appreciate your concern, but I think you should go," She murmurs, laying back down.

"What?" He whispers slowly, feeling her start to slip away.

"I really think you need to go now, Eugene," Harmony closes her eyes.

"Harmony…I'm trying to help you, but I can't just leave you like this. I might've been a temporary king, but I'm also your sister's boyfriend. Someone you can depend on…personally, you're the smartest person I know." Her eyes widen slowly. "You're reliant, brave, kind. Anyone is lucky to have you as a little sister. I know Rapunzel is. And I know it hurts to not be heard…but you have someone that will listen. I promise you, I will keep this a secret until you say I can tell anyone."

She looks up at him slowly. "You…really think so?"

"I know so. I'm sure that they didn't mean to hurt your feelings or make you feel like a little kid, because you're not."

The girl smiles weakly at him. "…Well, it all started when…"

* * *

Varian is on his knees in front of the amber that's holding his father. He's gone, and now his princess. He hoped that when any of them found her, he would be able to get him back, but they just dragged her away before they could do anything.

"Don't worry, Dad...I will get to the bottom of this..." He murmurs slowly. "I promise," His voice breaks at the words that he was told...only for this to happen.

**I will make you proud**

He's lost his dad and his love in the span of a few hours.

**Get the answers and set you free**

**Don't you worry, whatever it might take, I'm finding a way**

He clenches his fists, gritting his teeth. That's all people from Corona did: take, crush hopes, and leave people like him and Mona broken. But he'd make them pay.

**And I swear right now, that no matter what comes of me...**

He lightly touches the amber.

**Anybody who stands or has stood in my path**

**They're going to pay!**

All of them would regret this day, and soon he'd have both his father and his princess back. She'll be by his side forever...

"They..." Ruddiger slowly backs away under the table, scared of what he's become. "Will..." He squeezes his eyes shut.

"**Pay." **

And the next person who would try to take her away would have to do it over his dead body.


	20. Painter and Inventor's Block

**Angel: Thank you for all of your comments regarding the recent special. I work as hard as I can on them, because we all know how the specials can be XD I am officially finished with Beyond the Corona Walls! Can't wait to do the rest of the episodes, Freebird is definitely going to be a favorite. Gonna have to re-watch the other two specials, because I've only seen them once...**

**Also, a couple of you are PMing me about the fact that now Harmony saw Varian being turned away, that she might turn evil like Cass. I know that Harmony has the powers of the moonstone, but that does not necessarily mean she will turn against her sister. That's kinda being stereotypical, I mean she's better than that. Give Harmony a little credit. Not everyone who is associated with the Moonstone has to be like Cass!**

**I will do something like that along the lines of season 2, but I just won't have her turn evil, and especially not for a period of time like with Varian or Cassandra. I just can't see myself doing that to her...**

**I initially was not going to upload today, because I'm working on a cold, and it sucks...hate being sick. But I can't just leave the aftermath of the special up in the air. **

_Rapunzel: Previously, on Tangled..._

"_Rapunzel, Harmony, I think your parents are in grave danger."_

"_You can't just leave your kingdom in its darkest hour!"_

"_My dad needs help! Rapunzel! You promised!"_

"_We need to make a decision!"_

"_Punzie, why did you do that?!"_

_The Demantius device spun around, coming to life as it started to stop the storm. Zhan Tiri's symbol flashed and then a green spirit came from it, flying away out into the snow._

"_Zhan Tiri!"_

Harmony makes her way into Old Corona, frowning as it's been basically abandoned...she had no idea if she'd find Varian's house in this mess, but she had to check up on him. She didn't care if people thought he kidnapped her, he would never do something like that to her.

She weaves through the cluster of her own rocks and to the front door. Harmony knocks on it, only to find that the door is already open. It creaks as it moves, slightly creeping her out. She steps inside the home, where it's cold and dark. She shivers at the dark feeling in the air.

"Vari? Vari, are you here?" There's no response and she lets out a sigh, walking around the house. It's like the place hasn't been lived in for days, or maybe even weeks. She'd been meaning to visit, but she needed time to think about the recent events...and contemplating what to do about her sister. She hadn't said much to Rapunzel ever since she returned to the castle, and she wasn't sure if she would talk to her again.

She walks to a staircase that goes to the floor below, stepping down carefully. As she gets closer to the bottom, she hears crying.

The stairs lead to a door, which is slightly open. The crying is clearer now. She opens the door further...

To see Varian crying onto his knees.

She looks up at what he's staring at and is stunned to see Quirin trapped into the amber. He has a pained expression on his face while holding a piece of paper.

The princess slowly walks over to him, kneeling down in front of him. "V-Vari? What's going on? What happened?"

He flinches and looks up at her, tears streaming down his cheeks. He had been crying for a while. She can see how hurt he feels inside. She looks up at Quirin.

"Quirin...did the amber...?" She's afraid to ask him, she doesn't want him to be more upset than he already is. But he wipes his tears and nods slowly.

She puts her hands on his shoulders to comfort him, but he grabs her arms and pulls her into a hug, crying into her shoulder.

"I never wanted this to happen! ...I just want to find an answer...I just want him back!" She rubs his back and he hugs her tighter. "I never wanted this...it hurts, Mona..."

"Vari...I'm so sorry..." She puts her arms around his neck. "I can't believe it..." She pulls back, cupping his cheeks and wiping the tears away. She had been so focused on trying to stay alive from the cold and on her parents that she never asked about Quirin.

"Mona...you'll never break a promise to me...right?" He looks into her eyes, and she couldn't help but stare into his beautiful blue ones. She nods, smiling sweetly at him. She was never planning to hurt him, not even for a second.

Hopefully she can find it in her to forgive her sister...

He leans in closer to her, closing the space between them into a sweet kiss. She kisses him back, her heart pounding against her chest.

* * *

Harmony walks into the hallway, wanting some time to herself when Rapunzel opens the doors, having come from the library. She's eating an apple when a cart passes by them.

"Oh! Oh! Excuse me!" She calls out to a man pushing a statue.

"Good morning, princesses."

"Oh," Harmony steps out of the man's way, bumping into Rapunzel.

"Harmi!"

"Punzel," The girl murmurs at her presence. She hadn't seen or spoken to her sister ever since the storm. Which makes this encounter a little uncomfortable, since the crown princess had sent Varian away.

"Pardon us, princesses," Two men call out and they step away from all the chaos.

"What's this?" Rapunzel notices all of the banners in front of them, people moving art pieces. They see Frederic and Nigel not too far away. "Dad! What is going on? What's with all this art?"

"Ah, there you are, girls. I'm glad to see you alright, Harmony."

"Alright isn't the word I'd use," She looks away for a moment.

"I've got little surprises for you."

Rapunzel smiles as Harmony tilts her head in confusion.

When he guides them into another room, he pulls away a curtain to reveal a model. "The Gallery of the 7 Kingdoms!"

Rapunzel gasps at it. "Really?! You're actually gonna build it?"

"Yes, we already have. And in the spirit of artistic expression, I've asked the citizens of Corona to contribute their work as well. Including any sculptures," He puts an arm around Harmony, her eyes widening.

"R-Really?" She wonders in excitement and he nods. Inventing wasn't too far off into building a sculpture, like with alchemy and cooking almost being the same.

"This is amazing!" Rapunzel beams at the news.

"There are two pieces I'd like to add before opening the gallery...a mural and a sculpture by Corona's most celebrated artist and inventor, Princess Rapunzel and Princess Harmony," He smiles at his daughters.

"Dad...I'm speechless," Rapunzel steps up to her father.

"I can't believe it..." Harmony murmurs slowly. "But isn't that more for a sculpture artist? A sculptor and inventor aren't necessarily the same thing."

"Well, let's just say after the events of the great storm and the judgement you demonstrated, I've been looking for ways to implement more of your good ideas, both of you. And for you to be heard in some way, Harmony. You can do anything you set your mind to."

They glance away with small frowns at the mention of the events, but then replace them with big smiles. "Now get creative!" He hands Rapunzel a brush and Harmony a mallet.

"Harmi, can we talk please? It's important."

She takes a deep breath. Her talk with Varian is slowly helping her feel better, but a part of her is still hurt by it.

"Alright," She replies slowly, the older girl leading her away into her room.

"Come on, let's sit," Rapunzel takes a seat on the bed, the princess adjusting her skirt as she sits next to her sister. "Listen, I know that you've been through a lot with what happened lately, and...I can understand your frustration with me and others. But I want you to know that turning you away was not what I intended to do, at all. And I am so sorry for what happened with Varian and coming to conclusions, I...I was just so scared on whether or not you were actually alive, and I was so relieved to see that you were alright. Hurting you was the last thing I wanted to do that day."

"Sis..." Harmony closes her eyes. "Thank you for that. When Cass told me that I shouldn't let my feelings get in the way of what's best for the kingdom, I...I lost it. I just wanted to help him like you did with the kingdom...and so I went to Old Corona, where I eventually found him. He saved me, Rapunzel. He brought me to his house and warmed me up, but the guards just assumed the worst without even asking first. And I'm so jealous that you saw the Demantius device!" She suddenly pouts, Rapunzel giggling at her. "Anyway, while I was taking time to think about it...I thought about you, and how you must've felt to do that to Vari. To make all those hard decisions and deal with the consequences...it has an effect on you."

Rapunzel sighs slowly, looking away. "You're right about that..."

"But...I was never mad at you, or anyone. No matter what happens, you're my older sister. I don't wanna stand in your way of being queen one day."

"Oh, Harmi," The blonde pulls her into a hug. "That will never happen. I promise. And this time...I mean it."

She smiles, returning the hug and Rapunzel pulls back, giving a sad look. "Is...is he...?"

"Vari? Oh, Rapunzel..." Harmony murmurs, looking away as she remembers seeing Quirin. "I...don't know if I'm ready to talk about that."

"You don't have to," She shakes her head. "Whenever you're ready, you can come to me. But why didn't you tell anyone that it wasn't a kidnapping?"

"After what he's done, do you think they'll believe me?" The girl asks incredibly. Attacking Rapunzel doesn't exactly help his case. "I have no proof that he didn't, I was unconscious for most of the time. And believe me, I've already thought about it. Besides, after what Vari's been through...I don't think he's comfortable coming to the castle to defend himself. Hopefully I can figure out a way..."

* * *

The kingdom is excited about the gallery opening, some of them painting while others are making sculptures. The spirit from the Demantius device is roaming around.

Feldspar squirts blue onto his palette as the spirit flies around. Feldspar puts a tiny amount. "Finally, I get to express my artistic side! Time to shine, Feldspar!"

He starts painting a boot, the spirit's white eyes staring at him from the canvas. "Oh, well, thank you so much!" He looks around in confusion.

"This is a dream project, Pascal!" Rapunzel flips through her journal. "I've had so many ideas for what a mural this size could look like. It's hard to pick just one!" She stands in front of a large canvas for the mural.

"And for me to build a sculpture!" Harmony flips through her own journal. "I have no idea where to even start!"

A paintbrush and a mallet are held up to them nearby. Rapunzel smiles in amusement, taking the other end and holding up to reveal Pascal on the other end. Harmony takes the hammer, grinning at Daisy.

"You're both right." Pascal slides onto Rapunzel's shoulders. "Just make a decision and go with it."

"Yeah! Just...choose an idea..." Harmony says slowly, holding the mallet over the picket hesitantly.

"Just...make a decision. Uh..." Rapunzel also feels hesitant.

_Your highness, we need to make you to make a decision now!_

_The entire kingdom rests on the choice you make!_

_Lives are at stake here!_

_It's your call._

Hours later, they still haven't touched their respective things and it starts to get dark. "Okay, it's like I wanna paint...but I just...can't."

"And I wanna start building, but I can't move my arms. It's like my mind is blank!" Harmony points to her head.

"What is going on...?" Rapunzel whispers to herself.

* * *

"Sounds like painter and inventor block," Cass deduces once she's been told of the situation in Rapunzel's room.

"Painter's block? Wait, you mean like writer's block?" The blonde princess asks in confusion.

"That's a thing?" Harmony raises a brow.

"You're smart, why didn't you know that?" Cass eyes her.

"Because I've never had inventor's block!" Harmony holds her hair. "Not once in my 14 years of being in the castle."

"Maybe it's because you didn't spend all day inventing. You did a lot of stuff during one day that you didn't sit around long enough to get it. You're just having a hard time being creative is all," Cass takes a bite out of her cupcake.

"What the princesses need are ways to punch through the blocks," Lance grins, sitting on the arm of Cass' chair.

"Or maybe what they need is a little inspiration!" Eugene puts on the smolder, hoping that they'll do something with him for the projects.

"That's it!" Rapunzel smiles, but not because of his suggestion. "Come on, guys! Let's go find some real inspiration!" She grabs Harmony's hand, pulling her out of the room.

"...She walked right past the smolder...She's worse than we thought!" Eugene frowns in disapproval.

* * *

Pete is painting Stan and when he finishes it, he holds it out for his friend to see. He smiles in approval.

"Wow! Who knew Corona had so many talented artists or sculptors?" Rapunzel wonders as she looks around, sitting across from her sister. "Look at these paintings and sculptures! They're all so...beautiful!"

"I've never seen anything like this," Harmony smiles towards them, hearing a goat. They look away to see Milton painting on Shorty, who laughs as it tickles. The two sisters glance at each other, feeling a little uncomfortable from the sight.

"In their own way..."

The wind blows away a few leaves from the flower pot between them. "Life is full of tough choices, isn't it, dears?"

They turn around to see someone sitting in the dark shadows. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize you were talking to your little friends," She gestures to Harmony and Daisy, the duckling chirping in alarm at the woman's appearance and hiding in Harmony's bangs.

"It's okay," Rapunzel turns to her with a small smile.

"I just hear artists in trouble and I want to help...it's in my nature," The woman stands up and walks towards them.

"Are you an artist?" Rapunzel couldn't help but wonder. Harmony slides back a bit in her chair, feeling creeped out already. Something about this woman wasn't right all of a sudden.

"I'm an art teacher, dear. I'm Mrs. Sugarby, and I think I might be able to help you..."

"Umm, I think I'm gonna go...anywhere but here," Harmony takes off in the other direction.

* * *

Cass walks into the meeting room, where her father is waiting for her. "I got your message, sir. Is anything the matter?"

"I have a job for you," He tells her seriously. The Captain steps towards the lady-in-waiting, giving her a piece of paper. She gasps at it.

"A mission?"

"Of sorts." What she's holding is a missing poster for Feldspar. "In 10 years, Feldspar Winnipeg, the cobbler, has never missed a day of work. Until today. He had appointments, but he was a no-show. I sent some men to his home, but he wasn't there. I could be overreacting, but...I'd like you to look into it."

She smiles, gratefully giving him a hug. "I'm sure Feldspar is fine." Cass runs towards the door, turning back to her father. "I mean, what kinda trouble could he get into?"

* * *

Out in the woods at night, the fog separates a little as a pillar of stones that form a circle stands on top of a cliff. Mrs. Sugarby, the woman that Rapunzel and Harmony met earlier, steps up to someone as he's painting the tree in front of him.

"That's it, dear...just shut off your mind, and leave the rest to Zhan Tiri."

It's Feldspar painting as his eyes turn fully white with no pupils. "One down...four to go."

As he's mindlessly painting, a stream of pink light goes towards the spooky tree...

* * *

The next day, Rapunzel's first day of art class is starting, Pascal handing her a brush. "Thank you, Pascal."

Harmony steps inside the tent, walking up to her sister. "Hey Rapunzel. I know I said I'd come and support you, but Cass needs my expertise. Feldspar has gone missing, have you seen him?"

"What? How can that be?" She asks in shock.

"He hasn't been seen for a couple of days, and the last time anyone saw him, he had a class or something. I'm going to look into it with Cassandra, but I'm warning you to please be careful, okay? Something about this isn't right..." Harmony glances away. It's as if her powers are warning her of danger nearby...

"How can you tell?"

"I don't know, it's like I feel a dark presence in here...? Or maybe I just have a headache," Harmony places a hand on her head. "Either way it's not helping with my lack of inspiration on this sculpture."

"Well, I understand. Do whatever you need to, sis. Love you," Rapunzel hugs her, kissing her forehead.

"Love you too, Raps. Pascal," She bends down to the chameleon, nuzzling his forehead. "Give my sister all of the support she needs for me. Bye," Harmony waves to her, walking off.

"Good luck with the sculpture!" Rapunzel waves back. And just as the girl leaves, Mrs. Sugarby walks in.

"Good morning, class," She greets with a slight smile. "I have some very exciting news. We have two new students joining us on our artistic odyssey. Princess Rapunzel, and Lance Strongbow." Lance is standing right next to the blonde princess.

"Hi everybody," Rapunzel greets with a wave. "I can't wait to start learning and get painting!"

"And I'm here to help the princess...and make some extra cash on the side," He looks at his palette. He figured with selling paintings, he'll be back on his feet in no time.

"Friedborg?" Rapunzel notices the other person next to her, smiling as she approaches the lady-in-waiting. "Wow, you're really getting into the whole painting thing, huh?" She eyes the woman, who of course says nothing. "Okay, Friedborg. Yeah, good talk."

Mrs. Sugarby reveals what they'll be painting today: a creepy, black, tiny tree...

"Now onto today's subject."

Rapunzel and Lance glance at each other, the man a little skeptical about it. "Okay," Rapunzel takes a deep breath. "Let's do this..."

She reaches her brush towards the canvas...but is unable to, just like last time.

_Your highness, we need to make a decision now!_

_The welfare of the entire kingdom rests on the choice..._

_Lives are at stake here._

_It's your call._

_It has to be now._

Pascal notices her reluctance to paint, glancing up at her. "What's the matter?" Mrs. Sugarby smiles in front of her. "Drawing a blank?"

"Mrs. Sugarby, I don't know what it is..." She places the brush down near Pascal, who frowns up at her. "I have this painter's block. It's like I wanna paint, but when I try to...I just can't make a decision..."

"Ah, yes, I've seen this many times before. Everyone wants to put their own spin on their subjects, but that can lead to overthinking, dear." She places a hand on Rapunzel's shoulders. "There is nothing to think about. No decisions to be made. No sisters to disappoint. Just paint the tree exactly as you see it..."

"Okay...I'll try," Rapunzel brushes a stand of hair behind her ear. Pascal smiles, holding up the brush. Mrs. Sugarby takes it and gives it to the crown princess. She turns towards the canvas and bites her lip towards the tree, starting to paint.

She has green paint on her later on, but she's finally done as it's an exact replica of the tree. "It doesn't seem very exciting...does it?"

"Rapunzel. This is perfect," Mrs. Sugarby steps up to her.

"It is?" She smiles a little as the teacher inspects it.

"In fact, it's one of the strongest in the class. No offense, Lance."

"None taken," He grins as his tree looks like a child did it. He gives the painting a 20 for sale. "Pardon me, artist coming through," He takes his painting and leaves.

"I'm very proud of the work you did today, Rapunzel, and you should be too."

"Thanks, Mrs. Sugarby," She crosses her arms proudly. "Although, I wouldn't say it's my best work."

"Rapunzel, give yourself some credit. All things have their own beauty. Just like with Harmony and her inventor's block."

She smiles at the encouragement.

* * *

It's almost sunset as Owl is perched on his branch next to Cass, flapping his wings. "I don't know, guys. We've questioned half the town and hit up all of Feldspar's usual haunts, but nothing."

"I even went back to the last place he was to see if he was there, but he's gone..." Harmony sighs a little, sitting on Cass' bed.

"How does someone just disappear into thin air...?" Cass crosses her arms.

"You know...I wonder if this has to do with that bad feeling I've got about that art class Raps is taking," Harmony murmurs, looking up towards the ceiling.

"Art class?" The woman turns to her.

"Yeah, some people said that Feldspar was there a couple of days ago, and then after that was when he disappeared. And when I got there, I could just feel a...spirit or something around that place. Like...pure evil."

"Whoa..." Cass murmurs at the girl. "So what, you can...sense this kind of stuff?"

"I don't know...but I can't even sculpt or invent anything, so I figured to distract myself with this whole thing with Feldspar."

"Did it work?"

Harmony closes her eyes, having flashbacks.

_We can't allow the princess, much less a child, to go outside by herself on a dangerous journey!_

_Let your sister handle this._

_Your feelings for Varian must be put aside._

_Open up in the name of the king!_

_Vari! Vari!_

Before she can speak, Old Lady Crowley bursts the door open. "Hey, Crumb-Wedge! I need you in linens."

"Today's my day off. Friedborg is supposed to cover linens today," Cass glances over her shoulder, looking back out the window.

"Well, she didn't show up."

Harmony's eyes widen as she looks towards her friend. "That's not like Friedborg...Is she okay?"

"What am I? Her biographer?" The old woman slips away creepily, the door shutting on its own.

"What is going on around here...?" Harmony couldn't help but wonder, looking outside.

Cass knocks on the door to Friedborg's room. "Friedborg? Are you here?" She opens up the door to her room, only to find that she's gone. "Hello? Friedborg?"

The two notice a painting of the same tree from the art class. "Huh...that's...a little unsettling," Harmony eyes it. Cass slowly closes the door.

* * *

"Well...I guess the good thing is she got you painting again," Eugene eyes the same painting that Friedborg did in Rapunzel's room. "I mean, it looks like..." He glances at his girlfriend, clearing his throat. "What it's supposed to look like."

"You don't like it?" Rapunzel asks a little defensively.

"Oh, no, no, no, no. I didn't say that. I'm just saying it's missing a little...Rapunzelocity."

"Well, maybe I don't need to put my own spin on everything, Eugene," She gives him a look. She snatches the painting off the canvas, knocking Pascal around. "It's just like Mrs. Sugarby says...all things have their own beauty."

And with that, she leaves, the two slightly concerned for her.

* * *

"Hey," Lance greets as he's sitting outside at night, chuckling. "You look like a man who appreciates fine art!" The painting has gone from 20 to half off. "Like this!"

He puts his head in his hands as he was sitting there all day, and no one has shown a tiny amount of interest.

A shadow looms over it. "The life of an artist isn't an easy one, is it, Mr. Strongbow?"

"Oh! Hi, Mrs. Sugarset," He replies with a smile.

"I'm glad I found you. I've been thinking about your work? What if I could teach you to make art that you could sell for untold riches?" She grins widely.

"Untold riches?" His eyes shine at the thought and he stands up. "Those are the best kind!"

She holds out her hand and he takes it. The two walk off together past Xavier's shop. "Come...I'll show you. It will be my pleasure..." He can hear her distant voice, looking around for anything, but no one's outside.

* * *

The next day, it's just Rapunzel as Mrs. Sugarby shows that tree again. Rapunzel finishes painting it, noticing that she's all alone. "Huh...this is strange. Where is everyone?"

"Oh, uh, your classmates have progressed so splendidly that I've given them all a special project to work on together. But, don't worry. You'll be joining them very soon..."

Harmony peeks into the tent, smiling at her sister. "Hey Rapunzel. How's the painting going?"

"Harmi!" Rapunzel beams at her. "Come see!"

She walks over to the canvas and tilts her head at the tree. "Huh...doesn't seem like your style."

"I know, but all things have their own beauty."

"Who taught you that?" Harmony raises a brow.

"I did, my dear," Mrs. Sugarby steps over with a smile. The girl shudders, as there's that same bad feeling again...

"...Hey, was Friedborg in this class? And where's everyone else?" She looks around the room.

"She was when Lance and I first started. Why?"

"Because this was when her room when Cass and I went to go look for her," Harmony gestures to the painting in front of them. "She's gone just like Feldspar and come to think of it, I haven't seen Lance all morning."

"You're just overreacting, dear," Mrs. Sugarby places a hand on her shoulder and it gives her chills. "Perhaps you should join and see for yourself..."

"Um, no thank you," She removes the hand carefully.

"Hmm...ah, it needs a little something," Rapunzel looks at her tree painting, waving the paintbrush a little. "How about...some color?"

Before she can even do anything with the paintbrush, Mrs. Sugarby stops her. "What are you doing?" She asks incredibly.

"N-Nothing. I-I just thought it could use a personal touch," Rapunzel stammers at the woman, chuckling.

"That's what I thought too," Harmony looks up at her, turning towards the painting. "It's missing...you."

"Hmm. Good thought. Perhaps a brighter color?" Mrs. Sugarby walks around the two. "But what if it's not the right color? Or you put in the wrong spot?"

She closes her eyes, not wanting that to happen. "You're right...it's just...I can't decide what to do."

Mrs. Sugarby taps her cane against the floor. "Making difficult choices is a part of life."

Suddenly, both girls' eyes turn white and Mrs. Sugarby pushes Harmony out of the tent, guiding her a bit far away.

"Making difficult choices is a part of life..." The two murmur in unison. Mrs. Sugarby arrives back in the tent, placing the brush back, giving her the dark purple one again.

"There...isn't that better?"

Rapunzel smiles and the woman taps her cane again. Suddenly, their eyes turn back to normal. "Much better..." Rapunzel murmurs, turning back to her tree painting. Harmony shakes her head, placing a hand on top of her head. It feels as if someone went into her head and scrambled around her thoughts.

"What just happened...?"

* * *

"Where do you get off calling us ruffians?" Hook Foot demands to Cass and Harmony. Shorty is tossed behind him, crashing as the others are yelling. "Point taken."

"We're not implicating any of you for this," Harmony holds up a hand.

"But we're just looking for some missing people, and usually when something bad goes down, bad people know about it," Cass replies, getting a look from the princess.

"Just to get some information, Cass."

"First of all, we're not bad people," Hook Foot crosses his arms, Shorty flying over him again. "We're working on it. And second, we got a missing person of our own."

Attila appears behind Hook Foot, cleaning a class. "Ulf is missing."

Their eyes widen at the news, glancing at each other. "I thought I'd be glad to get rid of that mime. But I kinda miss the 'I'm stuck in a box' routine...you don't know how to do any mime, do you?" They focus their eyes on something else...

"No," Cass narrows her eyes at that painting again, which has been appearing everywhere when someone had disappeared...well, except for Feldspar. "Who painted that?"

"Ulf did. I thought it was kinda weird too," Attila shrugs a little. "It's a real departure from his normal work." Which, was just frames put up on the wall.

"Huh...Rapunzel and Friedborg painted that exact same tree too..." Harmony points up at it.

"Raps painted one of those?" Cass stares at her and the girl nods.

"Yeah...she wouldn't do something so bleak. And I'm getting that same bad feeling again...and I think it has to do with that. Tree," She narrows her eyes at the painting, sure of it. That painting class and the trees are connected to that bad feeling she's been feeling.

* * *

That night, Eugene is waiting on the boat, for Rapunzel. "Where is Rapunzel? She's never late. In fact, she's usually 30 minutes early for our dates. Hey, frog, goose? Is it me or has the princess been acting a little off lately?"

"Hi," Rapunzel suddenly speaks up, surprising all of them. Daisy sees something on her feet and flies away to go tell Harmony.

"There you are. I've been waiting for—holy shoes!" Rapunzel is actually wearing shoes, a giant red flag that something is wrong.

"Oh, yeah, I guess I put these on earlier." She jumps onto the boat, holding hands with him. "It feels...normal."

"Okay, what is going on here? You're being...not-Rapunzel!"

"What do you mean?" She asks in confusion, and it doesn't even sound as cheery as it used to.

"Y-You're late. You're wearing shoes!" Then he realizes that it must have to do with the recent events. "Wait, Rapunzel..." He stands up, taking a seat next to her. "Look, we both know you haven't been yourself lately. Ever since that storm, you've changed. You're afraid to take chances, to shake things up, and live every second to the fullest. It's like...you're afraid to be...you." She looks away and he caresses her cheek. "And I miss you."

She sighs deeply, closing her eyes. "Listen. Listen, I know you had to make some tough calls when your parents were gone, and it almost cost you Harmi, but queen or not, making difficult choices is a part of life."

She opens up her green orbs, tapping her fingers against the wood. Those words struck a chord. "Making difficult choices is a part of life," Her eyes turn white again, which Eugene doesn't notice. She blinks and they turn back to normal. "Part of life? Really?! Is me turning my back on Varian when he's desperately begging for my help part of life? Is deciding if Pascal should risk his life a tough call? I almost lost my little sister because of that part of life! Tell you what, Eugene." She glares at him, standing up. "The day you have to choose whether or not to put the fate of a kingdom in the hands of a fairytale is the day we can chat about difficult choices. Or when you have to choose to put in a shimmer of hope that a sibling isn't near death and you're not there to save them." Rapunzel crawls onto the dock, storming off and he stares at her in concern.

Even when she's really angry, she would never snap like that...

* * *

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, back UP!" Harmony holds up her hands in front of Daisy after hearing the news. "My sister? Wearing _shoes_? Are you sure?"

Daisy nods at her rapidly. "This makes no sense. Why are people suddenly disappearing and Rapunzel is being...not Rapunzel?" She paces around, trying to come up with a logical answer. Cass is staring at Ulf and Friedborg's paintings. "I know she's been through a lot, but she'd never resort to wearing shoes. That's not like her at all."

"Okay Cass," Eugene bursts into the room. "This is kind of urgent, so I don't have time to insult you right now. But do you two know what's going on with Rapunzel?"

"No, but I heard about the shoe thing. Something else happen?" Harmony raises a brow. Pascal gets Eugene's attention and he notices the paintings.

"Hey...that's Rapunzel's tree."

"We know, but these were also painted by Ulf and Friedborg. Over the past two days, several people have gone missing. Everyone who disappeared...had one thing in common."

Pascal and Daisy both gasp. "Rapunzel's painting class..." Harmony and Eugene say at the same time.

* * *

Xavier places down a giant book, opening it up and flipping through some pages. He stops on a particular one that shows a spirit and a giant tree, surrounded by five canvases.

"It is as I feared..."

Rapunzel sleeps alone in her room, unaware of the danger she's in...

Xavier moves away a curtain as he arrives in the tent, noticing the tree painting...and several others just like it. A cane taps as someone approaches him from behind. The blacksmith turns around to see Mrs. Sugarby herself.

"Can I help you find something, dear?" She smirks and he cringes as the woman gets closer.

"Rapunzel..." The woman's voice calls out to the sleeping crown princess. "Rapunzel..."

She opens her eyes to reveal them as white again. "It is time!"

* * *

Eugene moves away the flaps to the tent as they arrive. Cass holds up a lantern. "Um, usually, I'd enjoy you keeping your mouth shut, I mean, obviously, but do you wanna tell me what's going on?"

"I don't know, but we need answers," She whispers to him, looking around.

"I can't explain it, but Mrs. Sugarby, Rapunzel, the disappearances, the creepy paintings...every time we get closer and closer to the truth, I get this strong feeling about...evil. Especially in this tent," Harmony glances around.

"So what, like a sixth sense for this kind of stuff?"

"Maybe. Mrs. Sugarby...there's something weird with her," The girl shakes her head slowly. "There's more to her than-"

One of the easels falls down in front of them, alarming the five. They suddenly hear muffling, Cass moving the lantern over to see a tied up and gagged Xavier.

"Xavier!" The three help him out. "What happened?" Cass looks at him in concern.

"Sugarby. Her highness is right. She's not what she says she is."

"Yeah, way ahead of you on that one, Zave," Eugene comments, thinking that she's just creepy.

"No," Xavier shakes his head. "She's worse than you can imagine. Cassandra, when we used the Demantius Device to stop the great storm, we unwittingly freed something." He stands up, walking a little. "Something terrible. The disciples of Zhan Tiri."

Harmony gasps sharply at the name. "Zhan Tiri? You mean the ancient, evil sorcerer?! Way to go, Cassandra."

"Can we focus here?" Harmony crosses her arms.

"Lord Demantius was in a constant battle with Zhan Tiri and his brethren. Over the years, Demantius captured many of the evil spirits, and held them prisoner in that chamber."

"So what you're saying that when we used this device, we may have freed one of those evil spirits and-"

"And now, one of those minions is trying to free their master. I'm afraid she's going to use the crown princess and the others to do it. Because the Moonstone Opal is the embodiment of death and destruction itself, it can sense this evil power. Something that it's never done before." He glances to the princess, who looks up at Eugene and Cass. So even though it's destructive, it can sense other evil around...or at least, those who have its powers can. And because no one else had absorbed its power before, it can do new things...

"Rapunzel is in grave danger."

"Oh no..." Harmony covers her mouth in horror.

Mrs. Sugarby smiles next to a hypnotized Rapunzel, in front of the pillar of stones. "It's time for your final project." The fog clears to reveal the same big tree Xavier saw in his book.

Mrs. Sugarby places the paintbrush in Rapunzel's hand. She approaches a canvas being held by black vines, lifting up her arm.

* * *

Fidella, Max, and Silver race as fast as they can to the three. "Are you sure it's this way?" Eugene calls out to Harmony, who's leading up front.

"Positive. This ceremony is taking place at Janis Point. I can feel it a mile away," Harmony looks over her shoulder. Cass snaps her reins and Fidella runs even faster.

Rapunzel's hand hesitates in front of the blank canvas. "Go ahead, Princess," Mrs. Sugarby starts lighting torches. "By painting this idol exactly, you are pledging your allegiance to Zhan Tiri. And it will be that allegiance that frees our master from his otherworldly prison!"

The crown princess moves her hand away. "I can't..."

Mrs. Sugarby blows away the fire from her stick. "Rapunzel, dear..." She steps up to the blonde. "I know all those difficult things you've encountered. Darling, I promise you'll never have to make those kinds of decisions again..." She taps her cane again, hypnotizing Rapunzel once more. "Or will ever have to worry about your dear sister..."

A hypnotized Feldspar appears out of nowhere, followed by Lance, Friedborg, and Ulf. They take their places as Mrs. Sugarby guides Rapunzel's hand to the canvas.

"Yes!" She cheers wickedly. "That's it! Once this totem has been recreated five times, the portal shall open, and Zhan Tiri shall again be free!"

As they start painting, pink vines travel from the stands to the giant tree. It starts to glow, opening up the portal. "It's working!"

"Oh! You are just a terrible teacher!" Eugene exclaims at her as they've arrived.

"Release my sister!" Harmony growls at the woman.

"And our friends!" Cass gestures to the others.

"Please," The old woman rolls her eyes. "Sugarby was merely the vessel I chose to suit my purposes," Her eyes glow green and there's suddenly a flash. She turns into her true form. "I am Sugracha the Eternal, and I can take so many forms!"

"Uh, any chance we can stick with the sweet old lady form? Cause I'm kind of missing her already," Eugene asks nervously, Harmony elbowing him in the arm.

"Eugene, you get Rapunzel to snap out of it," Cass turns to them. "Harmi, you try to the same with the others." She snaps the reins again, Fidella running towards the witch. "I'll handle the witch."

Sugracha smirks, holding out her hand and hitting the two with her powers, freezing them in place. Silver and Max run towards the group, only to be frozen as well.

"Blondie, it's me."

"Eu-Eugene?" She stammers, turning around as her eyes are back to normal again. Zhan Tiri, who's waiting in front of the portal, waves a hand and silently tells Sugracha to stop them. She lifts the three up into the air, throwing them towards the cliff.

"Well, way to handle the witch, Cassandra," Eugene replies sarcastically.

"You were supposed to help Rapunzel!"

"Now is not the time to point fingers!" He yells back at her.

"Guys! Our friends need our help!" Harmony shouts between the two. "Focus!"

"Don't let them fall..." Rapunzel says weakly, due to the prolonged hypnosis. "Please..."

Sugracha turns back into Mrs. Sugarby, standing in front of her. "My dear, whether or not they fall is completely up to you. Finish my spell, and I'll spare them." She taps her cane once more. "The choice is yours."

Her eyes shift between white and green as she tries to gain back control. "Think about how much simpler and easier everything could be if you just finish that painting," She moves Rapunzel's arm towards the painting, which Is half finished. "No more self doubt. No more regret. No more difficult choices. Give in to Zhan Tiri."

The sorcerer is getting close to being free once more. "Rapunzel...you've got to stop. I know you can hear me. Please!"

"Raps! Big sister, I know you hated what happened during the storm, but that's just part of life! I shouldn't have went into the storm, but you can own up to those mistakes...right here and now!" Harmony calls out, hoping that her sister will listen.

Her hand wavers before she grips the paintbrush. "Difficult choices...are what make us who we are." And with that, she destroys the painting with the paintbrush. Sugracha turns back to her true self.

"NO!" She cries out as the pink flames destroy all five canvases before they could be completed, also destroying the big tree. "What have you done?!"

The horses are released from their hold, and they run up towards their friends.

"No...!" Sugracha watches the portal shrink in dismay. Fidella kicks her inside and when she lands, the portal disappears completely.

Eugene, Harmony, and Cass fall towards their doom. "No!" Rapunzel shouts, untying her hair quickly. She whips it and Eugene catches some, grabbing Cass' hand. Harmony grips Cass' leg, looking at the water below her and sweating a little. "No!"

Her shoes cause her to slide and Eugene looks up in horror. She reaches the edge and he notices the shoes. She slips them off and they fall into the water below. Eugene beams in relief as she slides to a close stop, the horses helping her pull them up.

"Come on, Max! Pull!"

Together, they pull their friends up back to the cliff. Pascal runs towards his best friend, who smiles at the five. She runs up and hugs Eugene. They share a brief kiss.

"It's good to have you back, Blondie."

"It's good to be back, Eugene," She smiles up at him. Harmony is helped up by Cass, both of them sighing in relief. "Harmi!" Rapunzel dashes up to her and they share a big hug.

"Thank goodness...I'm so lucky to have you as my sister," Harmony grins up at the woman.

"And I'm luckier to have you for a little sister," Rapunzel strokes her hair. "I just thought of a great idea for the mural! Come on!"

They all start to leave the area. "Oh? Re-oh, now? Not-not later, when it's light out. That's fine. I'm not gonna question the creative process."

"Eugene...let's go," Harmony smiles at him in amusement.

* * *

The next morning, Rapunzel places two initials: R + E. "Wow! Looking great, Blondie! I suppose your painter's block is gone for good."

"I sure hope so. But, if it ever does come back..." She looks towards Ulf, Lance, Cass, Feldspar, Pete, Stan, and Friedborg all contributing to the mural. "I've decided not to fight it all by myself." She smiles up at Eugene, the two of them sharing a hug.

Harmony hums as she rolls her sculpture towards the group. "How's it going, guys?"

"You're finished?" Cass looks over her shoulder.

"Yup! Let's just say that I found some inspiration from someone who deserves it."

They look at her in confusion as she takes off the sheet, to reveal a yellow-painted sculpture as the base, looking like flames. Implanted on the sculpture is a few sculptured objects: the Corona symbol, the lanterns, a paintbrush, and the Sundrop Flower.

"Wait..." Rapunzel gasps at it. "Is this supposed to represent me?!"

"Yes," Harmony smiles at her. "I figured that you had been through a lot, and I didn't exactly make things easier...but-"

She brings her sister in for a bear hug, spinning her around. "I love it! And so will Dad!"

Harmony rubs her arm bashfully once she's released. Everyone stops painting to admire the sculpture, looking in awe at it. The princess looks on with a smile.

"Nice," Eugene smiles as well, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Hey...how's he doing? Honestly."

She takes a deep breath, letting it out. "H-He's okay, I guess. He's going through a lot of stuff...being turned away by Rapunzel really did a number on 'im."

The girl had no idea where to even begin...but maybe with some time and her visits...maybe he'll be okay.


	21. Not in the Mood

It's late evening in Corona. "So, it comes to this..." Frederic declares with an angry look. "WAAAAR!" He charges forward.

"Dad, please!" Rapunzel runs up to him.

"Let's ride the table down the stairs!" Harmony shouts as she follows after her sister. He turns around to them, gritting his teeth.

"You're not thinking clearly, this is a huge mistake!"

"What isn't is this party!" Harmony cheers, she doesn't seem like her normal self.

"Guards!" He points his sword at Rapunzel, Eugene, Harmony, and Cass. "Take the princesses and their friends."

The guards do as he commands, dragging them away. "Dad, no! Don't do this!"

"But Papa...!" Harmony cries out as the door closes in front of them.

* * *

_24 hours earlier..._

"Nothing is more important than peace," Frederic states as he's walking through the halls with Nigel.

"Yes, but, your majesty, your proposed trade accord with the Griffin of Pittsford weighs greatly in his favor," Nigel whispers, the staff nearby curtsying or bowing as the king walks past them. "Corona stands to lose-"

"Corona can afford it, Nigel. By cementing this trade, we secure peace between our two nations. By allowing it to dissolve...we risk sending the seven kingdoms on a path to war."

"But how do we know if the Griffin will accept?" Nigel asks curiously. "He's notoriously insecure, and he's been known to walk away from the table at the slightest offense."

"Nigel, my friend, you are far too uptight," Frederic places a hand on his back. "Besides, the Griffin's welcoming banquet is in good hands."

* * *

Harmony is walking down the path towards Varian's house, holding a picnic basket under her arm. She hums to herself lightly as the cottage comes into view. Ever since she's visited him, he's been...not well. So she made his favorite to help him feel better: ham sandwiches. It won't entirely help him get his father back, but she hoped it would do something...

She opens the door as he leaves it unlocked. Old Corona had since been abandoned ever since the black rocks showed no sign of stopping...just the sight of them hurts her, but she couldn't think about that now. She had to help her...friend?

When the guards stormed in, she was so speechless that she never gave him the yes answer...and with his father the way he is now, she believed that it was the last thing he'd wanna hear. So...what exactly her relationship is with Varian is up in the air still, despite the fact that they act like a couple. She didn't want to confuse him or make him upset if she had brought up the subject, so she didn't.

"Vari?"

Harmony steps into the lab, seeing him packing up. Quirin is no longer visible as he's hidden with a sheet.

"V-Vari, what are you doing?"

He looks up and sees her, eyes widening as if he almost forgot something. "Mona..." The boy engulfs her into a hug and she returns it, closing her eyes. He rests his chin on her shoulder, taking in her scent. Harmony could hear the deep inhale, and feel the rising in his chest, causing her to go bright red. "I...I have something to tell you."

"What is it?" She asks softly, pulling back to look at him. He simply places his hands on her shoulders, both of them looking at each other in the eye.

"You know as well as I do that I can't stay here..." He murmurs to the girl. "I have to hide, or else the guards will catch me for sure."

"For helping me during the storm?" She asks in confusion, sighing deeply. "They're dead set believing that you kidnapped me, and I've tried, believe me-"

"Mona," He interrupts and she clamps her mouth shut at his soft eyes. "This is something I have to do."

"But what about your father? Rapunzel?"

He visibly shakes at the mention of Rapunzel's name. "That's why I have to go. So that I can figure out how to free him. I'll still be around Corona, though! J-Just not in guard territory...which is pretty much everywhere since that guy is coming."

Her eyes widen as she recalls something she's supposed to do. "The Griffin of Pittsford: I'm supposed to help my sister with her speech...!"

He takes a hold of her hands, caressing them. "You have your job to do...and I have mine," His voice breaks a little, though she doesn't suspect a thing. Of course he's still angry: the crown princess broke her promise and now because of him...his father is trapped in there. And she never even came to see how he was doing, at all. Not like Harmony has. Every day, she comes in with food and gives him warm hugs. She listens to him and comforts him when he needs it. If it wasn't for her, he'd be all alone...

Well, besides Ruddiger, but a raccoon isn't the same thing as what Harmony is.

"But..."

"Shh," He leans in and pecks her lips. "I promise I'll write you a letter every day and night. You understand, right?"

"Yeah...I don't want you to do something you'll regret..." She hugs him again and after a few seconds, she leaves, waving to him. He chuckles after she's gone, changing his face from a smile to a glare with anger over what's happened.

"Oh trust me, my dear Mona...I won't."

* * *

"And so to you, the wise Griffin of Pittsford," Rapunzel recites nervously in the throne room. Her father put her in charge of the welcoming banquet, with her sister to guide her, but the girl is late. "I say, let us treat our new friends like a budding flower. One we will nurture with love, knowing that it will bloom into something beautiful."

Pascal and Daisy clap while Max whinnies happily.

"Uh, I don't think you're going to win over the Griffin with a schmaltzy speech about puppies and rainbows," Cass calls out as she's cleaning her halberd nearby.

"Oh! I didn't say anything about puppies!" Rapunzel defends, hands on her hips. "The rainbow was a metaphor...ah, so how's your prep work going for running your first security checkpoint?"

"Let's put it this way," Cass smiles at the clean weapon. "There is nothing my station isn't going to be ready for," She tosses the weapon into a wagon full of halberds.

Harmony runs into the room, panting as she places her hands on her knees. "I'm here..."

"Where were you?" Rapunzel pouts at the girl.

"Visiting Vari again."

Cass glances at the crown princess skeptically, taking a deep breath and approaching Harmony. "Harmi...remember what I said about not letting your feelings get in the way of your duty to the crown?"

"Yeah..." She furrows her eyes in confusion.

"Well...with what he's done...I'm not so sure it's a good idea for you to keep this...whatever you two have going on..." The lady-in-waiting says slowly. "For the good of the kingdom...you need to let him go."

"...Cass, you're my friend, but think about what you're saying," Harmony takes a deep breath. "It shouldn't matter how I feel, he needs help."

"I agree with you, but I don't think you _can _help him."

She clamps her mouth shut, thinking about what she's saying. There was no way she'd give up on him...she didn't care what she sacrificed, she was not going to forget about him. What would she even say to him? 'Oh, Vari, I can't help you because I have a duty to everyone else except you?'

"Ha ha! Fog machine, baby!" Eugene announces, rolling in the machine.

"Uh, Eugene? Why do you need that?" Rapunzel points at the device.

"And how did you get my fog machine?" Harmony gives him a look of annoyance.

"You made me the emcee, remember? And I borrowed your closet room key, I'll bring it back later!"

Rapunzel looks to Cass, who rolls her eyes. The princess grunts at him.

"Picture this: Lights go dim. The fog rolls in," He holds up the other end, spraying the room with fog. The girls start coughing. "And all eyes are on me...as it should be. Ladies and gentlemen, let's show the Griffin just how we do things in Corona! It's time to get this party starteeeeeeeed!"

The fog goes away, Rapunzel waving a hand in front of her face.

"I'll hold it just that long."

"No," Cass glares at him as she approaches. "No way, Eugene. Fog would make it impossible to see clearly enough to do my job."

By the look on his face, Eugene could care less. "A fog machine does seem a bit unnecessary," Rapunzel rubs her arm sheepishly.

"Look, Blondie," He places his hands on her shoulders from behind. "I love you, and I don't wanna point fingers, mostly because I just got mine manicured and I don't wanna show anyone up, but if you really wanna talk about unnecessary, we should probably discuss the gift baskets you made."

Harmony turns towards the table, eyes widening. Inside each basket is a painted portrait of every guest. "Seriously, did you really have to paint a portrait for _every _guest?" Cass gestures towards them.

Rapunzel narrows her eyes. "Do you really need six guards at your checkpoint?"

Cass turns away, hands on her hips as she scrunches up her nose. Rapunzel rubs the back of her neck. "Sorry! Ugh, that was so rude."

"Raps can paint the portraits if she wants to," Harmony speaks up, gesturing to the table. "She is hosting this, after all. And Cass just wants everyone to be safe. Both of you don't need to change those parts of yourselves."

They both smile at her.

"Ah, that's my girl," Eugene hugs Rapunzel proudly. "You can't even argue without being nice."

"Yeah," Cass crosses her arms. "Do you always have to be so...you?"

Rapunzel scoffs at her. "Well, it's better than always being callous!"

Pascal, Daisy, and Max look between them, Harmony shaking her head slowly. "I'm not callous. I am practical," Cass tells her.

"Yeah, practically heartless."

Harmony facepalms while Pete and Stan look on. "Ah, boy. Here we go again," Stan mutters as they watch the princess walk towards the weapons cart, searching for something. "That's, like, their third fight this week."

"They sound like my in-laws...if I had in-laws. Boy, I wish I were married..." Pete murmurs to himself.

Eugene gasps sharply. "Self-absorbed?! How dare you? I don't have to take this. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to the market to buy more props for my big night."

"Your big night?" Cass asks incredibly. Suddenly, little firecrackers hit the floor, surprising all of them. They look up to see Harmony holding her bow and arrow, with cherry red alchemy balls attached to them.

"Don't make me get the ice ones," She threatens them, preparing to fire again. Varian had equipped her with some of his equipment, attaching some of his bombs to her arrows. "What's up with you? You've been fighting like cats and dogs lately! You're supposed to be friends."

"Guys, hold on. Harmony is right. We've all been under a lot of pressure getting ready for this banquet. How about we take a breather and go to the marketplace together?" Rapunzel suggests to the two. Cass just huffs while Eugene looks away with a hum. Rapunzel smiles nervously, hoping that this will break the tension.

* * *

"Oh!" Eugene exclaims as they're looking around. "A confetti cannon's a great idea!" He holds it up, concerning the princesses a little. "My fans are gonna love it. Tell her, Blondie, Brownie."

"Don't involve me," Harmony gestures to herself, holding up some parts she could use. "I always need more bolts and screws..."

"Yeah, I'm not gonna tell her that," Rapunzel looks away, crossing her arms.

"Put it down, Eugene. There is no way you're bringing that thing back to the castle," Cass tells him.

"Oh...so now you're taking her side, huh?" Eugene asks defensively and Harmony sighs, pinching her nose. Someone help her get through this day...

"I'm not taking anyone's side, Eugene," Rapunzel replies as the girl holds her head, walking away from the three to go shop on her own. Daisy flies after her. They did not want to get caught up in the middle of their next one.

"Well maybe you should for once!" Cass retorts back.

"Okay, then sign me up for the side that says 'this is all ridiculous'!"

Xavier, Max, and Pascal just stare at the trio. "Seems like most of our friends are going through a rough patch," He notices Harmony leaving the area. Max and Pascal turn towards the blacksmith. "I've seen this many times...They are the growing pains that all strong relationships must endure. Eventually, they will learn to live with each other's flaws and appreciate their strengths, but that sort of thing takes time."

The two animals glance to each other in concern. They had a feeling that even with time, the three wouldn't live with them.

"But, if you'd like to speed things along..." He moves away a shelf to reveal a purple potion. "This mood tonic may help to soften some of those flaws." He takes it into his hands and gives it to Pascal. "One drop for the three of them each is all it will take...One. Understand?"

Max nods at him, walking off so that they can give it to them. "Good call, Xavier, old boy. The fate of those kids could not be in safer hands," He walks away to continue his work.

* * *

"Don't you dare break my cannon!" Eugene shouts to Cass as they're back in the castle.

"And I'm gonna break more than that if you don't cool it with these props!"

"Stop yelling!" Rapunzel tells them both. "Everybody, stop yelling!"

Harmony rubs her temples as she walks out of the room, walking down the hall. She thought they'd be over it by the time she returned from her walk, but apparently not, it seems. They're so loud that Pascal and Max can hear them from the kitchen.

"Hey, hey, hey! Hands off!"

Then shuffling sounds are heard. "Give me that!"

"No!" And then there's a crash as Pascal places one drop of the tonic in a barrel of lemonade. "Oh, well, nice going, Cass! You broke my confetti cannon!" He places another two drops.

"You're lucky. I was aiming for your face!"

Harmony opens the door, slamming it behind her and sweating nervously. She sighs in relief at the two, raising a brow.

"What are you-"

Eugene suddenly slams the door open, knocking her onto the floor. Pascal drops the bottle, and catches it with his mouth, but almost all its contents fall into the drink.

"Cass, uh uh! Put your sword down," Rapunzel says as the two watch all of it go inside the lemonade in worry. "And that dagger! Come on!"

"Hey, wait, wait, wait," Eugene backs away from Cass as Harmony slowly stands up. Daisy chirps at her in concern and she scoops up the duckling into her hands.

"I'm okay," She kisses her friend on the forehead. Eugene bumps into the barrel as Harmony glares at the two arguing, getting very annoyed with it now.

"Heeey, let's all have some lemonade. I know I could use some," He smiles nervously at the two women. Max and Pascal look to one another, Harmony dusting herself off. "Thanks little buddy. Hey, Harmi, come have some!"

"No thanks, I think I'll keep my distance," She rolls her eyes.

"My throat was getting all sore from all this yelling," Eugene pours some into a gauntlet, giving it to Rapunzel.

"At least _someone _around here is considerate," Rapunzel gives Cass a look. Harmony sighs at this, watching them all take a sip. Pascal hides in Max's mane, afraid of what could happen. "Blegh! Really not a fan of lemonade."

Nothing seems to have happened as Cass smacks her lips. "It's bitter...I like it."

"Why am I not surprised?" Eugene rolls his eyes.

"Eugene!" Harmony warns him, but no one seems to listen as Cass whips around to him.

"You know what, Eugene?" Suddenly the tonic takes effect and she smiles. "I can kinda see how that cannon would be fun. But at least consider the risk."

"...Huh?" The princess blinks in confusion over Cass' change in tone.

Eugene's eyes widen as he places down his cup. "What was I thinking?"

Max and Pascal smile at the two. "You are so right, Cassandra. Firing a cannon could be dangerous!" He hugs himself in fear.

"...I'm sorry?" Harmony stares at the former thief, wondering what's going on. Max and Pascal high five, the hoof knocking the chameleon off the mane. Rapunzel cringes at this, gasping.

"You guys okay?"

The two look up at her, and the tonic doesn't seem to be working on her. The horse nods at her and then the potion finally takes effect. "Good, because then you can make me a sandwich to get the taste of this lemonade out of my mouth."

Pascal, Harmony, and Daisy open their mouths in shock at her rudeness. Probably because it's the opposite of nice.

"...Say wha?" Harmony tilts her head at her sister, confused on why they're all acting this way.

* * *

"The Griffin had better appreciate all the work we're putting into this banquet," Rapunzel recites her new speech, some of her hair covering her eye. "So, in conclusion, Griffin, Pittsford is the pits," She smirks at her joke, Cass clapping for her. Harmony just stares in disbelief. Rapunzel would never say that.

"Oh, that was super! Way to flip the script on the whole welcome thing!" Cass smiles so widely it's giving the princess nightmares. "What do you think, Eugene, Harmony?"

"I think that this is not you! Rapunzel, that's not the speech we agreed on," Harmony turns to her sister.

"So what, runt?"

She gasps at the word, narrowing her eyes.

"Me? Uh, oh, uh," Eugene rubs his arm, chuckling. "Uh, well, I mean this in the kindest way possible, but it seems the whole point of this banquet is to...impress the Griffin, and if that's the case, then I might..." He sees the crown princess' glare. "Um...consider saying something completely opposite of what you just said."

"What are you saying...?" Harmony shakes her head slowly at him.

"Ugh, really?" Rapunzel rolls her eyes. "Grow a spine, Fitzherbert. I'm just calling it like it is."

The princess opens her mouth in shock, glancing between her sister and the former thief. "Uh oh! You sound upset!" Cass gives her a hug. "Tickle fight!"

She chases after Rapunzel, who runs away from the beaming Cass. "Okay, what is going on here?!" Harmony holds her hair, gripping Eugene's arms and shaking. "Eugene, if you guys are in danger, blink twice."

Pete and Stan peek into the room. "Stan? Pete?" Rapunzel turns her attention on them. "Uh, was there something you would like to contribute to this discussion?" She's clenching a fist, holding Cass away from her.

"Oop, sorry, your highness, uh...you've been all acting a little unusual lately."

"Yeah," Harmony releases Eugene and he recoils back in fear of her. "It's like opposite day or something!"

"Is that so?" Rapunzel pushes Cass away. "And-And just how are we acting unusual, pinhead?"

Harmony glances to the guards. "Well, you just called me pinhead for one..."

"Why do I have a feeling that it's gotta do with that lemonade...?" The princess asks herself.

"So?!" Rapunzel suddenly realizes her tone. "Wait, wait a second. What is going on here? It's like we're the total opposite of who we are normally."

Max looks up at Pascal. They didn't think that they'd come to the conclusion that they're acting different. Max slowly backs away.

"I have been feeling a little peppy," Cass dances a little.

"And I'm not my normal, confident self," Eugene looks away, Harmony noticing the two. "And I'm really sorry for that," He actually starts crying. Eugene!

"Can it! I gotta think," Rapunzel tells him.

"I don't think you have to," Harmony appears behind Max and Pascal, stopping them in place. She crosses her arms at them. Daisy punches her wings together, threatening to hurt them if they moved.

"Pascal! Maximus!" Rapunzel shouts at them. "What did you two do? And don't try to cute-squeak your way out of this, cause this princess ain't buying it!"

"And this princess wants to know what you two put in that lemonade! After they drank it, they started acting weird!" Harmony gestures to the trio. Max looks up guilty at Pascal, who is thinking the same thing as him. They had no choice.

* * *

"You did what?!" Harmony demands once they're in Xavier's shop. "Xavier, switching their personalities isn't going to solve the problem. The Griffin is coming here by the end of today! Why would you do that?"

"What?" He asks with a shrug. "I was trying to help Max and Pascal teach you a lesson. The tonic brings out the opposite of your defining personal characteristics."

"And you thought giving it to them without their knowledge was going to fix that?" Harmony whips around to Pascal and Max. "Let me tell you something, guys, when you involve potions to normal problems, it makes things worse!"

"So the tonic is why I'm less cheerful, Eugene's a wimp, and Cass?"

"Wee!" Cass cheers as she runs past the shop. "Best opposite day EVER!"

"...So, how long before this mood tonic wears off?" Harmony asks Xavier after staring at Cass for a few seconds.

"I don't understand it," He shakes his head in confusion. "The effects should have subsided by now."

Pascal pulls up the empty bottle. "It was supposed to be one drop each! This much will take days to wear off."

"Days?!" Harmony's eyes widen. "We don't have that kind of time!"

"Oh!" Rapunzel paces around. "The banquet is tonight!"

"How are we supposed to get this off so that we don't cause a war with a Griffin? Oh, this is why you don't take matters into your own hands," Harmony groans in frustration towards the two. "Bad horse, bad chameleon! You should've just sat down with them and talked it out...or squeak or whinny, or whatever!"

"Are you sure you did not take it, Princess?" Xavier eyes her.

"Yes," She pinches her nose. "I'm just really tired with their fighting and what these two did. Not to mention that...someone left town earlier today, and I'm still dealing with it. I was fine with them being themselves; Eugene's selfishness, Rapunzel's cheerfulness, Cass' disregard for compassion...that makes them who they are. And it was wrong to change them, even if they were having a rough patch. This is not how you deal with it."

Max and Pascal look towards the ground in shame.

"You know what? I take responsibility for this," Eugene speaks up. "...Wait, no, I'm sorry. I don't. Responsibility terrifies me."

"I can concoct an elixir that will reverse your personalities back to normal," Xavier explains to them. "But I'll need the oil from the three-leaf echo plant, found only atop Mount Saison. The three-leaf is extremely rare and grows among its two-leaf cousin. It's a two hour trek."

"Huzzah!" Cass cheers, pulling the three into a hug. "Non-paved road trip with my three best buds!"

"There's no way the four of us can make that trip to be back at the banquet in time," Harmony frowns a little. "Cass has security check, Raps and I have the speech, and Eugene's emcee."

"Harmony's right, it'll be impossible. Max, Pascal, you clowns got us into this mess, now you have to get us out of it!"

"What she means is you'll have to make the trip without us to get that leaf," Harmony gestures to her sister, getting out of Cass' tight grip. "Ugh. Daisy, go with them to make sure nothing else happens. I happen to have a map of the flora from Mount Saison right here," She pulls out a scroll from behind her back, handing it to Daisy. She flies towards the two with it. "And please hurry."

Max nods at the four, running off to go find it.

* * *

They reach the top of the mountain, finding only two-leafs. Daisy rolls out the map to look at it.

_The three-leaf is extremely rare, and grows among its two-leaf cousin._

Pascal throws away the two-leaf he had plucked, trying to find another. Daisy squeaks in alarm, Max nudging the chameleon. They look at a bunch of two-leafs...everywhere...

He drops his mouth in shock. Even with the map, this was not going to be easy...

Cass stands near the archway. "Be tough. Be tough," She whispers to herself, standing proudly. A large man stands in front of her, and he doesn't look to be a guest at all. "Why hello there, sweetie. May I please see your invitation?"

"I lost it."

"Ohhh," She thinks about it for a second. "What the heck? You look trustworthy. Come on in."

He stomps past her, standing there with a smile. The man pokes her from behind and she turns around. "...It's nice to meet someone who's not afraid to show some compassion," He tells her, causing her eyes to soften.

The Captain steps up to Cass. "Cassandra, you just let that man in without a proper security check! I can't believe your poor judgement. You are relieved of your security duty."

"Aw," She takes off her helmet. "Fiddlesticks..." She hands him the helmet. "Hey buddy, wait up!" She runs towards the man.

"Stop," Harmony holds up a hand in front of the two. Her hair is in a nice bun with some braids and flower pins in it. "Cass, I'm pretty sure he's not on the list."

"But...he's nice!"

"Out," Harmony points towards the exit and he sags his shoulders, leaving.

* * *

Max trots back to Xavier, who's welding something. Pascal waves the leaf, Daisy chirping happily. He jumps on a metal object, causing a stick to go flying. It knocks down a wall of weapons...one of them knocking Xavier out. Daisy puts her wings in front of her beak in shock.

The chameleon waddles onto the man's body, hearing him snore. He tries to wake him up, to no avail. Max looks at him in horror; now they'll have to make it themselves.

Daisy flaps her wings, flying to the elixir book.

Pascal reads it and follows the instructions, placing the leaf into a bowl. Once he's made the potion, he burns it into the fire and pours it into the same bottle, holding it up proudly. Max grins at him, neighing happily. Hopefully it'll work...

* * *

Rapunzel yawns between her parents. "Boring..."

"Raps!" Harmony hisses at her. The king and queen stare at her, looking towards their youngest daughter. "Long story, she's just...going through a phase! Pre-welcoming banquet...jitters!"

She mentally facepalms herself at her explanation.

The Griffin arrives in front of the castle. "May I present...the Griffin of Pittsford."

Frederic stands in front of the carriage, Rapunzel peeking over his shoulder. The man steps out, everyone staring at him. The king clears his throat, walking past the walls of guards.

"Your excellency...we're beyond delighted you could join us."

The Griffin is at least half Frederic's height, wearing a griffin helmet on the top of his head. "Beyond delighted? What is that supposed to mean? Less surprised? You think I wasn't gonna show up? What do you take me for, some kind of a jerk?"

Harmony and Arianna just look on in surprise for his tone while Rapunzel rolls her eyes, annoyed. "Ah, uh, n-no, I simply meant that-"

"Or maybe you didn't think I could get here. Corona's not the only place that has horse and carriages, you know. Pittsford's got those things in spades!"

The princess cringes at the smaller man.

"Whoa!" Rapunzel chuckles at his quick assumptions. "Insecure much, half-pint?"

Harmony elbows her in the arm. "Rapunzel!" Frederic hisses, the Griffin glaring at her. "I'm so sorry." The man actually starts turning red.

"Oh, that's our Rapunzel," Arianna places her hands on the blonde's shoulders. "Always quick with a joke. Why don't you go see to getting this evening's festivities rolling?"

"Ugh," She elbows the woman off her. "Whatever..."

"Man...I never wanna grow up," Harmony shakes her head slowly at her sister. It's like she's dealing with a typical teenager, and she is one!

"Of course, you must know that, um, 'half-pint' is a, um, term of endearment in Corona...You must have a half-pint of liquid gold running through your veins," Arianna explains nervously.

"I knew that! You think I didn't know that?! What am I, uncultured?"

She smiles anxiously, looking towards her husband. He does the same thing as Harmony backs away slowly. With the way anything sets this guy off, she's really hoping that elixir from Xavier is finished sooner than later.

* * *

The Griffin sits in a purple throne chair, immediately given an appetizer and a drink. The king and queen glance towards Rapunzel, who could not look anymore bored. She lets out an annoyed sigh.

"And now, the event's master of ceremonies, Eugene Fitzherbert!" The announcer booms. Eugene takes a deep breath, dragging out the fog machine as he can hear everyone clapping. They just watch him as he silently stops near the royal table. Rapunzel groans, rolling her eyes and facepalming herself.

"Give him a chance, Raps," Harmony whispers to her. "He's not his usual self, and neither are you, remember?"

"Uh, ladies and gentlemen, let's get this peace party...started," He cringes nervously, spraying the room with fog. The Griffin doesn't seem excited at all. "So, um, let's start again," He pulls out the confetti cannon. "Ladies and gentle-" He accidentally presses the trigger, sending him across the room and crashing behind the four royals.

"You know what?" Rapunzel jumps out of her seat.

"Rapunzel, no!" Harmony warns her.

"I have had it with this phony banquet! We are only doing this to be nice to you, Griffin," She storms up to the man. "But you need us! We don't need you!" His eyes widen in shock. "So why don't you just suck up your pride and accept Corona's help?"

He growls at her tone, her family looking on in bewilderment. His face turns totally red when Max, Daisy, and Pascal burst into the room. The chameleon holds up the elixir.

"Oh thank goodness," Harmony murmurs at their presence. Max trots up happily...and then he sees the fog machine in front of him. He skids to a stop, the elixir flying into the air and unscrewing itself. Daisy dives to catch it, but it's too late as it's poured into the fog machine. It sprays into the room, everyone coughing as the purple smoke affects all of them.

However, since three were already feeling the effects of the mood potion, they're turned back to normal. "I think I feel normal again," Rapunzel smiles in relief.

"And so do I!" Eugene gestures to himself.

"No one cares how you feel," Cass retorts with a sly smile, hands on her hips.

"And so does she!"

Pete and Stan take a look at each other, Nigel cleaning his face with a wipe. The citizens all blink as Eugene takes her hand. "Win 'em back, Blondie!"

"Yeah, do your thing, Raps," Cass encourages her, in her own way of course. Eugene kisses her cheek and she approaches the crowd with a smile.

"Thanks, guys. Ladies and gentlemen, have I got a funny story-"

"Ah, boo!" Arianna suddenly exclaims, causing the crown princess to cringe. "Boo!" She takes a hold of her cake and takes a bite.

"Mom...?" Rapunzel murmurs in confusion, looking towards Nigel. He just starts laughing like a fool. Pete and Stan start wrestling. "Oh no...the vapor reversed everyone's personalities!"

"Corona's offer of a partnership was a mistake," Frederic takes off his robe. "It's time to show the world the true power she wields!" He pulls out his sword, causing Rapunzel to gasp.

Which is how everything led up to this point. "So, it comes to this...WAAAAAAAR!"

"Wait a minute, the counter-elixir reversed everybody's personalities?" Eugene asks in surprise. Frederic lets out a yell, the Griffin doing the same thing.

"Dad, please!" Rapunzel tries to stop him and he faces her.

"Let's ride the table down the stairs!" Harmony flips the royal table over.

"You're not thinking clearly! This is a huge mistake!" She looks up at him pleadingly.

"What isn't is this party!" Harmony pops open the champagne, spraying it around.

"...Guards!" He points to the four. "Seize the princesses and their friends!"

The guards surround them, taking them away. "Dad, no! Don't do this!" Rapunzel yells as they're all dragged away.

"But Papa...!" Harmony pouts at him. All she wants to do is have fun...

* * *

Soon, they're locked up in the dungeon, Harmony jumping up and down on the bed next to Rapunzel.

"This is Max and Pascal's fault," Cass mutters, hand on her cheek.

"No! This is our fault...we've been jerks to each other, and Max and Pascal were only trying to help...and Harmony was too." She looks towards her sister jumping. Harmony hums a song to herself, doing a spin in the next jump. "Harmony, stop it."

She just blows a raspberry at her and continues. "It's the opposite of her old personality, before you changed her, Rapunzel," Eugene sighs a little at this.

"Look, guys," Rapunzel stands up, looking at all of them. "We are not perfect. Cass, you could show a bit more compassion, and Eugene, a dose of humility every now and then wouldn't hurt." Both of them look away sadly. "And maybe even I don't have to be so upbeat all the time. And I should be more frank when I'm annoyed with things...but most of all...Harmony tried to help us, and we just kept on arguing, and now because of us, she's like this! My point is, all of you guys are my best friends, and even though there are things about us that annoy each other...I...wouldn't trade them for anything."

"Well, well," Cass steps up to her friend, giving her a hug. "Glad to see the schmaltz is back."

Rapunzel laughs at her. "And so is the cynicism."

Eugene walks over and hugs her too. He helps Harmony down from the bed, causing her to frown. "Now, there's one characteristic we all have in common," Rapunzel glances at all of them. "We don't quit. And last time I checked, we have a war to stop."

"You heard her, Eugene!" Cass smirks at him.

"Pick that lock!"

"On it," He simply opens the door with no problem at all, to their surprise. He spins around the key ring from his finger. "Nabbed it while getting arrested. Sure, that vapor may have turned upstairs into utter chaos, but even in the darkest hour, a valiant and skilled swashbuckler, such as myself, must keep his wits about him. So, you're welcome, ladies."

He opens his eyes, only to see that the three have already left. "Humility...right."

* * *

Rapunzel opens the doors, the three adults shocked to see the guests have gone out of control. Harmony beams, stepping forward, but Eugene grabs the back of her dress, holding her back.

"Eugene, charm the crowd to safety. Cass, handle the guards and clear a path. Harmi and I will go deal with our dad."

"Deep-fried burgers in the kitchen, and somehow, they're zero calories!" Eugene tells a random guest. He kneels to a table, lifting up the cloth. "I think I saw someone take off with your carriage." The man smiles and then the former thief stands between two arguing guests. "Follow me if you want to see a duckling who's friends with a kitty." He smiles, backing away towards the door. "Okay, everything I promised is magically outside this room containing this giant fight. Okay, keep coming. Nothing to see there. This way, folks."

Cass starts knocking out guards left and right until all of them fall around her. The Captain pulls out his sword. "Cassandra..."

She stares at him, not wanting to hurt her father. "Dad...?"

"Come on!" He smiles at her. "I bet I'm better at swords than you are!"

Cass pulls out her weapon, shocked to see him this way. Then again, it is because of the counter-elixir... He starts to battle her. "I bet you I can swing my sword better than you!" He brags to his daughter, "I bet you!"

She takes out her dagger, hitting him in the behind with the hilt. "Ow! You're not playing fair!"

She circles him with a smirk.

Rapunzel cringes at the two men fighting, Harmony just spinning around her sister. Frederic takes the Griffin's helmet, dragging it over his face. The man stumbles back.

"Dad, no!" Rapunzel takes Harmony's arm, walking up to him. "Remember who you are! And what Corona stands for, you have to fight the potion. You can beat it! Please..." She looks like she's about to cry as she looks up at him.

"Sword party!" Harmony smiles up at him in glee. He just narrows his eyes.

"Daughters, I fear your free spirit and hopeless optimism are a detriment to this mighty kingdom. A queen cannot afford to show such sentimentality."

The older princess opens her mouth in horror at his words.

The Captain continues sword-fighting with Cass. She lands on the table and rolls around to avoid his swings, placing a foot on his sword.

"Stop it!" He jumps up and down like a whiny child. "That's not what you do! I'm gonna tell!"

He grips the tablecloth and flings it away, knocking her onto the table. He prepares to hit her, only for a large hand to stop him. It's the same man that Cass let in earlier (but she snuck him in without Harmony's knowledge).

"I knew letting you in was a good idea."

He winks at the lady-in-waiting, snatching the sword away. "Don't you know children aren't supposed to play with sharp objects?" He pushes the Captain onto the floor, where he starts throwing a tantrum...

"I'm not playing with you anymore!" He sucks his thumb.

"Whew!" Cass sits up, "Thanks for your help! ...Wait, why didn't your personality change?"

"What personality?" He shrugs at her.

The Griffin is still hopping around, trying to see again as Frederic steps up to him with a glare, preparing to finish him off.

"You're right, Dad...There is a time and place for sentimentality."

Harmony looks up at her in confusion as she runs forward, grabbing a sword and standing in front of the tiny man. "And this is not one of them. If you are so sure you are doing the right thing, then you should have no problem going through your free-spirited and smart daughters to do it."

She keeps her glare on the man, pulling Harmony close. The girl just stands there, glancing between them. The man suddenly turns back to normal and so does the young princess. He drops his sword and hugs them both.

"I...I'm sorry."

"Ah, come on! I wanna see a brawl!" Arianna suddenly shouts, covered in food. The Griffin wobbles around, crashing.

* * *

The next day, the effects have thankfully worn off on everyone else. "Let this be the start of a centuries-long friendship," Frederic shakes hands with the Griffin.

"Uhh, I'm still not sure what happened last night, but Rapunzel was right. I needed to swallow my pride and accept help. Thank you, princess."

He walks off with a smile, Rapunzel standing there proudly. The big ship is not actually his, but a smaller one he has to blow the sails on. Nevertheless, they all wave goodbye to him. Frederic places a hand on Arianna's back, leading her away.

"Well...that wasn't how I imagined things going," Eugene comments to everyone.

"You said it. It's terrifying to think something so small could have such an effect," Rapunzel takes the elixir from Max's satchel. There's still a drop left inside. She throws it into the ocean, Max whinnying in relief, glad that it's all over.

"Ugh. Good riddance," Cass scoffs at it.

"Harmony..." Eugene places a hand on the girl's shoulder. "We're so sorry that we kept fighting and not listening to you. We didn't mean to frustrate you with having to stomach it."

"And you were right...we shouldn't stop being ourselves, only...minimize our flaws," Rapunzel smiles a little.

"Oh, that's okay," Harmony waves it off. "I'm sorry for acting so...well, not me last night. I think that makes us even, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, but just to make sure, we'll take ya to Monty's for an apology treat," Cass smirks at her and the princess grins, walking off with her friends.

"So you can sense evil stuff now?" Rapunzel couldn't help but inquire. "Like a sixth sense?"

"Yeah...Xavier predicted that it has to do with the Moonstone. It's definitely capable of doing it."

"That'll be really helpful from now on!" She nudges the girl.

"And...Harmi, I'm sorry I said all that stuff about Varian," Cass tells her with a regretful look. "I know you're just trying to help him, and I can't stop you either...but it's a little worrisome, that's all."

"I know...but he's important to me, Cass. The least you could do as my friend is understand why I'm doing it," Harmony looks up at her, frowning a little. "He's just in a bad, emotional place right now. You know that."

"I do...but I can't promise that I won't stop warning you. Just be careful, that's all...Can you forgive me?"

"...Sure I can," Harmony smiles gently.

The elixir doesn't sink; instead it floats down the ocean, to a river, and then finally finds its way to a cluster of black rocks.

"Well..." A gloved hand picks it up. "What do we have here?"


	22. The Quest for Varian

It's an early morning in Corona as the castle's exterior is decorated with sun symbols and purple banners. Rapunzel smiles in amusement at her father, who struggles to just keep the decorations off of him. Harmony giggles at him, sliding down the ladder.

"Oh, confound these infernal streamers!" He exclaims in frustration, the two sisters laughing.

"Aww. Is the mighty king having a hard time?" Rapunzel teases him.

"Who would've thought streamers would be his worst enemy?" Harmony smirks, crossing her arms.

"It's not funny," He brushes a piece off his shoulder. "Have you any idea how difficult it is-"

Rapunzel clears her throat, twirling a piece of her hair as an example, giggling again. "...Oh. Hm." They all start laughing together, two lanterns flying into view. One of them has the sun symbol, and the other with the moon one. Both of them are attached to strings with scrolls on the other end.

"Hm?" Harmony looks up at the objects, Rapunzel seeing them as well. They both gasp happily at the sights, watching them fly into the clouds. Turning around, that happiness turns into a sharp gasp. Rapunzel's hair is somehow out of her braid as Harmony's hair is fully out, cascading down her back. Hers glows turquoise blue while Rapunzel's glows golden. They touch their hair in confusion, wondering what's going on.

"Rapunzel! Harmony!"

They turn around to their father. "Stay here, with me, where you belong..."

Their eyes soften at his worried tone. "Rapunzel! Help me!"

"Vari?!" Harmony whips around at his voice. She hasn't seen him ever since he went into hiding, but he kept his promise and sent two letters a day. It still pained her that it had to be this way...though she could understand why.

"Darlings, don't!"

Harmony's left hand glows blue, the black rocks appearing around him. "Oh no!" She gasps, glancing between him and Varian.

"Dad!" Rapunzel shouts, the rocks surrounding him. "Dad!"

The two run up to him as more black rocks shoot out of the ground. They narrowly avoid them by running side-to-side. Once they reach him...he's encased inside a black rock, his eyes closed in agony. Harmony puts a hand to her mouth in horror as their hair stops glowing. This...is almost like how she saw Quirin...

"Dad...?" Rapunzel couldn't help but wonder why he's inside it. As far as she knew, Harmony's not able to do that...

"Rapunzel!"

They turn around to Varian, who's standing in front of the amber. "You promised!" He looks at the blonde with a glare.

"What?" She murmurs, Harmony stepping forward a little.

"Vari...?" From her spot, she can't see Quirin in the amber like she saw him. Varian starts running towards them, black rocks following his every step.

"Varian!" Rapunzel shouts at him, the black rocks suddenly glowing. There's an explosion and they gasp, getting engulfed in it.

She opens her eyes and notices that she's standing on her balcony, her hair in every direction. Eugene walks into the room. "Hey, Blondie, you want-aah!" He sees her falling towards the edge of the balcony. "Rapunzel!" He rushes forward and catches her just in time. She kneels onto the ground, panting slowly, wondering what she just saw. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I-I..." She didn't even know how to describe it. "I-I don't know...oh..." She looks out towards the sun, hugging Eugene. Then the woman suddenly gasps, standing up.

"Harmi!"

She runs out of her room and to her sister's, where she finds the princess walking to the edge of her balcony. She steps up onto the railing, her eyes glowing blue with no pupils. Her hair is fully turquoise blue as it flies above her head like a flame. Then they see her about to step off!

"Brownie!" Eugene leaps forward, grabbing her arm and dangling over the edge, screaming. Rapunzel grabs his waist with her hair, trying to help him. Harmony blinks, turning back to normal completely. Her hair falls onto her back. She looks downwards and yelps, seeing the unforgiving concrete down below.

"I got ya," Eugene helps her back onto the balcony, both of them landing on their backs, panting slowly. "Okay, what is going on?"

"I..." Harmony sits up, looking at them, a look of confusion on her face. "I..."

"Harmi..." Rapunzel murmurs and pulls her into a hug. "It's okay..."

Eugene hugs her too, patting the back of her hair.

* * *

Once they've taken a few minutes to calm down, Rapunzel plants a piece of paper on her wall. Harmony steps back to look at it.

"It was like the dream we had after our coronation, only more intense," Rapunzel explains to Eugene and Cass. She picks up another paper. "This one, this one was...trying to tell me something," She plants a picture of Varian on the wall. Cass looks to Eugene.

"Tell you what?"

"I'm not sure...the rocks, our hair, Varian," She looks at the frowning painting of Varian. "It's like they're all connected...and I have to find out how."

"This isn't just about me anymore," Harmony gestures to herself. "My senses are telling me that there's more to this than we know...I just wish I knew what."

"Uhh, hey guys, sorry to interrupt dream chat here, but is no one else even a little bit concerned that Rapunzel woke up suspended in mid-air?! Or that Harmony almost walked into being a flat pancake?!" Eugene exclaims, hands on his hips. Pascal comes out of hiding in front of the Varian painting, pointing to his head. Daisy chirps, pointing her wing to Harmony's head from the girl's shoulder.

"Eugene, what we saw...meant something."

"Why else would we dream about this?" Harmony jerks a thumb behind her.

"Okay! Let's say it did. But what if it was a warning, telling you both to stay here, where you're safe?" He approaches Rapunzel, taking away her paper. "I mean, we've got it pretty good here, right? Maybe you two should leave the mystery behind these rocks alone."

He's worried that something like this will happen again to them, and next time he might not be able to stop it.

"What if it's a cry for help instead?" Harmony defends her sister.

"No!" Rapunzel answers Eugene and clenches her fists. "We can't. We need answers. And I think we know where to start looking," She glances at the part of her mural that shows herself with her family.

"But, Harmi...it's Varian. He kidnapped you during the storm."

"No, he didn't! Not that I expect someone like you to understand. In your eyes, I'm a child who knows nothing," Harmony yells at Cass in anger. "Well, guess what? I'm not like that and if you think I'm gonna let this go, you got another thing coming!"

Her eyes widen at the princess' tone. Harmony leaves with one last huff, opening the door and shutting it behind her.

"Do you know what she's talking about?" Cass looks towards the door.

"That's something she'll have to tell you herself..." Eugene glances at Rapunzel.

* * *

Frederic walks down the hall, looking very annoyed. "I made it clear that we were not to discuss magic or glowing rocks."

"Has anyone besides Harmony been to Old Corona lately?" Rapunzel then covers her mouth, her sister looking at her wide-eyed. "Oops...he didn't know that, did he?"

"You've been visiting Old Corona? For how long?" Frederic gives Harmony an accusing look.

"After the storm...Papa, you need to come see it. No one's even around anymore! Not even Vari himself. And...his father...well, you should see for yourself, both of you. I can't even bare to say it out loud."

"We're worried that Varian is in trouble," Rapunzel frowns in worry.

"Princesses, Varian is dangerous. Have you forgotten the boy attacked you during the storm and kidnapped Harmony-"

"Nigel!" Frederic warns him, Harmony gritting her teeth. He sighs slowly, looking at his daughters. "Come with me."

They walk together to his meeting room. "I've been aware of these rocks for quite some time."

"...Why didn't you tell me?" Harmony whispers softly.

"I didn't think that you were the one creating them at first," He pats the side of her hair, staring down at the girl. "They posed a real problem." The two look at the model of Corona, noticing black flags in Old Corona. "Um...displacing people from their homes...damaging roads...fields riddled with-"

"Do I really have to hear this?" Harmony asks furiously, not wanting to be reminded of what her black rocks have done.

"...Sorry."

"Oh no," Rapunzel murmurs, looking at the flags.

"But fortunately we've taken care of them, one by one," He plucks one away. "The rocks have been removed, and the people of Old Corona are all well and good."

"But...why all the secrecy?" Rapunzel looks up at him.

"And if everything's okay, then why haven't we heard of it until now?" Harmony couldn't help but wonder. Varian would've said at least something in his letters about it: it's not something he'd keep to himself from her.

"Rapunzel, Harmony, I apologize for not being more candid at first. I can only hope that when Rapunzel is Queen, you'll understand the value of not drawing attention and causing a panic over problems that have been handled." He grips the flags in his hand, which doesn't go unnoticed by the two sisters. "You see? And now you both know what the situation is. Or rather, was."

"...That's a relief," Rapunzel smiles a little. "And thanks for being honest with me, Dad," The two hug him.

"Thank you, Papa," Harmony murmurs, reminding herself to write Varian and see if he's been to Old Corona ever since he left.

"Yes, of course," He chuckles a little, smiling at them. "Now, run along. We've got more pressing issues before us. Like planning your birthday party."

She smiles at him over her shoulder, the two leaving. He shakes his head at the flags still in his hand.

* * *

The two princesses walk on the dirt path that leads to their statues, a little girl waving at the older one.

"Happy birthday, Rapunzel!"

"Thank you," She waves politely. Her statue is surrounded by gifts and flowers for her. "We still don't know anything about where Varian is, and according to Harmi, he won't tell her out of caution-" She gasps at the lantern...the same one from her dream.

Harmony looks at her statue and sees another one.

"The kites...wait, it's the same one from our vision," Rapunzel takes it into her hands, Harmony bending down and picking up hers. "There's notes, and a key! They're from Varian. Rapunzel, I need your help now more than ever. I may have discovered the key to the rocks. Find the bronze graphtyc in my lab. But be careful, they are watching and will do anything to stop you."

Harmony skims over hers.

_Mona,_

_I wish I could see you again, but for now, it has to be like this. Like with your sister...I need your help, desperately. I think I've figured out the key to your rocks. Find the bronze graphtyc in my lab. But watch out, they're watching and they'll do anything to stop you. My only hope is that you don't get hurt._

_I miss you,_

_Varian_

"They? Who are they?" Cass asks in confusion.

"It's always somethin' with that guy," Eugene crosses his arms.

"Hey!" Harmony whips around to them. "If we're gonna do this, can you stop talking about him that way in earshot? He's not dangerous like everyone thinks he is, he's just in a bad place right now."

Eugene holds up his hands slowly as an apology. "I knew it!" Rapunzel turns around to them. "I knew it, he still needs our help."

"What do you wanna do?" Cass asks them seriously. The sisters look at each other and Harmony sighs.

"Listen guys...you don't have to do it if you don't want to. My black rocks...they can appear at any time, and the last thing I want them to do is hurt you in any way," Harmony grips the scroll to her chest. "So...I should do this alone."

"No way," Rapunzel denies immediately. "Princesses by chance, and sisters by choice, remember?"

"If this is important to you, it's important to us as well," Cass nods in agreement.

"And besides, we stick together. We're not leaving you to deal with this whole situation on your own, kid," Eugene places a hand on her shoulder. "You may be young, but...you keep us together."

She smiles at his words, gripping the scroll. "Thanks, guys."

"Sorry Dad," Rapunzel murmurs to herself while looking towards the castle. "We gotta go to Old Corona."

They all walk away from the statues to prepare for the trip.

* * *

Max takes them in a wagon, Rapunzel wearing a black cloak over her dress. "Old Corona is just over this hill."

Pascal glances to his left, seeing the glare from Owl. "Sorry, Pascal, but he's not a big fan of reptiles. Unless he can eat them."

Owl looks at the chameleon hungrily, who moves to Rapunzel's right out of fear. Daisy just chirps, rolling her eyes.

"I can't tell you what a treat it is to be spending so much time with a cold-blooded, dead-eyed bird of prey," Eugene quips, crossing his arms.

"Owls are warm-blooded, genius," Cass retorts to him and he laughs.

"I wasn't talking about the owl."

"Oh ho ho ho, I guess I walked right into that one," Cass replies sarcastically, Rapunzel's eyes widening.

"Yeah, you really did," Eugene is still chuckling.

"Really?" Harmony shakes her head at the two, looking in Rapunzel's direction. She gasps sharply.

"Stop the cart!"

Max does so and she runs up to a black rock. Harmony opens her mouth in shock, following after her. The others glance to each other, running after them.

"What is it?" Cass wonders, the blonde turning around to them.

"Our dad told us that all the black rocks had been removed..."

"Okay, so he missed one," Eugene waves it off.

"Um, guys?" Cass moves away, showing the black rocks still in Old Corona. Harmony steps back a bit, terrified by the sight. She hadn't been back here ever since Varian went into hiding...chances are he hasn't seen this either...but the damage that was done here is hard to stomach.

"Or one hundred. They missed a hun...they-they did not do a very thorough job counting these rocks."

Harmony blinks back tears, covering her mouth in horror. Rapunzel and Eugene see this, the woman hugging her little sister. Eugene places a hand on her back as she starts to cry. She couldn't believe her black rocks did this...and she didn't even know about the current state of the town...

"Do you think your father lied?" Cass walks up to the trio. Rapunzel rubs Harmony's back in comfort.

"No, of course not. We trust Dad, but clearly he has no idea how bad things have gotten out here."

Harmony sniffles, suddenly letting go of her sister and running back to the wagon. "Come on. Let's move on," Rapunzel takes her seat across from Harmony, Eugene rubbing her shoulder.

"it'll be okay, Brownie..." He tells her gently as she stays silent. Owl flies in front of them as Harmony briefly looks over her shoulder, pulling her cloak closer to her body. All of this damage...was it ever worth finding out the mystery behind her black rocks?

"...Will you tell me what happened?" Cass suddenly speaks up, getting all of their attention. "I'm willing to listen...something I should've done before."

Harmony smiles gratefully, taking a deep breath. "When no one wanted to listen because of my age...it really got to me. So I thought since Varian felt so hurt, that I would go after him on my own. I-I was just so upset with Punzie that I didn't care about what happened to me...well, I got lost, and...I thought I was going to die...until I saw him. I kept calling for him, hoping that he'd hear me, and then I passed out. The next thing I knew, I was at his home and he was warming me up from the cold. He took care of me...made sure I felt safe. I guess neither of us noticed that the storm had stopped, because the guards came storming in and assumed that he kidnapped me. I tried to explain, but they didn't listen and they took me away from him..."

"...So he really didn't kidnap you. He saved your life despite risking his own..."

"Yeah..." Harmony nods slowly. "I just hope that he's still not angry at me for not being able to help him more than I could've."

"That's not true," Rapunzel places a hand on her shoulder. "He still cares about you, Harmi...I know he does."

She smiles weakly at her friends.

* * *

Once they've gotten to a safe place to put the wagon, they walk down the path to Varian's cottage. The black rocks glisten slightly as they stare at them.

"I've never seen anything like this..." Cass states, Eugene's arms around the young princess to comfort her.

"So far, everything in our dream has come true, there's no question now. These rocks...they hold a secret, and somehow, I-I'm—I'm connected to it. And...maybe even partly responsible for it," Rapunzel says sadly, holding out her arms to her sister. She steps up slowly and hugs her, closing her eyes. It was slowly helping, but...the back of her mind keeps telling her that she did this...

"...What do you two wanna do?"

A shadow is watching them from behind some black rocks, but when Cass turns around, she sees nothing.

"Sorry, Eugene, but...I already let Varian down once. He wants us to get that graphtyc and that's what we're gonna do. Besides...Harmi deserves this," Rapunzel rubs the top of the girl's head. "And I wanna help the both of them see this through."

Eugene takes a hold of her hand and she smiles, grateful that he's here too. He smiles back and they embrace briefly.

"Well, let's go."

"Harmi," Rapunzel turns to her and she stays silent. "If you feel uncomfortable at any point, you don't have to keep going. I don't want to have to make you do this if you don't want to."

"No, Punzie," She shakes her head slowly. "As scared as I am of what might happen...I'm thankful that you guys are there for me. I know it's not easy doing this for Vari considering what happened with the storm, but...I'm lucky to have friends like you."

"And we're lucky to have you, Brownie," Eugene ruffles the top of her head, the others smiling. Rapunzel steps up and holds her hand.

"Okay, if you're upset or scared, just squeeze my hand and I'll squeeze back. That way, you're not alone."

Harmony smiles softly and nods. "Well, let's go. Varian's home is on the far side of town," The sisters take the lead.

"You heard the lady," Eugene lightly shrugs, the others following after them. Harmony glances around at all the black rocks, already feeling a sense of dread. She squeezes the blonde's hand, who returns the gesture as promised. They stop in front of one and it glows blue, their hair glowing as well just like in their dream. They both gasp and Eugene moves them away. "Uh, guys? Hair?"

"Fancy pants is right. Remember what happens when you touch those," Cass warns the two.

"You try having the powers of the Moonstone," Harmony rolls her eyes.

"Well, then we'll just have to be careful..." Rapunzel glances at the younger princess. Both of them nod in agreement to not touch them. They look up at two paths up ahead. "How do we know if any of these openings will take us to the other side?"

"Can't you sense the way like the way you could feel that old lady was dangerous?" Eugene asks the girl.

"It's not exactly 100 percent guaranteed since I don't know how to strength it...I'm getting the same vibe from both directions," Harmony points between the two passages.

"We need a bird's-eye view...or two," Cass winks at Daisy. She turns around and whistles, Owl flying over. "Daisy, you go right, Owl, you go left."

They both nod and take off, flying through the paths. Owl hoots from his end. "I think he found a way!" Rapunzel exclaims happily, turning towards the horse. "Okay, Max? You keep watch."

He whinnies, nodding as Harmony whistles, calling Daisy back. The duckling flies over to them, landing on Harmony's head. They start walking through the left path.

"So, you think I'm fancy?" Eugene wonders to Cass, who groans. "That's not a retraction!"

As they go further, their hair starts to glow again, both sisters narrowly avoiding the rocks. They finally reach Varian's home. "We're here."

Eugene stumbles to a stop near them. "Well, what a convenient, easy-to-navigate path your bird found, Cass," He replies sarcastically. "That's some owl you got there."

"Thanks," Owl lands on her arm. "Oh, and by the way, he's also an attack owl. I taught him to go for the eyes first."

Eugene laughs nervously, clearing his throat. "Of course, by some owl, I meant some very noble, very majestic, very non-eye-scratchy, did I mention majestic?" He stammers while leading the two princess towards the cottage. They just smile towards each other in amusement. "Owl."

The same person from before is actually still following them in the shadows, watching the four walk up to the home.

Rapunzel slowly opens the door, all of them walking into the lab. Harmony clamps her mouth shut, squeezing her sister's hand again. "You know, someone should really sit this kid down, and have a frank discussion about the importance of an organized, clutter-free workspace."

"Have you seen my room?" Harmony rolls her eyes towards him. It's still the same messy lab that she remembers well...though the lack of use lately did equal some cobwebs and dust. By the looks to the others, he's been gone for a while now.

Owl lands near a box, Pascal and Daisy joining him. Cass takes a hold of it. "Look at all these. What is-" She dusts off the box, only to get pink smoke in her face, leaving her hair and cheeks a pink mess. She glances towards Harmony, who doesn't even have to turn around to know what happened.

"Yeah, I wouldn't touch anything in here. Most of it's booby-trapped in case someone ever got into his things," She calls out. Cass looks towards the three animals laughing, but Owl stops, looking at Pascal. His face turns fully pink and he continues laughing. Eugene chuckles into his fist, clearing his throat.

"Guys, come on. That graphtyc has to be here somewhere..." Rapunzel keeps looking around, footsteps in front of the door. She looks towards her sister, who nods for her to take it. Rapunzel opens up the book, and finally finds what they're looking for. "We found it! We found the graphtyc!"

"Great! Now let's get out of here, cause this place gives me the creeps. No offense, Brownie."

"None taken..." She murmurs, not wanting to be here any longer...mostly because something behind her is heart-breaking to see again. Rapunzel looks up at the cloth, seeing a piece of amber sticking out...which shows a hand holding a note. She gasps and removes it to see Quirin, covering her mouth in horror.

Eugene and Cass run up to her, Harmony turning around and her eyes widening. "Oh no...it's Varian's father...is that why you said I needed to see it for myself? And Dad too?"

The girl nods slowly, walking up to Quirin. "Yeah...I didn't see this until I visited Varian after the storm...he didn't seem to want to talk about it either when I was still warming up from the cold...then I saw him crying in front of it. He had gotten back here too late..."

"Guys, are you okay?" Eugene asks in concern.

"...Maybe you were right," Rapunzel replies softly. "Maybe our dream was trying to tell us to stay in the castle...where we belong," She glances towards her sister, who says nothing as she looks at Quirin, hurt that she wasn't able to save him in time...if he had just told her during the storm...she could've saved him.

"Rapunzel, what are you talking about?" Cass wonders from behind

"I touched those rocks, and now...this," She says in guilt.

"I was the one who created them, Rapunzel...it's not just you," Harmony hugs herself.

"Oh, come on, now," Eugene hugs his girlfriend in comfort. "We don't know that any of this is your fault, girls."

"We don't know that it's not..."

"She's right," Harmony murmurs softly. "We still set this all up."

"Okay, Princess," Eugene looks down at them. "I know what I said before about forgetting all this, but this is way, way worse than I or anyone else imagined, and one thing has become clear. Fault or no fault, people are in danger. A lot of danger. And the Rapunzel I know was never one to run and hide from a fight. The Harmony I know, someone I can call my little sister, would also never let her fears take over her." He pats Harmony's head, causing her to giggle.

The door suddenly opens and they turn around in shock to see a man standing there, wearing a silver helmet and red cape.

"Hand over the graphtyc," He demands them.

"Who is that?" Eugene glares at him, standing in front of the princesses.

"Must be a friend of Varian's," Cass glances at the three.

"No...I don't recognize him," Harmony shakes her head slowly. "I've been here every day after the storm, and I've never seen him before in my life."

Cass runs up to the intruder, pulling out her sword. She jumps and swings at him, but he blocks her attacks, lifting her up with his staff. He knocks her away and throws a bolo, capturing her feet.

"Cass!" Eugene shouts, the other two looking at her in shock. "Oh you just crossed a line, bub!" Eugene rolls up his sleeves and runs up to the man, sliding underneath him. He grabs the staff from behind, trying to wrestle it out of his arms. He tosses Eugene and he lands into Owl, crashing into some chemicals. This turns his face blue with pink cheeks, and pink hair with green, blue, and yellow streaks. "Oh...boy, that was a mistake."

Owl sits up, having the same hairstyle as Eugene. "Hand it over," The man approaches the princesses. Harmony luckily has her quiver on her back and swiftly pulls out her bow and arrow, pointing it towards him. Pascal and Daisy hiss, jumping onto his helmet and attacking him. He pulls them off and they hit the desk.

"You just made a big mistake," Harmony hisses, firing an arrow. He catches it into his hand, and a beaker hits him.

"Stay back!" Rapunzel warns him. "We've got a wall full of alchemy, and some arrows, and we are not afraid to use them!"

"If I were you, I'd stop making demands and leave," Harmony narrows her eyes at him, pulling out another arrow from her quiver. She readies it and lifts herself up, aiming another arrow towards him. "Try me."

Rapunzel tosses another chemical as Harmony fires her arrow. "Guys," Rapunzel turns to the two pets. "Hit me!"

They hand her another beaker as the younger princess puts another arrow in her bow. Rapunzel gets an idea and uses some stray rope, tying it and the beaker to the arrow. Harmony fires and it lands in front of the man, exploding.

"Ugh..." Rapunzel waves a hand in front of her nose, Harmony coughing. "Stink bomb? Come on!"

Pascal throws one and it hits the floor, the man jumping to the side. Daisy tosses one herself and Rapunzel throws some. He knocks one back using his staff like a baseball bat, hitting it back towards them. This knocks the graphtyc out of Rapunzel's hand and near the black rocks. Harmony fires her arrows as the man runs towards the object, but they do nothing to stop him. Pascal rolls a pink ball to the desk.

"Aha! Thanks! Harmi, let it rip!" She sticks both of them to the tip of the arrow and when Harmony fires, pink smoke explodes from the alchemical solutions, trapping the man's arms in pink goo. "Yeah! That oughta hold you! Nice one, little sis!"

"You two, sis," Harmony smirks up at her. Rapunzel runs around Quirin and grabs the graphtyc. The two run up to Eugene, who's untying Cass' feet.

"Come on! Let's get out of here!" Together, the three help up the lady-in-waiting, bringing her to the door. Rapunzel and Harmony look at Quirin one last time before they end up back outside, and run through the field of black rocks.

"Slow down, guys!" Cass calls out to them. "Either of your hair touches those things and we're goners!"

They jump over a black rock in their path. "Yeah, what she said!"

Okay, agreeing with Cassandra is a rare thing for him, but they both knew that he was still going to follow them.

"We don't have much time before he gets free!"

"Who was that?" Cass couldn't help but wonder. "Are you sure you don't remember him, Harmi?"

"Pretty sure I would've recalled!" She calls out as Rapunzel looks over her shoulder.

"We don't know, but it must've been who Varian tried to warn us-"

They stop in their tracks as an arm is trying to grab them. Cass grabs their hands and turns right. However, he manages to get into their path. "How fast is this guy?!" Eugene exclaims in disbelief as they turn right again. The princesses go through a narrow path, holding onto their hair, but they finally make it out of there.

"Well...I guess that explains why he could move so fast..." Eugene says slowly as they see more men just like him standing in front of them all. "Cassandra, you deal with the ones in black, we'll handle the rest." They just stare at him, as all of them are wearing black. The group approaches them and they knew that they couldn't take them all. As they back away, the hair gets closer and closer to the black rocks. Rapunzel cringes up at them when suddenly a frying pan hits one on the head. Max whinnies as he's holding the weapon his mouth, landing in front of the four. He kicks one from behind and then headbutts one in the stomach. He throws the pan into the air and catches it, spinning around and knocking out the rest in one swing.

He spits out the frying pan and it hits one in the face. "Max! Oh, you couldn't have come a second sooner!" Rapunzel jumps onto him in front, followed by Cass and Eugene. She hears another whinny up ahead and sees Silver running up to her.

"Silver!" She cries out in relief, running up to the horse. She frontflips and soars into the air, landing on his saddle safely.

"Take us home, big guy!" Cass orders and the two horses run off, the group of men getting up.

"These guys want whatever this is pretty badly," Rapunzel looks at the graphtyc in her hand, looking towards the three. "Something tells me we won't make it to the castle."

"Even if we could, I don't want these guys terrorizing the kingdom and causing a panic," Harmony glares up ahead.

"They're right," Eugene agrees with them. "We need somewhere to hide and come up with a plan."

"I know just the place! Silver, follow Max!" She turns the horse around to go left, Silver turning sharply. The two jump over a log, running deeper into the forest. They stop at a cliff and Rapunzel smiles at everyone. "We're here!"

"Here?! Where's here?!" Eugene exclaims in disbelief.

"You said we needed a place to hide!" Rapunzel jumps off Max. "Here we are."

"And once again, _where_ is here?!"

He hears Owl as Harmony looks up ahead. "They're following us," Cass says knowingly.

"Guys! Come on!" Rapunzel calls out, the others looking to each other skeptically. They race after her to see that she's hanging onto a vine, climbing down the cliff. "What are you slowpokes waiting for?"

Eugene takes a hold of it. "Okay, Eugene, today we are rappelling down the side of a cliff...with a horse, princess, frog, and a goose...Man, I love Corona!" He laughs and they all slide down onto the grass. Owl lands on Cass' shoulder as Eugene lands safely. He hears two whinnies, looking behind him to see Max's backside sliding towards him. He ducks out of the way, only to get grass in his face. Silver lands on his back and he groans in pain.

"Eugene, I'm surprised you didn't recognize where we are," Rapunzel chuckles a little.

"...Should he?" Harmony glances at him in confusion, she doesn't know where they are since she's never been here before.

"Oh, right! You haven't been here, have you?" Eugene looks down at her as Rapunzel removes the wall of leaves.

"Actually...I'm not sure I recognize it."

The tower...the same one she was raised in, is now surrounded by black rocks. "This is bad..." Eugene murmurs as he dusts himself off.

"These rocks are an even bigger problem than we thought..." Cass puts a hand on Harmony's shoulder.

"Huh? Oh no, actually, I was talking about my vest," Eugene explains, getting looks from both Max and Cass. "I got it dirty from the fall, but uh..." He clears his throat. "Yeah, no, those rocks are bad, super bad."

"As much as I hate seeing this...what is this place again?" Harmony asks everyone.

"Harmony...this is where I was raised," Rapunzel gestures to the tower and the girl slowly widens her eyes.

"S-So...this is the tower? The one you all told me about? Where...all of that stuff happened?"

"Yeah..." Cass sighs a little.

"Punz, I...I'm so sorry about this..."

"It's okay," Rapunzel places her hands on her shoulders. "I don't blame you for it." She looks back to the tower. Never did she think that she'd see it like this...

* * *

Once they're all in the tower...it's still the same as before. Harmony gasps sharply at the long cut hair, the broken mirror, and all the glass shards.

"Oh, and this is where she hit me with a frying pan for the very first time," Eugene is showing everyone but Rapunzel around since they've never been in the tower before. "Little known fact, the blow actually improved my hairline."

Cass and Harmony look up at the mural Rapunzel painted of her seeing the lanterns. "Yeah, pre-pan cowlick, post-pan perfection."

Harmony watches her sister put her cloak over the chair as she examines the graphtyc. "What is so important about this thing...?"

"I can tell you one thing: you won't be able to open it on your own. You need something to open it with," Harmony points to it from behind.

"Watch your step, pal," Eugene warns the two horses. "This is where I died, see?"

"Have you seen anything like this?" Rapunzel asks the two, shaking the object. "It sounds like something's inside." She holds it up for them to hear.

"This is the armoire where Rapunzel hid my unconscious body. You remember that, honey?" Eugene laughs at the memory. "What a romantic first date."

"I don't think that counts," Harmony looks over her shoulder. Cass tries to pry the graphtyc open, but it won't budge. Rapunzel eyes something at the end.

"Wait a minute..." She realizes the shape, as she's seen it before. "The key!" She takes it from her bag and opens it up. Rapunzel slowly pulls out a scroll, looking at a picture of three golden petals, something dripping onto it. "It's some kind of scroll...have you seen this before?"

"No, never," Harmony shakes her head. "Not that I can recall."

"Oh, uh, this is where Mother Gothel fell to her doom." Eugene looks at the window. "Guys? I think we have a problem."

Max looks out the window to see one of the men climbing up the tower with Harmony's arrows. Several others follow.

"You gotta be kidding!" Rapunzel exclaims in disbelief, wondering how they found them.

"How'd they found us?!" Harmony screeches as she sees them.

"What do you wanna do, guys?" Eugene asks the two princesses. They look to each other and silently agree on the same thing.

"No more running. No more hiding," Max grins widely at her declaration. "These guys just ticked off the wrong princesses!"

"That's my girl," Eugene smiles at Rapunzel, spinning the frying pan into his hand. Rapunzel grips the graphtyc. If they were going to get out of this alive, they had to do something different.

"Sorry, Eugene, frying pans are great and all, but...it's time for an upgrade," She plants the graphtyc in Max's satchel, starting to untie her hair. "Harmi," She bends down to her sister and whispers in her ear. Once she's finished, Harmony recoils back.

"No way! I can't do that, Raps! I don't know what'll happen!"

"It's our only shot. I believe in you, little sister."

Harmony sighs slowly. "...Alright..."

Rapunzel walks up to the window. "Rapunzel, Harmony, what are you doing?" Cass asks them.

"Letting down my hair..."

"You'll see," Harmony cracks her fingers together. Rapunzel tosses all of her hair out the window and it flies pat the men climbing up. It touches one of the rocks and Harmony's left hand glows. It causes a major explosion that blows all of them away from a safe distance.

Rapunzel gasps, looking outside as Harmony's black rocks start appearing. She pulls up her hair and pulls open the attic door. Eugene holds her hair as they both jump in, followed by Cass, Harmony, and the two horses. They manage to squeeze inside, the rocks growing at a faster rate up the walls and the stairs. The five run down the steps, only to see the path blocked.

"Um, I did not expect the rocks to follow us all the way up here..." Rapunzel says nervously.

"I-I can't stop it!" Harmony anxiously looks at her left hand.

"What did you expect them to do?" Eugene asks as they show no signs of stopping.

"Come on!" Rapunzel runs up the steps, the others following. Harmony gasps at the rocks as they reach the room they were just in. The black rocks spout up from the exit, Cass landing in front of her friends. Rapunzel runs up to the desk, a black rock appearing right in front of her. She looks to see Owl and Daisy flying around to avoid them, reaching the ceiling. Owl presses the mechanism that opens the ceiling hatch.

"That's the only way out! Let's go, come on!"

They all run up the stairs as the rocks follow their path. Rapunzel spins her hair like a noose, throwing it over a beam. Cass and Eugene go first, with the former thief seeing the two horses climb up the hair. "So horses can climb now...that's a thing."

He continues climbing as Harmony looks over her shoulder, moon beams appearing on her feet. She uses them to jump into the air, gripping the make-shift rope. Rapunzel climbs up last as the black rocks start to surround them.

Eugene pushes the horses out the hatch, followed by Harmony. Daisy pushes Owl away from an incoming black rock, but another one appears right near his wings, knocking him off balance. He falls towards the black rocks, Pascal flinging his tongue and capturing his leg. He looks up at the chameleon, who pulls him up to the ceiling. Max whinnies at the three and they jump on him. He recoils back as a black rock covers the hole. The horses back away, black rocks following their every step. The ceiling starts to cave in and they look at the growing cluster. There's nowhere else to go...

The four gasp, Rapunzel looking at the black rocks underneath them. "There's only one way down..." She looks to her glowing hair, looking back at her sister. "Harmony, is there anything you can do with these rocks?"

"Like what? If I was able to, I'd stop them!"

"Just think of something! I know you can!"

Harmony bites her lip, looking at her hand. "While she's doing that, I think I have a way out, but it's a little crazy, so you're just gonna have to trust us!"

The tower crumbles and they stumble on the ceiling. "Uh, sure, let's go for it! I'm up for anything at this point."

"Follow us!" Rapunzel pulls away Eugene, who's holding onto Cass. Harmony takes the lead as she holds out her arms to balance herself.

"Even your hands are cold!" Eugene comments to Cass.

Owl rolls his eyes at Pascal and Daisy holding out their limbs, taking them. Max and Silver run forward, Harmony sprinting on the roof. The rocks get faster and faster as they're nearing the edge of the roof.

"I cannot believe we're doing this!" Eugene shouts at the top of his lungs. They all jump off the roof, Rapunzel's hair glowing as they look towards the grass. Her hair wraps around them like a ball as a black rock sprouts out from the grass, touching it. This causes them to miss a cluster of black rocks in front of them, landing safely behind all of them.

"Oh, did everyone see that? Is-Is that new?!" Cass shouts as she hasn't seen this before. Rapunzel gets onto her feet.

"Uhh, let's just say it's complicated," Eugene tells her as Harmony stands up, dusting dirt off her. "Harmi...you actually controlled one?"

Her eyes widen as she looks at her palms, laughing in shock. "I...I did! I controlled a black rock!" She jumps up into the air happily. "I did it, I did it, oh yeah, yeah, yeah. No evil here tonight, whoo! No evil here tonight, whoo!"

"No evil here tonight, you on a diet!" Eugene sings along, Rapunzel just staring as the tower slowly crumbles into pieces. A tear falls down her cheek. She knew that Mother Gothel wasn't a good person, but...she still grew up here. It was her childhood home...and now it's gone. They get caught up in the cloud of smoke, and when it goes away, all there's left is black rocks.

"...Can we avoid going up in towers from now on?" Eugene rubs the back of his neck. Rapunzel bends down to a piece of her mural, sighing lightly. She caresses the piece, looking away sadly. "Are you okay?"

Rapunzel silently hugs him as Harmony frowns sadly. "I'm...I'm really sorry, Rapunzel."

"Oh, Harmi...I don't blame you for any of this," The woman hugs her little sister, both of them closing their eyes. "I know that you can't control it, and that's not your fault. You're just a teenager, after all..."

"Guys? You wanna have a look at this?" Cass interrupts the moment. A slab of rock is lifted up and the helmet is off.

"Time for answers," Rapunzel strolls up to him, sliding the helmet away. The man looks up...and reveals his face.

The two princesses recoil back in surprise. "Dad?" Cass murmurs at him. He pants slowly, getting onto his feet.

"Princesses...we had orders to recover the scroll, to keep it from you."

"Who?" Rapunzel demands him. "Who ordered you?"

"You scared the life out of us, you know that?!" Harmony shouts at the man. "Who could've possibly ordered you to do that?!"

The Captain glances at the other guards, not sure how to break it to them. "Answer them," Cass orders them.

"...Your father," The Captain closes his eyes. Their mouths open wide, backing away slowly. They couldn't believe it...he lied right to their faces. Rapunzel takes the graphtyc, opening up the scroll. She opens it up follow to see the sun and moon side by side. Both of them have drips going towards somewhere, the moon going towards a black rock...

"Why would your father wanna keep this from you?" Eugene asks from behind.

"I don't know...but we are going to find out," Rapunzel glares and they all look towards the remains of the tower...


	23. The Alchemist Returns

**Angel: An episode practically everyone was waiting for...Oh, I found a good friend of mine who's considering drawing Harmony for me! I'm not rushing her to finish it, but I just wanted to let you guys know! Now if only I could find someone who'd be willing to draw Hana for me...XD**

**Next week this show will end...I'm so disappointed that they shortened the episodes! Oh well. I can't wait to see what happens, and if Quirin will tell Varian about his involvement with the Brotherhood, because I need to know! I also wanna see Zhan Tiri finally be defeated for good, because I really hate her, more so than I did with Cass because of how she's always telling Rapunzel not to trust people (even the good ones). Cass is now my second-least favorite character in the show, cause Zhan Tiri takes that spot automatically. Seriously, I never thought I could hate someone so much like I do with her. She gets on my nerves so much XD**

**100 reviews! Thank you, but...there oughta be a word limit to the reviews, because I have at least three already that are both too long and have too many words for me to read. I also have one that literally makes no sense, and I have no idea what exactly I'm supposed to grasp from them. I can say this: if the review involves information from a wiki, then please don't send it to me. I'm just saying that, in the future, please don't send reviews that will take a whole page for me or others to sit through, especially if it's stuff we already know.**

The doors to the castle open as bare feet step into the hallway. "Good morning, princesses," One of the handmaidens greets.

"Beautiful day."

"Someone's in a hurry."

"Gesundheit, my ladies," Shorty calls out while sitting in a flower pot. The two storm into the throne room.

"You lied to us," Rapunzel glares at her father.

"You've got some explaining to do," Harmony hisses, pointing at him. Nigel and the guard leave the room, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"Rapunzel, Harmony, I just heard what happened in Old Corona. I-I assure you my intent was only to protect you-"

"From what?!" The older princess interrupts sharply. "Your own men?"

"That you sent after us?!" Harmony grits her teeth.

"It's time for answers, Dad. We want to know why you lied about Old Corona, and why you've been covering up the fact that our kingdom is being destroyed by those black rocks! Don't you think your own daughter deserves to know the truth about herself?" Rapunzel places her hands on Harmony's shoulders, squeezing them from behind. Harmony just keeps on a glare at her father. "Just what are you trying to hide?"

"...I'm sorry, my dears. I did not want to lie to you both, but you two are not ready for the truth," He turns around to them.

"Oh, Dad! We are beyond what we are and not ready for," Rapunzel defends, "People are in danger!"

"I'm not some little kid anymore, Dad!" He flinches as Harmony doesn't use her nickname for him. "I'm old enough to know that this is serious!"

"Girls!" He shouts at them. "I am the king, and I have this situation under control."

They keep their glares, turning around to leave. "You know, you are not the first person to lie to me and tell me I am not ready for the real world," Rapunzel glances over her shoulder.

"And this isn't the first time that someone's tried to shut me out," Harmony clenches a fist, referring to when she was stuck inside the castle. He stares at them sadly, closing his eyes when he hears the door close.

* * *

Pascal, Harmony, and Rapunzel pace around in front of Eugene. "So, I guess it's a pretty safe bet that Corona won't be hosting a daddy-daughter dance anytime soon," He jokes, chuckling a little. He looks up and sees the glares directed at him. "...Yeah, sorry, not the time for jokes."

Rapunzel sighs, sitting down next to him. "I'm not sure what's going on, but I know Corona's in some kind of danger, and I feel like we're the only ones who want to do anything about it," She gestures to herself and her sister, pulling her into a hug. Harmony sighs slowly as the older sister runs her fingers through her hair in comfort.

"No, no, you're not. Listen, Blondie," Eugene places his hand on top of Rapunzel's. "No matter what we're up against, I'm with you all the way."

"I know, thank you, I just..." She looks away, sighing. "I need some time alone."

"Alright, Punz," Harmony gets up, Eugene smiling.

"Understood. I'll take Brownie to the kitchen, get her a cupcake. How bout it?"

"Sure..." She smiles weakly, "Thanks Eugene."

He guides her out of the room, stopping in front of the doors. "You know...things do seem pretty dark right now, but if anyone can find a light, it's you. And work together while doing it," Eugene points to Harmony, both of them smiling warmly. "I've got a feeling everything's gonna be okay."

"Quit being so mean, Pete!" Their eyes widen as they can hear the guards arguing right outside. Eugene opens up the doors to see them not too far away from Harmony's room.

"Wait! All I said was your breath smells like tree-rot, you are a sub-standard croquet player, and previous instances where I asserted you had a lovely singing voice were patently false!" Pete gasps, putting his hands over his mouth.

Stan gasps sharply, turning around to his so-called friend. "You've always loved my voice!"

"Pete!" Rapunzel runs up to the duo. "What are you doing? Stan's your best friend!"

"Yeah, why are you saying this stuff all of a sudden?" Harmony joins them.

"I don't know! I can't help it! It's like I-I have to say whatever's on my mind!" He stammers nervously, the sisters glancing at each other.

"Oh, yeah? Well, you have cookie crumbs on your cheek!" Stan points at his face, running off and sobbing.

"Stan, wait! I'm sorry!" Pete chases after him.

"Okay...?" Harmony raises a brow in confusion, wondering what just happened. "It's almost as if...Pete's being forced to say all that..."

"You've got enough on your plate, Blondie. Go get some rest, both of you. I'll handle this," Eugene goes after the two guards, the princesses sighing as they go off to their rooms. Rapunzel flops onto her bed, Harmony doing the same. They close their eyes for only a few seconds when they suddenly hear music coming outside of their rooms.

They open the door at the same time, suddenly in the throne room. Their father is waiting for them on the other side.

"Rapunzel! Harmony! There you are," He takes a hold of their hands.

"Dad, what is all this?" Rapunzel smiles a little as he dances with them both.

"How did you arrange all this?" Harmony looks around the room.

"Look, darlings, I feel horrible about the way we all left things, and...well, I'm hoping to make it up to you both."

"Oh, Dad, I'm so relieved to hear that-"

Harmony's left hand glows blue, black rocks shooting up between them and the king. "Oh no," She whispers in horror. They start to separate them from everyone, who run around in a panic. They turn around, only to find that they're outside, Eugene and Cass nearby getting surrounded. The two gasp, running up to them as fast as they can.

"Come on!" Harmony urges her hand, but it does nothing to stop them. Suddenly two rocks stop Rapunzel's hair and Harmony's dress. She helps Rapunzel first with her hair, the older sister ripping off the piece. They rush over, Cass getting engulfed by the rocks.

"Cassandra!"

Eugene looks up in fear. "Eugene! No!"

He holds out a hand, but is then gone as well. "NO!" Harmony screams, slamming a fist against the rocks. "I thought...I was slowly learning to control them...I screwed up...again!"

Someone steps up to them from behind. "Stop running, girls."

They gasp as they look to see Varian. He bends down and grabs a piece of Rapunzel's hair. "Face your destinies, or all you hold in your hearts will be in grave danger."

The two suddenly wake up, Rapunzel's hair flying out of control. With Harmony, her moon powers are reacting badly. The older princess knocks off all the objects from her desks, seeing Pascal being flung around.

"Pascal!" She rushes to him and unwraps him from her hair. "Oh...oh, Pascal, I would never do anything to hurt you." He smiles up at her. "Come on."

Moon beams start destroying everything in Harmony's room and she looks around in fear. "...Wait. Daisy! Daisy!"

The duckling chirps and Harmony looks up at the ceiling to see Daisy tangled up in black vines. "Oh my god," She pulls them apart, everything stopping once her friend is free. She pants slowly, looking at her hands...

* * *

After managing to get out of the castle, Rapunzel is at the river, sitting in a canoe and hugging herself. She sighs as Harmony approaches her from behind.

"Mind if I join you?"

Rapunzel scooches a bit and the younger princess sits down, running a hand through her hair. "...You too, huh?"

"...Yeah," Harmony closes her eyes.

"I don't know, guys, I don't know what to do anymore," Rapunzel looks away, the chameleon squeaking at her. "Yeah...I know. There's always a way. We just have to find it."

"Somehow..." Harmony murmurs, looking towards the water. They don't notice that someone's watching them until they hear a thump. Harmony stands up in alarm.

"Did you hear something?" Rapunzel looks behind her.

"Yeah...yeah, I heard it," Harmony mutters, seeing a pair of white eyes from a crate. They both scream, falling backwards until they realize that they know him.

"Oh! Ruddiger! Where did you come from?"

"And why?" Harmony couldn't help but wonder. Suddenly a thump lands behind the two, covering their mouths. The girl looks at the glove and gasps, turning around quickly. It's Varian as he lifts up his goggles.

"Oh, Varian!" Rapunzel immediately hugs him. "Where have you been? I-I-I've been so worried about you!"

"Vari!" Harmony tackles him onto the canoe, hugging him tightly. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

"Yeah, uh...I've had to lie low. But I wanted it to be a surprise," Varian chuckles a little at the girl, both of them sitting up. "A funny thing, the people of Corona aren't too keen on guys who attack their princess and supposedly kidnap the other." Ruddiger lands in his hands.

"Attack me?" Rapunzel asks slowly. "Y-You mean during the storm? You came for help."

"And I went to you to see what I could do to help you, remember?" Harmony stares at him.

"And you two got to see _why _I needed your help," Varian frowns towards them and their eyes widen, remembering the sight of Quirin...being stuck inside of that amber, and the look on his face. Rapunzel gasps, putting a hand to her mouth.

"Varian...I am so sorry. I had no idea until Harmi told me-"

He holds up a hand to stop her. "You had to save the kingdom, you did what you had to, but you can help me _now, _Rapunzel. Do you two have the scroll?"

"The scroll!" They exclaim at the same time as the younger princess digs through her satchel. "W-W-We got it like you asked. I have no idea what it is, but my dad was desperate to keep it from me."

"I wanted to wait until I saw you again before trying to decipher it..." Harmony smiles weakly when given a look form Varian: a look that asked why she didn't try to figure it out for herself. Of course she could, she's smart enough.

Varian pulls out the scroll piece. "Now it took me a while to translate this old language," He pulls it down to examine it. "But from what I can tell, these black rocks are actually some kind of ancient darkness...which doesn't necessarily mean that the wielder is dangerous," He smiles towards Harmony, who returns it. "Its destructive power can only be stopped by its counterpart, the sundrop, but it won't have any effect on Mona. Girls, the-the flower!"

Their eyes widen, glancing towards to each other briefly. "You mean _the _flower? The one that healed my mom and gave me my hair? But our dad said it was long gone."

"He told me that story a hundred times," Harmony smiles weakly, hugging herself. "He said that after it healed Mom, that its power had been drained and that I shouldn't be trying to find it...you see, I've been wanting to see it for myself...see just what exactly I've missed out on..."

"Hmm," Varian rubs his chin. "Would either of you say your dad has been really a reliable source of information?"

"Well, um..." Rapunzel looks away, unsure of how to answer. With his recent lying, he hasn't exactly been forthcoming on certain information...

"I..." Harmony stammers, blinking.

"No, Rapunzel, Mona! No, it's still here. I'm sure of it. Your dad wouldn't just throw away something that could wield that kind of power," He insists to them.

"No offense, but he threw away the Moonstone back to where it came from, so yes, yes he would," Harmony retorts back, gesturing across the sea.

"True...but a single petal from that flower would solve all of our problems. That's all we need!"

The two sisters look at each other and then their pets. "Yeah, but even if the flower is here, I don't think we can just ask our dad to hand it over."

"He'd never go for it," Harmony shakes her head.

"Oh, I know we can't...which is why we have to steal it."

They stare at him wide-eyed at his suggestion.

* * *

Eugene is looking at himself through the reflection of a knight's armor. "It can be hard to look away from shiny things, huh, buddy?" Cass teases as she's standing right next to the armor.

"The royal chef just told me my ears were too big for my head..." Eugene explains, gesturing to himself.

Cass chuckles at him. "What? No," She waves it off. "It's just that your head's too small for your ears."

"No, no, seriously, people are acting really strange..."

"Then you're gonna love this," Cass leads him away to the hallway.

"I once dropped the king's eclair on the floor, but gave it to him anyway," The royal baker covers his mouth, and by his reaction, he didn't mean to say that at all.

"I stole half these medals from the supply cabinet," A man gasps, covering his mouth.

"People are often impressed by my regal accent, but the truth is, I really sound like this," Nigel speaks in an American accent, so horrified by what he said he runs away. Eugene slowly closes the door.

"...Yeah...we might wanna look into this."

* * *

Two guards walk past a hall, the princesses peeking around the corner. They grab Varian and run once the coast is clear, pressing their backs against the wall. "Princess, Mona, what are we doing here?!" He whispers to them, as he doesn't recognize where this room leads to. "The flower would most likely be in the royal vault, and that is on the-"

"Other side of the castle," The two finish in unison.

"We know, but if we want to get past the vault security, our best bet is to use the underground tunnels, and Herz Der Sonne's journal has a complete map of them. You two stay here," Rapunzel slowly opens the door, the teens blushing bashfully.

"The same book that we signed together..."

"Heh. Right," He chuckles a little.

Rapunzel steps up to the journal, sighing at what she's about to do. She's technically stealing from the castle, but...this was the only way that she can see right now to help Varian. She closes the book and takes it, looking up at a portrait of her father. She didn't want to steal and lie to him...

She sighs slowly. "What am I doing...?"

"Rapunzel, you got what we came for," Varian steps up to her. "Come on, let's go!"

Harmony notices the hesitation from her sister, placing a hand on his shoulder. He notices her eyes and allows her to step forward.

"Raps...what's wrong?" She asks gently.

"Taking the journal, stealing the flower. Varian, these are all acts of treason."

"...Vari, I need to know if this is our only choice right now," Harmony turns to look at him. "Is stealing and going behind our family's back really what we have to do here?"

"This may be my dad's only hope. This...may be Corona's only hope. Rapunzel, Mona, Corona needs our help," He stares at them with soft eyes, taking a hold of Harmony's hand. "You understand...don't you?"

She says nothing and Rapunzel sighs again. As much as they don't want to steal from Corona to help it...Harmony has no way she can think of to help Quirin out of that amber. She just wants to help him for Varian... "...For Corona...Come on."

The three run out of there, about to leave when Eugene steps in front of Rapunzel, blocking her way. "Blondie! Whatcha doing?"

"Doing? Uh, I wasn't doing anything?" Rapunzel smiles widely at him.

Varian stares at Harmony next to him, who's keeping an eye out forward. He smiles softly at her, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

"We just have to-" She turns around in time for him to kiss her lips instead. She pulls away quickly, blushing and he does so as well, rubbing the back of his neck.

"What do you got there?" Eugene tries to peek behind Rapunzel's back.

"What?" She asks innocently, shoving the book into Varian's hands. "Nothing. Nothing!" Pascal simply rolls his eyes.

"Right...okay. I know you wanna be alone, but Cass and I, we-" He notices her looking away at something and she just giggles. "You okay?"

"Mhm," She nods quickly.

"Rapunzel?"

The blonde opens her eyes and sighs a little. "Eugene...how far would you go to find the truth?"

"...Personally," He smiles at her. "Not very far. Frankly, the truth's not all it's cracked up to be. For example...I thought for sure that Harmony was getting a little...you know, big in the weight area, but then I just saw that it was just her sneaking in a bunch of apples to Silver."

Harmony opens her mouth in disbelief, grunting a little as she scrunches up her nose. Varian quietly snickers next to her.

"Blondie, you sure you're okay?'

"Yeah, sorry..." She smiles a little. "It's just...I've had a lot to process lately. I promise I'll talk when I'm ready, okay?"

"Okay...just let me know if you need anything," He caresses her cheek before leaving. She gestures for the three to quickly leave. "Umm, Blondie...?" He was about to tell her about what's going on, but notices that she's no longer there. He looks around, wondering where she went...

* * *

"I found the entrance!" Varian moves away the entrance to the tunnels. "Down here!" He jumps inside and grabs Harmony's hands to help her down. She stumbles a bit and he ends up hugging her waist to catch her. She stares up at him, her hands on his shoulders. Varian chuckles bashfully at her touch. "Gotcha..."

"So you did," She giggles, turning around to help her sister. Varian's staff lights the way as Rapunzel opens the book. Ruddiger crawls inside, landing roughly as they've already gone up ahead.

"We have to go this way," Rapunzel takes the lead, all of them walking down the path.

"Ah, Mona?" Varian clears his throat to get her attention. "Sorry about...you know..."

"...Oh!" She blinks in realization, putting a finger to her lip, turning red. "Oh, that. No, no...you don't need to apologize for that..."

He chuckles, hands behind his back. "Good to hear..."

"Did something happen while I was talking to Eugene?" Rapunzel asks teasingly, looking over her shoulder.

"Nope," They say quickly in unison, but she keeps on the smile before stopping, trying to determine which way to go.

"Um...that way?" She points to her left, all of them walking in that direction.

"Wow..." Varian murmurs in awe, taking a look around. "Oh, oh, these tunnels depict an ancient technology that is pre-Corona-era-" His staff shows a skeleton right in front of him and he screams, recoiling back. Pascal hides in fear, shivering. Daisy just rolls her eyes, Harmony giggling at the boy. He blushes in embarrassment. "Uhh, yeah, this way."

"We've gotta be careful," Rapunzel speaks up to the two. "Herz Der Sonne's tunnels may have been long forgotten, but that doesn't mean they're not dangerous. They are lined with deadly booby traps."

"And I'm sure that whoever this was, they found that out at firsthand..." Harmony gestures to the skeleton. Varian just laughs at the idea of it.

"As you can recall, I know a thing or two about booby traps."

"Varian, watch out!" Rapunzel shouts as he trips a mechanism, with two arrows hitting the vials attached to his staff.

"Whoa! ...Well, that's one down," He chuckles nervously.

"...You didn't know that was there, did you?" Harmony deadpans at him, crossing her arms.

"No I did not." He cringes, walking forward and they soon step into a room. The doors close in front and behind them.

"Uh oh..." Rapunzel murmurs as they look around, the walls moving towards them.

"Oh no," Harmony mutters at this and Rapunzel pushes at the opposite wall. Varian and Harmony try the other wall.

"We're gonna get squished!"

Ruddiger goes over to help as the teens start sliding backwards. Rapunzel attempts to look for something that would get them out and notices that something's pulling the walls forward. She looks at the bone near her foot and picks it up, taking Varian's staff.

"Pascal, wedge this into the axle to stop it from turning. Hurry!"

"Daisy, go with him in case he needs help!" Harmony struggles to stop moving. Rapunzel lifts up the staff with Pascal on top, Daisy flying up to him. He throws it inside and the walls stop. Pascal smiles, giving Rapunzel a thumbs up.

"Oh, good...now go behind the wall to find some sort of release mechanism."

"If the walls are turning mechanically, then there should be something to stop them," Harmony looks up at the two. "And hurry. I can tell from here that bone won't last long."

Pascal stares at the tiny spaces between gears, Daisy chirping next to him. He nods at her and they step forward slowly, the bone already starting to break. Their eyes widen in horror before it breaks off, and they slip past.

"Pascal!" Rapunzel shouts in horror of the possibility of him being crushed.

"Daisy!" Harmony covers her mouth, both of them going back to push at the walls.

"Ah!" Varian stares at the other side open-mouthed.

"Pascal, Daisy, do something!"

"Hurry!" Harmony calls out as they get closer and closer.

"Please!"

Daisy grips Pascal's back gently between her webbed feet and flies him past all the gears with no problem. Varian pushes at the other wall with his foot, the girls both screaming. Pascal, however, manages to find it just in time, and they're now both squished between each other. The two land on Rapunzel's head, Daisy flying onto Harmony's shoulder.

"Guys, you did it!"

"Thank goodness," Harmony murmurs in relief.

"I think I'm gonna be sick!" Varian whispers to them.

"Daisy, hurry and find the mechanism to get us out of this."

* * *

"How dare you point out my obvious flaws with cutting accuracy?" A man demands to a guard, Eugene and Cass watching the whole thing in slight worry. "I'll box your ears!"

Two handmaidens push past them. "You take that back! I don't care how true it is!"

"Let's see you speak your truth with a mouth full of strudel!" The baker tries to shove the pastry into a man's mouth.

"This is getting out of hand," Cass couldn't help but comment.

"Yeah, this reminds me of Xavier's mood potion, only now, everyone can't help but tell the truth."

"Out of my way, big Ears," The announcer pushes past Eugene roughly. He clears his throat.

"Except for that guy. He had no idea what he's talking about," Eugene rubs his ear.

"If this is some kind of truth potion, we have to figure out how it got into the castle," Cass tries to think. "Who was the first person you noticed being a little too honest?"

"Hmm," Eugene rubs his chin.

"Okay, Pete," Cass starts off as they're in a dark room, which is lit by a single candle. Eugene is leaning on the chair behind the guard, the lady-in-waiting pacing in front of him. "Let's start at the beginning. Walk us through your day."

"And relax, just tell us what happened," Eugene adds in.

"Well, I woke up confused, because my mouth tasted like beans, but I had no recollection of eating beans the day prior. So I asked Princess Harmony if she was trying one of her new inventions in my sleep, and she said no." The two glance at each other. "Then I saw my cat, and I said, Hello Mr. Happypaws! Who's a fluffernutter? Of course, he can't talk."

Cass and Eugene sink into chairs out of boredom. This was going to take a while to sit through...

* * *

The trio continue walking down the tunnel, where Varian notices the thin wire in front of them. "Trip wire." He steps over it, the girls doing the same. Pascal eyes a spider crawling on the wire, Daisy shaking her head to warn him. He beams and jumps off Rapunzel's shoulder, running over to it. The duckling flaps her wings over to stop him, but it's too late.

"Pascal, no!" Rapunzel calls out as they turn around. "I need you to carefully let go of that spider."

"You can eat later, just slowly release your tongue," Harmony guides the chameleon as he slides a bit, removing his tongue. The spider crawls away and they all sigh in relief. The three smile at each other as Pascal sighs in relief...but Ruddiger breaks the wire when he steps up to it. The ceiling crumbles above them, Rapunzel gasping. She jumps forward and catches the three animals into her arms. A wall of rocks separates them from Harmony and Varian.

"Everyone okay?" Rapunzel stands up, looking at the duo.

"We're fine..." Harmony peeks over the wall. "How about Daisy?"

Daisy chirps, looking up at Rapunzel and beaming. "Aw, you're welcome," Rapunzel strokes the top of her head. "We're getting closer to the surface. We don't want to alarm the guards," She steps over the wall, holding out Daisy to Harmony, who takes her.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure they and everyone else have their hands full," Varian chuckles, looking away. They just stare at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"N-Nothing," He turns around to look away from them. "Uh, it's just, um, they have their hands full every day!" He laughs, turning back to them. "Corona, you know?" He leans against a pole, "Busiest kingdom on Earth." He trips another mechanism, the floor caving in underneath him.

"VARIAN!"

"VARI!"

The two look over the edge. "Hang on!"

"Way ahead of you!" Varian calls out. Together, the two help him up onto his feet.

"Are you okay?" Harmony hugs him and he returns it, enjoying her warmth.

"I'm alright, Mona," He kisses the top of her head. He looks up ahead and cringes. Harmony feels him change his expression, looking back to see the floor disappearing behind them. "What do we do?!"

"I'm gonna go with...run!"

The three rush forward to get away.

* * *

Pete is still rambling on, and yet he's failed to get to the point. "I got into work, high-fived Stan, and I noticed his hand was sweaty-"

"Gah!" Cass grabs him by the collar, pulling him towards her so he can see her glare.

"Oh, boy! You are scary!"

"Listen, we've been here for 30 minutes, and all you've been doing is boring us with useless information!" She grits her teeth at him.

"Useless?! I gave you my recipe for strawberry scones!" He exclaims in defense.

"That was the most useless part!" Cass shouts at him and Eugene decides to step in before she does something that she'll regret.

"Okay, okay, okay, okay, let's try this. Can you recall anything out of the ordinary? Maybe something not soul-crushingly boring?" Eugene asks tiredly, it was so useless he was about to fall asleep. Pete thinks for a second.

"...Well, I did find the man in the bush who gave me purple cookies a bit peculiar."

"You think you might have led with that?" Cass scoffs in disbelief.

"Everybody's been eating these things!" Pete holds up a purple cookie, about to eat it himself when Cass slaps it away.

"Don't. Someone may have laced them with some kind of truth serum," She warns the guard.

"Then why haven't you asked the princess about it? She's smart enough."

"Good question..." Eugene glances at Cass. Both of them couldn't help but think that they haven't seen Harmony for a while...only he saw Rapunzel with the girl nowhere in sight. "Listen, Pete, what else can you tell us about the man in the bush?"

"Well, let's see. His voice was kinda, um...squeaky? Oh, and...he was asking about the sun-drop flower, which the king has been secretly hiding in the vault ever since he used it on the queen," Pete explains to the two. "And he asked about Princess Harmony, wondered how she was doing without him."

"Wait, wait, wait, _the _sun-drop flower? And he asked directly about Brownie?" Eugene stands up in alarm.

"So, someone with a squeaky voice trying to keep a low profile used a potion to get information about a magical flower?" Cass asks slowly, hands on her hips. She crosses her arms, giving Eugene a knowing look. "Sound like anyone we know?"

"Varian!" Eugene remembers how weird Rapunzel was acting earlier. "So that's why Rapunzel was acting so peculiar, and why we haven't seen Harmony all day. Come on, they might be in trouble! ...Man, how are we gonna break this to Brownie?"

* * *

The floors continue to cave in and they look over their shoulders, coming to a stop at a dead end. They turn around and Rapunzel looks up at the wooden beams in the ceiling. She lets her hair loose and ties it around one of the beams.

"Come on, guys! This way," She puts her arm around the both of them. When the floor caves in underneath them, the two hold onto Rapunzel, dangling into the air. Rapunzel notices a door up ahead and swings towards it. They all jump to the other side, sighing in relief when their feet touches the ground.

"That was too close. You're sure this flower is worth it, right? It's Corona's only hope?" Rapunzel turns to the boy after tying her hair back up.

"It should be...but, uh, I'm not really concerned about Corona."

The two gasp sharply, turning to him. "You don't care about Corona?" Rapunzel stares at him.

"Vari, is something wrong? You've been saying weird stuff lately," Harmony raises a brow.

"Uh, I mean, of course I'm concerned about Corona," He stammers, rubbing the back of his neck. "I love Corona, I just meant, right now, I'm really concerned about how it's gonna help my dad. Corona, too! And you as well, Mona," He takes a hold of her hands and kisses her cheek, taking the lead. The two sisters glance at each other and then stare after him.

Something...suddenly wasn't right about this whole thing. And not just because of what they're doing.

* * *

Eugene and Cass reach the door of the vault, where the guards immediately block it with the axes. "Out of the way, boys. We need to get into the vault and get the sun-drop flower!"

"Sun-drop flower?" One of the guards plays dumb. "Why, whatever do you mean?"

"Oh, I heard the...sun-drop flower was...destroyed-"

"We know the secret. Let us in!" Eugene urges them. "The princesses could be in grave danger!"

* * *

Varian's out of breath as they walk into a room with seven pillars. "It's a dead end."

"No...this is it. We are right under the vault," Rapunzel points up to the sun and moon markings in the ceiling. "Do you see that trap door?"

"Yeah, how do we get it open?" Varian turns to the two.

"I've studied up on this room...but I've never been inside it...I'm trying to remember," Harmony rubs her chin as she looks up.

"Hmm...one, two, three, four, five, six, seven...seven pillars." Rapunzel then notices the poles in front of them.

"Oh! Of course," Harmony facepalms herself. "Raps, help me out."

They start to touch one, but green glowing eyes activate, engulfing the whole room. The princesses don't notice as a machine comes to life. The pillars lock into the floor, opening up the vault. Varian smiles up at it before they hear the stomping, turning around.

"Uhh, Varian? Harmi?" Rapunzel steps back a bit.

"Fascinating!" Varian exclaims in awe. "I believe this is an automaton, a marvel of ancient technology, really."

"I thought they were deactivated," Harmony blinks in shock.

"I-I've heard about them," The automaton's arm lifts up over their heads. "But to see one in person-"

"Guys, look out!" Rapunzel pulls them out of the way. The arm slams onto the floor and Varian looks up in determination.

"Don't worry, Princess and Mona! I've got this!" He briefly winks at Harmony pulls out a few of his vials, tossing them at the automaton's face. It explodes and he tosses a few more. The automaton hits one of the pillars, causing it to crack. "See? I told ya! I got this!"

"Uh, Varian?" Rapunzel calls out, the automaton smacking him into a pillar. Harmony gasps as she bends down to him.

"Vari, are you okay?" She asks in concern.

He pants a little, "Despite the excruciating pain and the fact that I am about to pass out, the science at work here is spellbinding!"

She couldn't help but giggle as she helps the alchemist up. The automaton slams its hands, slowly approaching them. "We're gonna need some kind of a plan if we're gonna defeat that thing. "Uh, hey!" Rapunzel moves away a few feet. "You! Metal-head!"

"Automation," Varian corrects her, Harmony elbowing him slightly.

"Not the point."

"Got it," He smiles sheepishly at her.

"Come and get it!" Rapunzel eggs him on. He turns his attention on her, about to punch her. She ducks and he hits the pillar instead. "Distract him and draw him towards you!"

Varian looks on nervously while Harmony pulls out her bow and arrow. "Hear you loud and clear, sis!" Rapunzel lets out her hair, gritting her teeth. Varian hits the automaton with the vials, followed by an arrow fired by Harmony. The two run off towards a wall, where Rapunzel grabs a pillar with her hair. She pulls it on, and it acts as a trip wire for the automaton. The two pillars break, and fall over the automaton, shutting it down.

"Come on, let's go!"

They step over the rubble and with her hair, Rapunzel pulls down the ladder. Harmony helps her tie up her hair while Varian notices something in the rubble.

"Hmm..."

"Sorry, strict orders from the king. No one is permitted beyond this point," One of the guards informs the duo.

"Let's ask ourselves a question, shall we?" Eugene smirks a little. "Whose wrath would you rather face, the king's, or hers?"

He points to Cass, who cracks her knuckles. The guard's eyes widen and he simply holds up the key.

Rapunzel helps up Varian, who helps up Harmony. They stand in front of a light, which has matches nearby. The older princess lights up the match, throwing it into the orb. They look up as this lights up the entire room, before finally reaching the sun/moon symbol, lighting blue and yellow. It shines on one object in the distance.

"There it is," Rapunzel murmurs softly. She hadn't seen it since seeing an image of it while she was healing Eugene in the tower. "The flower..."

The flower now has crumpled petals, as it worn out its use while saving the queen. The two stare at it while Varian stays behind. They smile at it as Varian narrows his eyes, stepping forward. Then smiles turn into confusion as he takes the whole flower from the teardrop compartment.

"Varian..." He simply ignores them, walking forward. "Wait, wait, wait," Rapunzel grips the strap from his satchel. "Y-You said you were just gonna take one petal!"

"What are you doing with the whole flower?" Harmony asks slowly.

"But what if one petal's not enough to harvest what I need?"

"Varian!" They both exclaim at him.

"What difference does it make?! It's just sitting here rotting anyway!"

They both gasp, and when he jerks his arm away, the same vial that held the mood potion falls onto the floor. They both stare at it in shock.

"Vari, what are you doing with that?" Harmony eyes the potion, about to pick it up.

"Give that back!" He shouts, snatching it away. She stares at him in shock. Even when he was upset, he never yelled at her.

"That flacon. That had Xavier's mood potion. Varian, that stuff is dangerous, you shouldn't be fooling with it," Rapunzel warns him.

"There was just one drop left, but there was enough to replicate and modify. I had to be sure the flower was here..." He reveals to the two. Harmony backs away slowly at what she's hearing. The reason why everyone was acting weird...his tendencies when they were arriving here...

"That...that was you?" Harmony whispers in disbelief.

"So you made a truth serum and gave it to everyone?" Rapunzel asks him.

"Heh. You'd be surprised what people will tell you for a cookie," He replies with a smirk.

Harmony felt like everything was shattering inside her. She couldn't believe it. How could such a sweet boy do this? She didn't know what to say, what to think. She can't even process it. They both gasp sharply, now understanding.

"Pete? Stan? How could you?"

"Why would you?" Harmony continues next, trying not to cry.

"Oh, do you honestly expect me to be concerned about the welfare of Corona?"

"But you said you'd-"

"Rapunzel, I used you! I begged you and this kingdom for help, and everyone except only one person turned their back on me! It has to be this way!" He yells furiously.

Her heart completely shatters at this side of him.

Rapunzel turns around, throwing up her hands as Harmony shakes. "...We defied a direct order from our father, the king, because I trusted you! We all broke the law!" She sighs slowly as he looks away. "Give me the flower, Varian. We can find a way to fix all of this, the rocks, your dad, everything! I promise you. I promise! Just...this is not the way. Please!"

He thinks about it and then remembers...that she turned her back on him. Everyone had, except for one. He narrows his eyes coldly as the door shimmies. "Sorry, Princess, but I know firsthand how well you keep promises."

Harmony stares at him, saddened and upset.

"Mona..." He looks to her and she says nothing. "You were the only one who risked herself to help me. Come...join me," He offers his hand to her, but she slaps it away.

"I trusted you! I wanted to help you, but not like this! I thought that you were okay! But you lied. You lied to my sister, you lied to me! And like an idiot, I believed you. I committed a crime because of your lies, against my Papa!" She screams, pushing him away slightly. "You say you used Rapunzel, but you used me to get what you wanted! What do you think that says about you, Varian?"

"It's not like that," He shakes his head rapidly. "I swear, I only did it-"

"Shut up!" She shouts at him, and he clamps his mouth shut. "You probably never liked me at all. And to think that I even..."

She couldn't even finish her sentence. He wasn't her Varian, the one she actually...loved.

"That's not true, I..." He murmurs slowly, staring at her. This wasn't the reaction he expected...

"You never cared about helping me, you just wanted the flower for yourself! We don't even know if this flower _would _even help me at all!"

"I-I'm sure it can, I just haven't-"

"Just...stay away from me. I-I can't do this," She moves away, holding her head.

"Mona..." He whispers, reaching out towards her.

The door opens behind them, Eugene pointing at the boy. "There he is! Get him!"

He gives the two one last look before throwing down a smokebomb, knocking everyone to the ground. Eugene runs up to the coughing princesses. "Rapunzel, Harmony, are you two okay?"

Rapunzel sits up, catching her breath. "I'm fine..." She helps up her sister, looking towards the open door. "Varian!"

Harmony blinks back tears at the whole ordeal, starting to sob. Rapunzel silently pulls her in for a hug.

* * *

Later on, Rapunzel is standing on her balcony, hugging herself. Eugene steps in front of the open window. "The royal medic said the effects of the potion will wear off on their own, eventually. He would've asked Harmony for her expertise, but...she's locked herself in her room. Hey, everything's gonna be okay," He places a hand on her shoulder.

"Really?" She looks at him briefly. "I broke the law...I stole from my own father, and committed treason." She sighs slowly. "...And you know what the worst part is? I let the most powerful object in all of the land fall into the hands of...I don't even know what he is anymore. And what about my sister? She is devastated. But I know we haven't seen the last of him." She looks at Corona, frowning.

* * *

Varian is in his lab, plucking a petal from the flower and putting it in the mortar. He crushes it with the pestle, eyeing it closely. He walks up to the drill, coating it with the mixture. He pumps it up with his foot, and it turns on, piercing through the amber.

"Work! Work, please work!" He urges, but all that happens is the drill exploding. "No...no, no, no, no!" He pushes away the drill out of frustration, knocking all of the papers off his desk. "No! This is useless!" he slams down his fist. "It's like I-it no longer holds the sun-drop's power!"

_You mean the flower? The one that healed my mom and gave me my hair?_

_He said that after it healed Mom, that its power had been drained and that I shouldn't be trying to find it..._

_The rocks are demonstrating an actual physical response...to you._

His eyes widen as he turns to what's left of the flower, taking it into his hands. He now understands why it no longer works...because there's only one person associated with the sun-drop that could solve everything. "The sun-drop isn't the flower anymore..."

He brushes the flower into his hands, destroying it into dust. He slams his hand onto the paper, wiping it away to show a drawing of Rapunzel.

"It's Rapunzel..."


	24. Secret of the Sundrop Part 1

**Angel: We're finally on the season finale! I would upload the other part today, but I need more time to complete episodes...but I am getting close to the mid-season special for season 2! Also, unfortunately, I don't have a tumblr account...but if anyone's interested, another friend of mine has done some drawings of Amy from my TMNT stories! If I remember right, she's done at least five drawings of my OC. You can find them on Wattpad underneath 'My Drawing/Art Gallery' by Redbat142.**

**In the future, I'm gonna be uploading two-part specials together instead of separately come season 2. Hopefully I can pull that off XD I'm currently writing King Pascal at this point.**

It's a sunny day as a blue bird flies and lands on a tiny branch. It chirps before flying away. Inside the walls of Corona, the whole kingdom is preparing for the older princess of Corona, for today is her birthday. The four little girls are drawing a sun symbol with a lot of colors. A shopkeeper plants a sun lantern, sun banners decorating the roofs. Most of them are carrying gifts, bringing them to the castle for the princess. They're placed on a large platform, Pete and Stan struggling to carry it.

"Move to the left!"

"Wait," Pete looks past all the gifts. "Your left or mine?"

"Mine. No, yours, no wait a minute, they're the same!"

They move it over to the games, where Max wins at the hammer game, the crowd around him cheering.

However...as joyous as it is outside the castle, the inside is the complete opposite for the two sisters. Pascal looks up at the sad princess in concern. Pascal flies in front of her, making silly faces to cheer her up, but she doesn't budge.

The door knocks. "Princess?" Eugene comes in with a smile. "Happy birthday!"

Pascal looks at him and smiles, hoping that he can help his best friend. Rapunzel doesn't even turn around to look at him. Eugene walks up to her slowly and sits down.

"How ya doing?"

"How am I doing?" She finally speaks up, looking at him. "Okay. Let's see, um...I found out my father's been lying to me for months. A secret squad of guards hunted us down in the dead of night. Oh, I destroyed my childhood home. And most recently, I committed treason with my sister while helping an extremely unstable alchemist steal _the most powerful object in the seven kingdoms_! Not to mention my own sister is so upset over her power that she might lose control again!"

Eugene stares at her in concern. He knew that the recent events had taken a toll on both sisters, but it was her birthday.

She takes a deep breath. "But enough about me. Let's talk about you. How are _you_ doing?"

He says nothing as Pascal looks between them. Rapunzel sighs, tucking a hair behind her ear. She realizes just how that sounded.

"...Sorry."

"No. No, it's okay," He takes a hold of her hands. "But hey...I know what will cheer you up." He grins widely and she smiles a little.

"Has...Harmi come out of her room yet?" Rapunzel asks slowly. No one had seen the princess ever since Varian left with the flower, and it was becoming extremely concerning.

"...No," Eugene says sadly, closing his eyes. "And she refuses to see anyone at all."

"She's still upset."

The two look up to see Frederic coming in. "Though I don't see why. He committed crimes against this kingdom," He narrows his eyes at the thought.

"She cares a lot about him, Dad. What should we do?" Rapunzel frowns towards him.

"...I think that's for Harmony to decide," Cass states seriously.

"But it's been a while, and...she's stopped eating. I know it's a delicate situation, but..." Arianna looks up at her husband.

"I can pick the lock," Eugene shrugs uncertainly.

"If we do that, then she won't open up about him, Fitzherbert," Cass glares at him. "We should leave her alone. Let her come out when she's ready."

"I would agree, but it's been long enough," Frederic storms towards the girl's room.

"Fred, wait!" Arianna calls out. While she wants to see her youngest daughter, she doesn't want to force her to do anything. Frederic knocks loudly.

"Please go away..." A weak voice calls out from inside.

"Harmony, please," Frederic begs her with a worried look.

"I said go! Leave me alone! This is all your fault! All of you!" The weak tone in her voice turns into a strong, fierce one.

Frederic turns to Eugene, who sighs in defeat and picks the lock. He didn't want to, but it was the king...

Once the door is opened, Frederic barges inside to see his daughter hugging a pillow. A fire is crackling nearby in her fireplace. "Can we speak?"

"About how Varian basically turned against us because you turned him away?" She retorts back and he grunts, giving her a concerned look.

"Varian is dangerous. It's time to move on."

"Move o-MOVE ON?!" She sits up in anger, her eyes slightly red. "How can I do that when he sunk so low because he was turned away, he committed a crime just to get someone's attention?! Am I supposed to just forget about him like you did? I'm not gonna do that to Vari..." She stands up, looking out her window sadly towards Old Corona. "He's already been through enough, Papa."

She was indeed upset when the event occurred...but the back of her mind was still telling that it's the old Varian, despite what he's done. She just wants to help him...not make him worse...she's actually working on a secret project for him. He won't tell her what it's for, that it's a surprise and that she'll know soon.

"Darling, he kidnapped you and attacked Rapunzel."

"He didn't kidnap me!" She exclaims furiously, turning to him. "I left to go help him, unlike you! Everyone just forgot about him! You didn't even go to Old Corona to check on him after the storm! All you did was continue lying and brushing away the problem! I went every single day and it still didn't make a difference because all of you forgot about him...you never cared about Varian..."

"You shouldn't even thinking about him!" He seethes at her. "He'd kill you without hesitation! I don't want you speaking of Varian again!"

"Papa, that's not your decision, I love him!" She gasps sharply, covering her mouth.

He slowly stares at her in disbelief. His daughter...his 15-year-old daughter, talking about a concept that she's too young to understand. "...You're too young to know what love is. You're only 15 years old." He reaches out and rips the necklace Varian gave to her right off her neck. Her mouth opens widely as she reaches to take it back, but freezes when he throws it into the fire. He stands up slowly, towering over her.

"So act like it."

She gasps, covering her mouth in horror. The girl backs away, her lips quivering before she opens up the door and runs off. Rapunzel sees her run past and chases after her. "Harmi!"

"What did you say to her?" Arianna gasps at her husband and his eyes widen, realizing just what he's done. He rushes back into the room, bending down towards the fireplace. He digs through the remains, but the necklace is already destroyed.

"What have I done?" He whispers to himself.

* * *

Eugene covers Rapunzel's eyes. They've since found Harmony and consoled her. It took a lot of effort, but she agreed to stay upbeat for the sake of Rapunzel's birthday. Eugene uncovers her eyes and she gasps. "Presents room!" He laughs as presents are everywhere. There are even some for Harmony, which are color-coded by blue color in the corner. There's a banner above them labeled 'Feel Better, Princess Harmony.' However, there are some spread out in the room as well.

She smiles weakly at them. She didn't care about the amount, she's just touched by the gesture.

"Goodness! There are all for me?" Rapunzel steps into the room. "This is just the amount of presents Harmi had on her birthday!"

"Because the people love both of you! Oh, I am so good at this. Look, look," He shakes a present for the girls. "It's a set of paintbrushes and tools." They smile at him, impressed and happy at the same time. He shakes a smaller one. "Someone got a new necklace and a younger someone got a matching bracelet! And these are..." He shakes something, and it sounds like whatever they were, they broke. "Cleary things that probably shouldn't have been shaken."

"Well, whatever they are, I can always fix them..."

Pascal shakes his head at Eugene, jumping off Rapunzel's shoulder. Daisy flies off Harmony's shoulder, landing next to the chameleon.

"Oh, that one next?" He shakes the two. "Come on, socks? They don't even wear shoes, people!"

"Hm?" Harmony notices a wind chime of sorts, the same one that Varian found in the tunnels. Rapunzel stares at it.

"Wind me...?" She does so and ominous music plays from it. "Kinda creepy..." As soon as she says that, they turn around, startled by Friedborg.

"Oh, hi!"

"Hey...Friedborg..." Harmony says, trying to catch her breath. Friedborg is holding a yellow ball gown in one hand, and a seafoam green dress in the other hand. The dress is off-the-shoulder, with the overskirt a paler green that matches the long sleeves that are supposed to cover up the arms. The hem of the overskirt has a lot of sparkles and glitter over it.

"Friedborg...you startled me," Rapunzel slowly catches her breath. She then notices the dresses. "Wait, it is time for our fittings? Where's Cassandra?"

"I haven't seen her all day," Eugene tells them, smiling. "See? Things aren't so bad after all."

They both give him a look. "...No. Come on. We should find her," Rapunzel leaves the room, followed by Harmony.

"Friedborg, keep up the..." Eugene pauses as she doesn't move a muscle. He clears his throat awkwardly, holding out his fist, bumping her on the shoulder. "Keep it up." He rushes out of there and she smiles, leaving as well. She walks past the wind chime...

* * *

Birds are chirping as the little girls are in the forest, laughing. They notice tiny black rocks in front of them, gasping. Then they grow, causing them to freeze up. The three scream, running in the other direction.

"Run!"

Cass is in the stables, moving away bushels of hay. Rapunzel, Eugene, and Harmony arrive, seeing her work. "Cass? What are you doing?" Rapunzel asks in shock.

"Why are you moving all this stuff?" Harmony looks around.

"Haven't you heard?" She asks bitterly. "This is my new assignment. Oof!" She grunts as she places down another hay.

"What are you talking about?" Rapunzel wonders as they stare at her.

"What happened?" Harmony asks in concern.

"Seems like your dad found out I was the one who snuck you both out of Corona before your coronation. And, well..." She picks up a large bag. "Here we are."

"That's impossible!" Rapunzel exclaims in disbelief. "How would he even know?"

"Yeah, we never told him," Harmony furrows her eyebrows.

"The only possible way he could have found out is if-" Their eyes both widen in unison.

"...He read our journals," They narrow their eyes in anger. Cass looks over her shoulder and Rapunzel sighs, hands on her hips.

"Okay. Don't worry, Cass. We are going to get you out of this."

"Dad has lied to us. He's keeping things from us. And now he's going through our things!" Harmony grunts as she storms off, Rapunzel following after her.

"Hey, but in the meantime..." Eugene sits on a piece of hay, enjoying the sight. "At least you have stable employment." He laughs as the princesses and Cass all glare at him. "Okay, not—not great timing, but different room, different circumstances, that would've killed!"

"No. No it wouldn't have," Harmony crosses her arms, turning back to them.

"Don't waste your time, girls," Cass speaks up. "This is just temporary...I'm being sent to a convent tomorrow."

Eugene is about to cheer when Harmony holds up a hand in front of his face.

* * *

That same chime starts playing by itself without being turned by someone. The notecard falls off, a large present falling onto the floor. A part rolls out of it. From Harmony's room, the body starts walking on its own, arriving in the room. The parts start to attach to themselves as the music keeps playing. The arm crawls over and takes place. A large thud is heard and the metal arm opens up another present, revealing the head of the automaton...

Which is what Harmony had worked on for the past week...

* * *

"Our dad has gone too far!" Rapunzel storms down the hall, Harmony walking in the same manner. "You shouldn't be punished for something we-"

The metal arm suddenly punches the wall, causing the two sisters to yelp.

"Friend of yours?" Eugene cringes at the automaton.

"An automaton?" Rapunzel's eyes widen as Harmony gasps. "Varian, Harmi, and I fought one like...Varian."

"How did it get past the guards?"

"...Guys..." Harmony closes her eyes. "Vari...asked me to build it for him. But he...he only told me to build the body, he never said he had the last piece!"

"You did what?" They all ask her in shock and she covers her eyes with her hands.

"I'm guessing you didn't build it for the party," Eugene tells her. The blonde kneels in front of the girl. Rapunzel looks up at her sister, pulling her into a hug.

"I understand, little sis...this isn't your fault. You didn't know."

"...Thanks, Raps..."

Eugene runs up to the machine. "Eugene, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! He's incredibly-"

They all cringe as he flies past them, hitting the wall. "Strong," Rapunzel finishes nervously.

"Nope, got it. No need to finish that thought," He says in pain.

"I'm really sorry," Harmony frowns up at him. "...Wait. There's gotta be a weakness in this thing. He doesn't know that it's not finished."

"How is that not finished?!" Cass asks, pulling out her sword and taking her turn. She strikes at the automaton, but doesn't even make a dent. The automaton lifts an arm above the lady-in-waiting.

"Cass!" The two call out and she prepares herself. She moves out of the way just in time, the automaton hitting the floor instead. It creates a crack in the wall that stops near the banner, the two princesses gasping.

"Pascal, Daisy, the banner."

They both jump for it, Pascal landing on the duckling. She flies him up there so that he can removes the banner. Rapunzel takes a hold of it, Harmony pulling out her bow and arrow.

"Hey, Tick-Tock!"

Harmony quickly fires an arrow and it hits the arm, getting the machine's attention. "Over here!"

The automaton turns around, approaching the duo. Rapunzel runs around, capturing the legs with the banner while Harmony fires her arrows to get it disoriented.

"No, no! This way!" Cass calls out. The automaton turns around. "Come get it!" It's barely able to move.

"Cass!" Rapunzel throws the end of the banner to her. She captures its arm, tightening it around the automaton.

"Wait, wait, wait! No, step this way!" Eugene waves his hands and the automaton breaks free. Cass then notices the chime from Rapunzel's present room in the back, gasping. It steps over to Rapunzel, who gasps. Cass whistles to Harmony, directing her to the chime. Harmony's mouth opens at it, but she snaps out of it quick enough to fire. The arm stops right in front of Rapunzel, powering down completely. Harmony's arrow is lodged into the chime. She sighs in relief, Cass running around. Together, they push it away.

"And push!"

"Heads up!" Eugene shouts as it falls out of the window, landing right onto the hammer game. The bell rings.

"Congratulations!" Shorty cheers to no one in particular. "You win a magical fish." He lets out a belch. "Oh, that's right. I forgot I ate the magical fish."

The four look outside, Pascal and Daisy returning to their friends. Harmony frowns as she steps back slowly.

"I should've known..." She murmurs as she looks away.

"Varian misled you," Cass puts a hand on her shoulder. "It's not the first time."

"I know, but...some part of me still wants to believe that the real one is still there..."

"I'm sure he is...but right now, he's...he's in a bad place with himself, kid," Eugene pats her back.

"Are you still angry with him for what he's done?" Rapunzel asks her with a look of understanding.

"I don't know..." She sighs a little. She did know that she had to help him. This wasn't the real Varian...her only hope was that she didn't have to do anything drastic.

* * *

The king sits on his throne. "Our first priority is getting to the bottom of who was responsible for this attack," The Captain speaks up as they've been made aware of what's happened. Rapunzel and Harmony suddenly burst through the doors. Everyone turns to look at them.

"There's no question who's behind it," Rapunzel steps inside the room. "The question is...what was Varian after?"

"That boy is dangerous," Frederic narrows his eyes. "And I assure you, he will pay dearly."

"That boy is someone I care about whether you like it or not," Harmony glares right back at him. "Violence will just make him worse."

"Listen, Dad, he is up to something," Rapunzel insists to their father. "And we need to get to the bottom-"

"We needn't do anything. The situation is being handled, Rapunzel and Harmony," He interrupts, to their ire.

"Peacefully?" Harmony asks thinly and he says nothing to answer that question, meaning he wasn't considering it.

"You can see how we might have a little trouble taking you at your word...your majesty," Rapunzel replies coldly.

"Girls...I know these past days have been strained," He steps up to them. "To say the least, but more important than any of our disagreements...more important than anything at all...is your safety, the both of you."

"You're not even going to explain yourself about invading our privacy and destroying my-"

"In light of this vicious assault," Frederic interrupts the livid Harmony. "It is with heavy heart that I make this decision. Until the threat of Varian has been neutralized, you two are to remain under constant surveillance in the most secure rooms of the castle."

They both gasp as they're now locked in their rooms, bars over their windows. Rapunzel grips the bar in front of her window, squeezing her eyes shut. She returned home from being locked in a tower...and now she's locked in her own room.

Harmony hugs her knees, looking out the window. Just being locked in reminds her of being stuck in her room for 14 years...

* * *

"How is what you're doing to your daughters any different than what was done to them for over a decade of their lives?!" Eugene demands to the king once he's heard the news.

"Remember yourself, Fitzherbert," Nigel warns him. "You are-"

"Nigel," Frederic interrupts him, standing him. "Eugene, son. I realize how this situation might appear, but...you must trust that I have no choice."

"What?!" He screeches in disbelief. "Of course you have a choice! You're the king! You cannot keep them up there!"

"I'll do whatever I must to keep my daughters safe from harm," He says thinly, ending the conversation there.

Eugene clamps his mouth shut, walking away. "And so will I..." He whispers to himself as he leaves.

* * *

Rapunzel looks at a drawing of her father from her journal. Pascal walks up to her, squeaking. She lightly smiles at him, putting him on her shoulder. The door opens to reveal Arianna. She sighs in relief at her. "Mom!" The two share a hug.

"I'm so sorry. I tried to talk to him out of it, but...you know your father can be...immovable."

"What is Dad so afraid of? Why is he doing this to me, and to Harmony too? She was already here for 14 years, Mom. Not knowing what freedom was like. And then when she finally got the chance...he just does this to her?"

"Rapunzel, in the two decades you were gone, not once did your father sleep through the night," She places a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Your absence haunted him every minute of every day, so much so that after your sister was born, he made sure that she didn't suffer the same fate as you did."

"Are you saying that makes this right?" She asks in confusion.

"I'm asking you to consider that...despite how rash and drastic his actions may seem, or how much you or your sister disagree with them...they come from a place of love," Arianna turns around, placing her hands to her heart. Rapunzel looks away guiltily.

"But I agree with you..." Arianna steps up to her, holding her hands. "This isn't right. And neither was trying to stop Harmony from trying to help someone that she cares about."

"...She told me...about the necklace after we found her," Rapunzel closes her eyes.

"I know...your father needs to understand that love isn't something you can take away...I can understand that she wants to help Varian through her love for him, and as a mother, I can't stand in the way of what the heart wants."

Harmony is bending on the floor, her face planted in the sheets. Her hair is splayed out around her as she hides her face with her arms. The door suddenly opens as Arianna steps inside. She notices her daughter's position and steps forward, sitting down next to her.

"Sweetheart?"

Harmony gasps at the sudden voice, sitting up. She gives a relieved small smile at her mother. "Mom..." She plants her face into her mother's dress, the woman hugging her.

"I'm so sorry...I never wanted him to lock you up again, but you know your father..."

"I can't believe he's doing this to me again..." She whispers quietly. "It's not fair to me or to my sister to be locked up again for my mistakes. If I could just control those stupid black rocks, none of this would've ever happened..."

"You and I both know that isn't true," Arianna runs a hand through her hair. "Don't you remember what I told you when I gave you the journal?"

Harmony sniffs, slowly looking up. "That there's more to me than having the Moonstone's power..."

"That's not something I would tell just anyone, Harmony," Arianna places a hand on her cheek.

"Then why doesn't he understand that?" She stands up, sitting next to her mother. "It's like I don't even know him anymore..."

"...When you were given the Moonstone, we at first didn't understand what it was. So we let you hold it. But that was enough time for the stone to give you a part of its power. And since then, your father has done everything he can to make sure that you don't give in to its evil..."

"Is that a way to tell me that I'm going to end up someone I'm not?" Harmony whispers in fear. "And that my nightmares will come true?"

"Your father is just trying to make you see that...to have that kind of power doesn't mean that you can't live a normal life. But I don't agree with how he does it. You deserve the freedom to discover who you are on your own. And if you think that you can help Varian to help you do that...then I encourage you to do what you can. You may have made mistakes, but...I trust you to make the right judgement, and to listen to your heart."

Harmony hugs her mother, who returns it.

* * *

Monty and Gregorio are sleeping on a tree, when he suddenly hears something behind him. He looks behind the tree, alarmed to see the black rocks glowing. "Oh sugar! The king and Princess Harmony must be told!" He runs away from the rocks as they engulf the area. "Oh! Oh, oh, oh! We have to tell them!"

He runs right past Old Lady Crowley and a giant pig. "Don't look at me, I'm on my lunch," She holds up her sandwich.

Owl blinks as he looks at Cass. "You should know the decision to send you off...brings me no pleasure," The Captain watches his daughter packing up. "Perhaps after this threat has been quelled, and some time has passed, we can...revisit the arrangement."

She doesn't speak as she approaches her shelf. "Until then, of course...I'll come to see you when I can."

She picks up the painting of herself, Owl, Pascal, Daisy, Rapunzel, Harmony, and Eugene all together, smiling. Rapunzel made it for her...

"Dad, all I ever wanted was to be like you," She turns around. "I wanted to be a royal guard and serve my kingdom. I-I-I wanted to make you proud."

"Honey..." He speaks softly, but she interrupts.

"There was a time in my life where I would have done anything, gone to any lengths to keep from disappointing you," She ties up her bag, putting it over her shoulder. She briefly pets Owl. "The last thing I ever expected was for _you_...to be the one to disappoint me."

He didn't do anything to speak for her, while her friends had tried...well, the princesses did. She walks past him, Owl hooting sadly at the exchange. He groans, looking towards the floor.

* * *

Rapunzel looks out the window, narrowing her eyes.

_Locked inside a tower_

She grips the bar with her hand.

_Kept behind a wall_

_Sheltered from a world you've barely known_

She looks away from the window.

_That's the way they treat you_

She turns around, looking towards the floor.

_And what's worst of all_

Taking her journal into her hands, she caresses it.

_Who's to blame_

_Just you and you alone_

She opens up the journal to see the quote her mother wrote on the back of the cover.

_There's so much inside of you that anyone can see_

_And now the choice is yours _

She starts flipping through pages to Owl, Maximus, and her riding Fidella.

_Life waits beyond the doors_

_So step on through, the time has come_

_The past Rapunzel arrived to the wall of Corona, stepping on top of it._

_And only you can set yourself free_

Rapunzel and the past one look to their surroundings, hair blowing in the wind.

_No one else can tell you what to do _

_Or who to be!_

She stares at the past self smiling.

_No one gets to say if you will stay or go_

_So use the gifts you're given_

_She touched the black rocks with her sister, the blast knocking them backwards._

_Make the world your own_

_She looked at her golden hair streak in shock, Harmony looking up at her blue streaks._

_Look inside your heart and find the key_

_Eugene and Rapunzel shared a brief kiss._

_And set yourself free_

_The two sisters' hair glowed as they continued running past the trees, eventually jumping over a hill. Rapunzel's hair glinted gold, Harmony's bangs blue. They both landed with their current hair, confused and surprised by what happened._

_Bound up by your worries_

_Rapunzel was being spun around by Varian's machine._

_Trapped by your mistakes_

_Forced to play a role you never chose_

_Eugene kissed the top of Rapunzel's head before he had to leave her._

_Why not test your limits?_

_Eugene turned around, hitting Rapunzel's frying pan. Harmony fired bolos at the two to trap them._

_You've got what it takes_

_Let it out and follow where it goes_

_Rapunzel flung her hair at the air balloon while the two teens hugged her waist. The three were left dangling underneath the balloon._

_No more letting someone else define you to a T_

_Their father put their tiaras into their hands, Harmony's eyes watering._

_You know that you are strong_

_You've known it all along_

Rapunzel runs past other memories, such as the tower being destroyed, crying over it, and Cass holding up her hand at the Challenge of the Brave.

_So seize the day, let down your hair_

She looks at a memory of her and Harmony showing their hair.

_You'll find a way to set yourself free!_

_Monty fell off the bridge, Rapunzel saving him with her hair. Harmony fell through the bridge, Varian catching her in time and pulling her up._

_Now it's up to you and what you'll do _

Rapunzel throws away paper, a determined look on her face.

_And who you'll be_

She sets down paintbrushes.

_You get to decide how far and wide you go_

Rapunzel's hand speaks for her as she starts to paint over her doors.

_So look to the horizon_

_Open up your wings!_

_Fly away to your destiny_

Pascal bounces around happily.

_And set yourself free_

Once she's done, a bunch of birds are painted over her walls and doors, to show freedom like she wants to have. She pants slowly, looking to her friend.

"Pascal?"

She takes him onto her hand, kissing his cheek. "We're getting out of here."

* * *

Harmony sighs as she's sitting on her bed, looking up towards the ceiling. The last thing she wants is to be stuck here again like she was for 14 years...she can understand her father's concern, but he's gone too far, and...Varian needs help. Not to be taken down. She can help him, she knows she can...she just needs the chance. If only her father wasn't trying to push her into being someone she doesn't want to be...

**You never take**

**Take the time to really look**

Harmony lifts up her skirt as she stands up, Daisy following after her.

**Look at the one**

**The one I really am**

She stares at herself in the mirror, touching her reflection lightly.

**You try to fit **

**To fit me in your perfect box**

_Her father handed her the tiara and she started to cry._

**You let me slip **

**Between the cracks**

_Harmony yelled at him, demanding to know why he wouldn't talk about her powers._

**Now I'm faded**

**Into someone else**

_Harmony looked towards the ground as Cass disregarded her on being listened to._

**Baby someone I don't wanna be**

**Yeah I'm faded**

_She ran up to the door, pulling on it slightly. "Papa, I wanna play..."_

"_Maybe later, sweetheart. Remember..."_

"_If I leave, I might hurt someone..." She sighed knowingly._

**My true color's gone**

**Like a picture nobody sees**

_Harmony smacked Cass' arm away, pointing to Varian as she argued on his behalf._

**I don't wanna be your little picture-perfect-pretty girl**

_Harmony walked up to Rapunzel from her return trip home, greeting her politely. _

**Who's got nothing to say**

**And I'm not gonna wait around for you**

_She clenched her fists as she stormed into the throne room with Rapunzel after they were chased by the guards._

**To run my whole life down**

**I'll let you watch me fade away**

_Frederic threw her necklace into the fire, to her horror._

**You try to fit**

**To fit me in your perfect box**

_Frederic placed his hands on her shoulders, explaining to her that Rapunzel was in charge._

**You let me slip**

**Between the cracks**

_After touching the black rocks, Harmony's hand glowed blue, to her shock. _

**Now I'm faded**

**Into someone else**

Harmony makes her hands into a fist, determined as she grabs a paintbrush. She steps up to her bed.

**Baby someone I don't wanna be**

**Yeah I'm faded**

She jumps onto her bed, using a pulley she invented to get herself up there.

**My true color's gone**

**Like a picture nobody sees**

Daisy joins her shoulder and they both reach the top.

**Now I'm faded **

**Like I never was **

**Till I don't even know myself**

Her paintbrush moves rapidly with blue paint, Daisy chirping at her.

**Yeah I'm faded**

**Into what you want**

She then starts painting with gold paint.

**But I'm not taking it too well**

**Yeah I'm faded**

She lowers her arm, looking towards Daisy with a small smile. "What do you think?"

Daisy chirps happily at the painting. She's created a painting of herself with her sister, Eugene, Varian, Pascal, Daisy, and Cass in a group hug, surrounded by blue birds flying around them and Rapunzel's long hair. She didn't care what anyone said about him; this was her heart telling her that help was the best answer for him, not harm.

Daisy points to the window and Harmony sighs slowly. "I wanna believe we'll get out of here, but...it was 14 years I've been in here. What difference will it make this time? As much as I wanna help him...no one believes me."

* * *

That night, Cass is preparing to leave for the convent, eyes closed. She walks past the guards and into the shadows.

Pascal suddenly squeaks and she looks up to see him hiding in the roof of one of the closed shops. He throws her a scroll, which she catches. She opens it up and reads it, slowly smirking. She may be leaving...

But she also helps her friends.

"Uhh," Eugene chuckles a little. "Quick question. I'm not sure that I see the part of Rapunzel's escape plan that specifically says _I_ have to be the one who gets launched from a catapult." He and Hook Foot are sitting inside of the other end while Vlad is winding it up. Cass is standing nearby.

"Keep lookin', fly boy. It's there," She replies smugly, but she just wants to enjoy this.

"I'm sorry, but weren't you supposed to be halfway to a convent by now?" He asks sarcastically.

"Yeah. Just my luck," She quips to him. "Must've taken a wrong turn somewhere."

Pete and Stan are immediately in alarm as someone approaches them. There are two other guards in front of Harmony's room. "Oh, okay. Whoa."

Lance is carrying a bunch of gifts in his hands. Pete moves away a present to see Lance's face. "Present deliveries for the princesses!"

"Sorry. No one goes in or out," Pete shakes his head.

"Lance, I know what you're trying to do. Frankly, I don't blame you. We don't wanna see the princesses locked up either," Stan gestures to Pete.

"Neither do we," A guard from Harmony's room speaks up.

Lance gasps sharply. "Wait! Are you insinuating that I am trying to break the princesses out? Well! I'm just embarrassed for all of you."

"Well, Stan said it, so..." Pete looks away.

"I assure you, there's nothing but gifts in these packages," Lance looks at all the presents. He sets them down on the floor. "Have a look."

Pete shakes the present in his hands. Together, all the guards open up the presents, and find normal things like toys, paintbrushes, and perfume. Lance looks at them smugly, Rapunzel peeking at him behind the door. She smiles at him and he winks. She closes the door as Pete gasps at something in his hands.

"An accordion? I have always wanted to play one of these!"

"Well, what's stopping you?" Lance encourages him.

"Stan, wasn't I just saying-"

"He was just saying that."

"I was just saying—We wanna start a band called The En Gardes," Pete states while playing the accordion. "You know? Do you get that?"

Rapunzel gives a thumbs up to Pascal, who jumps out the window. He gets onto the railing of the balcony, flashing yellow. This is a signal to Cass, who has a telescope. "That's our signal!" She jumps off the catapult.

"Ha!" Eugene suddenly exclaims while reading the paper. "I knew it! There's nothing here that says I have to-"

"Oop! My mistake," Cass swings her halberd.

"Wait, no!" Eugene's eyes pop out of his head, but it's too late as she breaks the string. Both of them are sent flying.

"Man, that felt good!" Cass comments as she watches proudly. They both scream as they hit the top of the tower, sliding onto the roof. Eugene holds a crossbow in his hands towards Rapunzel's room, managing to get a good spot.

"Are you ready?" He asks Hook Foot.

"Nope. Not in any way," Hook Foot denies quickly.

"I'll take that as a yes." He places down the crossbow, both of them taking hold of the rope. They jump off the roof, swinging around. "I am not loving this plan!" Both of them hit the wall right next to the window.

Lance covers his ears from the off-key according, some of the ceiling crumbling right in front of him. He lets out a cough. "You sure you haven't accordion-ed before?"

Pete laughs at his playing. "Right? It's just coming out of me!"

"Sounds great, Pete!" Stan calls out.

The rope slides away from Eugene's hands. "That was a lot more painful than I expected," He says in a strained voice. They both fall onto the balcony. "Hook?"

"Hook," Hook Foot puts his hood around one of the bars. Eugene walks over to the edge and throws the rope over. It falls to the pub thugs, Max, and Silver, who take hold of the rope and pull. The rope is now tight around Hook Foot's waist. The area around the window starts to crack.

"Seriously? This is the whole reason you needed me?" Hook Foot asks in disbelief. "Couldn't you have just used a regular hook?"

"Umm, possibly," Eugene states nervously as he sees the cracks. "But probably best not to overthink it." The bars pop open, sending Hook Foot flying off the edge.

"Wait, did you hear something?" Stan asks Lance.

"Only musical genius!" He laughs over the accordion.

"I got him, I got him," Shorty holds out his hands, the horses and Vlad moving a teddy bear cart. Hook Foot lands in it safely, teddy bears flying everywhere. One of them lands onto Shorty's hands. "I got him! I'm the winner!"

The bars fall right behind him and then fall over him, yet he isn't hurt in the slightest.

"Hey, Blondie," Eugene greets once he's inside. She gasps at the sight of him.

"Eugene!" She runs up to her boyfriend.

"I've come to rescue you from a tower...again," He says with a smile as she hugs him. Pascal runs over to Rapunzel's shoulder and she jumps onto the balcony, her hair out.

"Now we just have to free sis."

"Uh...but she's all the way across...there," Eugene points to the smaller tower that's behind Rapunzel's. They crawl onto the roof, staring at it.

"Not a problem," Rapunzel spins her hair like a lasso and captures the bars with it. "Help me out."

Eugene takes a hold of her hair and together, they pull.

Daisy sees the hair and chirps to get Harmony's attention. She looks up and steps towards the window, confused to see the hair.

"Huh?"

The walls start to crack until they pull it off, to the girl's surprise. Harmony looks out the window, looking around in shock.

"What are you guys doing?"

"Harmi...if you want to help Varian your way...then we're by your side," Eugene speaks up. "We promise, we won't hurt him."

"It's time to do things not just my way, but yours too," Rapunzel smiles at her. "Princesses by chance, sisters by choice. We're in this together."

She smiles softly at the promise. "Grab my hair."

Harmony's eyes widen as she realizes what she plans to do. "Guys, that's at least a 200-meter drop!"

"We know, but trust us when we say that we won't let anything happen," Eugene shouts to her. She bites her lip at the locks of hair in front of her and she takes hold of them.

"Ready?" Rapunzel calls out as Daisy lands on the girl's shoulder. They both nod. "One..."

"Two..." Harmony narrows her eyes.

"Three!"

She snaps her hair, sending the girl flying off her balcony. Harmony yelps as she flies up to the roof on the other side, the two grabbing hold of her arms and catching her. She sighs in relief once she's set down on the roof.

"We did it!"

"Note to self: Never do that again," Harmony places her hands on her knees, panting slowly.

"Come on," Eugene slides down the roof, followed by the girls. Rapunzel takes hold of the railing with her hair, all of them jumping onto the railing.

"You ready?" She asks Pascal, who nods. Eugene and Harmony wrap their arms around her, all of them jumping at the same time. They run down the walls of the tower, reaching the bottom.

"Thanks, guys!" Rapunzel says to everyone gratefully.

"Well, listening to Pete play for that long wasn't easy," Lance picks his ear. "But, uh, ha! I took one for the team."

"Well, thank you," Harmony hugs him and he chuckles, patting her back.

"Oh, man. That sounds really rough," Hook Foot walks up to him. "I feel sorry for you. By the way...I FELL OUT OF A TOWER!" He screams the last sentence, causing Harmony's hair to be flown back by the power of his voice.

"Oops. Sorry, princess," Hook Foot rubs the back of his neck as her head spins around slowly, a bit disoriented.

"Okay, everyone, we're not sure what Varian is planning, but we really have to-"

Pascal squeaks and they look towards the entrance in alarm. Smoke is headed right towards them out of nowhere, surrounding them all. Eugene, Rapunzel, and Harmony all cough.

"What is this...?" Eugene murmurs as he looks around.

"I do beg your pardon. I must be magical-fish intolerant," Shorty rubs his belly.

"Hello, Corona," Varian greets, yet is nowhere to be seen. Harmony gasps as she looks to her sister and Eugene.

"It's Varian..."

"Where is his voice coming from?" Cass looks around, unable to determine where he is.

"He's actually not in this area," Harmony shakes her head at them. "It's just his voice through a speaker."

"Something dark is coming for you. Our king has refused to acknowledge it."

Some citizens look towards the statue of Frederic. "In the hopes of keeping his secret, he has lied to you and vilified me. He won't even tell his youngest daughter the truth!"

The Captain, Frederic, and some guards run towards the entrance. "Captain! Get more men!" Frederic orders him.

"On it, sir. Three details from the West Hall are on their way," The Captain waves them forward.

"In a matter of days, Corona, this island, and the castle itself, will be overcome by this growth. It has already taken over the outskirts of the kingdom. The key to stopping this destruction are the princesses themselves: Rapunzel and Mona."

Their eyes widen at their names being heard. "I have asked for help and have been ignored." Eugene walks over to Rapunzel, holding her arms. "The only person who didn't was someone that was ignored like me too! We will _not_ be ignored any longer."

Rapunzel looks around, Eugene staring at her. "And to make sure I have your attention, I've developed a new serum, and created something _special_ for you all."

A low growl is heard from the smoke, Rapunzel looking around nervously. "Uh, guys? There's...something...in the fog."

"Whatever it is, be careful," Harmony warns them, "We don't know what Varian has planned."

Something runs past the group as Frederic, the Captain, and guards walk past the fog. The large shadow runs past them and suddenly snatches a guard away. Max turns around in alarm, Harmony raising a brow. The growl is suddenly closer now before it runs off. It moves past Frederic's group, tackling one of the guards.

"W-W-What is that?" Hook Foot stammers quietly in fear. Another guard is taken down, which Eugene sees.

"Well, whatever it is, it's fast."

A large shadow looms over him, the princesses noticing it. "Watch out!"

"What? Girls?" Frederic murmurs as he heard their voices. Rapunzel grabs Eugene's hand by the hair, pulling him away before he could get hurt.

"Find the princesses! Get them to safety!" Frederic demands the guards, or at least, what's left of them.

"You heard him, men! Get the-" The Captain is snatched into the smoke. Cass turns around to see him landing nearby.

"Dad!"

The creature finally reveals itself to be a large creature, roaring at all of them. "Oh, I liked it so much better when it was invisible!" Lance exclaims while they stare in shock.

"What the hair was that thing?!" Harmony points to where it was.

"I don't know, but if you ask me, a certain princess should go find out!"

She nods at Eugene, "I'll try to be quick! You guys hold it off!" She grabs some hairs from the floor and runs off towards the castle.

Cass bends down to her father, holding him. "Cassandra, listen..." He groans in slight pain. "About earlier, I..."

"Dad," She speaks up, smiling. "I want you to know that I've never been disappointed in you," She wraps her arms around him in a hug. "I'm sorry."

He pats her back softly and a few seconds later, she releases him. "Sit tight, soldier. I got this," She picks up her halberd, turning to the other guards. "Give me four men covering the south gate, four at the north. Nothing in, nothing out. Containment, people."

Her father looks on as they leave, impressed by her authority.

"It's like he's playing hide-and-seek," Eugene comments as Rapunzel looks over the area. Her eyes widen at all the games.

"Then he just picked the wrong game. I think I've got an idea...Max?"

He whinnies at being addressed, lifting his head. "You're on." He pushes Hook Foot and Ulf away, snorting.

Arianna just watches from the window. "Captain! Get more men!" She hears from her husband, failing to notice someone standing right behind her with yellow-green eyes.

"Hello, your majesty."

She gasps sharply, turning around to the intruder.

"Sleep," He holds out some green powder, which knocks her out cold.

Harmony sits at her desk, looking through her microscope. "Alright, let's see what we got here..." She zooms in on the lock of hair. "...Hey, wait a minute..." She recognizes it immediately after inspection. "That's raccoon hair...and the only person I know who has one is-"

"Hello, Princess Harmony."

She whips around to see the same person who knocked out the queen. "Who are you? How'd you get in here?!"

"Shh...soon, it'll all be over," He flashes her eyes with the green powder and she falls unconscious.

Max runs past the smoke, getting the creature's attention as it chases after the horse. The creature roars loudly as it continues going after him.

"Pete, Stan, drive him to the right," Rapunzel stands up as she points. The two guards are holding torches.

"Your right or my-"

"This way, Pete," Stan guides him. The creature snarls as it sees the fire, sliding to the right.

"Hook Foot, Lance, now!" Rapunzel runs forward. It turns again once it sees the duo waving torches. The creature runs straight for the entrance, the older princess catching up to him. "Trampoline!"

A few guards, Ulf, and Attila hold up the trampoline, the creature sliding into it. He's bounced backwards right into the ball pit, Rapunzel capturing him with her hair. It takes deep breaths as she cringes, stepping up slowly.

"What is-"

The creature growls at Lance, who yelps and falls back. He looks at Cass, who growls at him mockingly. He whimpers as he recoils back.

"Why would Varian do something like this...?" Rapunzel looks at the creature's eyes, and it shines white. "What's happening?"

Once the light stops, the creature has shrunk down to size...to reveal it as Ruddiger. "That's Ruddiger!"

"Varian's raccoon," Cass bends down to him as he just looks around in confusion, then he leaves, but not before grabbing an apple. Max neighs at him, Lance putting an arm around him.

"Rapunzel! You did it!" Pete cheers, everyone following suit. Rapunzel smiles at her boyfriend and Cass, Frederic looking on with a smile.

"...But wait, why didn't Harmi show up like she said she would?" Rapunzel couldn't help but wonder. Daisy flies out the window, chirping as she lands in the woman's awaiting hands. "Daisy, where's my sister?"

She simply closes her eyes, looking downwards. Her reaction makes Rapunzel fear the worst and it grows stronger as a guard runs up to the balcony.

"Princess Rapunzel, King Frederic." They all look up at him. "It's the queen and the princess. They're gone."

Frederic looks towards Rapunzel in horror, and she now knows why Ruddiger attacked them. She looks at Daisy and then narrows her eyes knowingly. "...Varian..."

**Angel: Faded by the Veronicas does not belong to me.**


	25. Secret of the Sundrop Part 2

**Angel: Please don't hate me after this chapter, because heart-breaking stuff happens. Like, I have to place a major physical abuse warning here. If you're not comfortable reading what happens in the middle, like right after Frederic tells Rapunzel the truth, then you can just skip over it. Hopefully I don't lose favorites/followers after this...^^' Also, read towards the end to figure out what I'm doing with Varian!**

_Eugene: Previously on Tangled..._

_The girls screamed and ran away from the growing black rocks._

_The automaton punched the wall, alarming the princesses. Harmony stopped it with her arrow._

_Rapunzel stepped up to the smoke, Harmony joining her. "Uh, guys? There's...something in the fog."_

_Ruddiger attacked everyone, but Rapunzel wrapped her hair around him and he started glowing. "What's happening?"_

_Ruddiger revealed himself, shaking his head. "That's Ruddiger!"_

"_Hello, your majesty."_

_Arianna gasped as she turned around, only to be met with green powder in her face. "Sleep."_

"_Hello, Princess Harmony."_

_Harmony whipped around and got hit with the same green powder. _

"_Princess Rapunzel, King Frederic!" The guard ran up to the balcony. "It's the queen and princess. They're gone..."_

_Rapunzel tensed up a bit, narrowing her eyes._

"_...Varian."_

The Captain is taken away on a gurney by two guards. "Dad..." Cass murmurs in worry.

"Varian must be hiding in Old Corona," Frederic narrows his eyes in anger. "I shall launch a full-scale attack."

"Sir," Stan groans in pain. "We got hit pretty hard. Everyone's gonna be okay, but we won't be launching a full-scale anything for some time."

"Then we'll hit him with whatever we have!" Frederic shouts at him out of frustration.

"Dad! You can't beat Varian with swords and fists," Rapunzel speaks up. "Besides...I'm acting in Harmi's best interests. So far, we've played right into his hands." She steps up to her father, who has his fists clenched. "You know he never meant to capture me, and he never kidnapped Harmony either! He-he sent that automaton to make you think that was his plan. And then he used his...monster to pull security away from his real target...or targets in this case: Mom and Harmony."

His eyes soften a little. "So...whatever you think you're gonna throw at him, he'll be waiting."

He looks away, knowing that she's right. She looks up at him, waiting for his answer. "...We attack Old Corona within the hour."

"But Dad, that's not what Harmony wants for him!"

"What she wants is not what Varian needs," He glares at her, walking away. Eugene places his hand on her shoulder in sympathy.

* * *

Harmony groans as she wakes up. Her vision is blurry for a minute, so she couldn't immediately tell where she was. She slowly gets up from the floor, rubbing her eyes with her hands. Once she has her sight back, she notices that handcuffs are around her wrists.

"What?"

She gets up, only to fall back down because her ankles are also cuffed. The environment is too familiar for her to know that she's in Varian's lab. She also notices that she's sitting in front of Quirin, still frozen in amber.

"Harmony!"

She turns and sees Arianna, on the other side of the room, in rope. "Mama!" She exclaims, trying to run over to her, before remembering about her restraints. Harmony gives a worried look to her mother, before hearing a wicked chuckle. They look up to see a familiar figure walking towards them.

"Welcome back, Mona."

"Varian?" She gasps at the sight of him.

"Are you happy to see me?" He asks with a smirk, hugging her. "Because I am. I missed you, Mona. And now that you're here, no one can tear us apart again. I know in my heart that I still have feelings for you, and that never changed. I didn't mean for you to get so upset. I wasn't using you, I did all this so we could be together again."

Her eyes turn sad, upset that he's doing this to not only her, but her mother! She did still have feelings for him, but this behavior was...very concerning.

"Get away from her," Arianna threatens him.

Varian glares at her, turning towards Harmony and letting her go. "Would you excuse me for a moment?"

He walks towards her, grabbing a white cloth from the table.

"No! Don't hurt her!" Harmony shouts at the boy.

Varian looks back at her as he finishes tying the cloth around her mother's mouth. "Oh don't worry, Mona, I wouldn't hurt her...yet," He mumbles the last part to himself so that she won't hear.

"What do you want from us?" She spits towards him.

"Simple: you two are merely bait to lure your sister here," He says, looking over his shoulder. "Only the magic of her unbreakable hair can shatter the amber and free my father. I tried asking for help in a civil manner, but was denied by everyone in Corona. All except you. So, unfortunately, this is my only remaining recourse."

He walks up to the blue curtain, removing it to reveal Quirin. Arianna gasps sharply at the sight, the cloth slipping away. "Oh! ...And after you've freed your father?"

"After?" He chuckles a little. "Oh, well, I'm afraid Corona will pay for turning their backs on me. And that's when you should start worrying, your majesty..."

She gasps in horror.

"But what does that have to do with me?" Harmony keeps her glare.

He smirks, walking towards her. "I was so hurt when those guards tore us apart...sorry for the chains, but I can't risk you running off to Rapunzel to warn her."

"Varian, doing all of this just to get her here...it isn't right. You don't need to kidnap us. I'm sorry for the black rocks and your father, but I-"

He stops in front of her, holding her chin as he tilts her head up, so that she can see his eyes. "Oh, sweet, kind Mona...did you really think I'd put the blame on you for this? I don't blame you for what happened with my father."

"You...don't?" She asks slowly.

"Of course not," He says with a smug smirk. "You always came back to visit me after the storm and still tried to find the solution even though you're a beginner in alchemy."

"...While that's true, that doesn't justify you kidnapping my mother. Let her go, it's me you want!"

"I would even though I don't find you at fault, but both of you have equal value to them. You're just a victim for the real villains. Those people you call your friends and family."

"They're not evil!" She moves herself away from Varian's eyes. She couldn't believe he was even saying that.

"Mona," His eyes turn soft and for a second, she thought that she was talking to the real Varian. "They don't understand how happy we were. How happy we can be. Besides my father, you're the only other person that really matters to me. My offer still stands, you know. Deep down...you know that we can be together again."

She shakes her head, snapping out of it. No, she and her mother have to get out of here somehow. "Stop it. No matter how much you spin it, you still lied to my face and betrayed me!"

"Then why did you continue to build the automatons even after the fact?"

She says nothing and he smirks, standing up. "Because you still care. And I care about you. We'll make a great team. In fact, you can start...by using the black rocks on my father."

"I thought you said my sister's hair could break it. Why would you need me to do that?" She retorts back, looking away.

"Just wanna make sure that I didn't miss what was right in front of me," He cups her chin, making her face him.

* * *

Frederic sits on his bed, his face somber. He looks up at the picture of him with Arianna and Rapunzel when the princess was born. Then he looks to the picture of him with her and Harmony. "And now, I have failed you too, Arianna..." He holds his head, wondering just what he's done...what he's tried to prevent...

Rapunzel steps up to the doors. "Dad?"

He sniffles, wiping his nose. "Rapunzel..." He gets onto his feet. "I thought I made it clear-" He stops speaking as Rapunzel hugs him and he returns it. "...Thank you..."

"They're gonna be okay, Dad," Rapunzel whispers, looking up at him. "We'll get them back."

"This...this is all my fault," He places a hand at the back of her head.

"Dad, no," She puts her head into his chest. "No, it's Varian and those rocks, and I don't blame my sister for any of that, but-"

"No. No, Rapunzel," He takes a hold of her hands, interrupting her. "You were right," He steps up to the two paintings. "I _have _been keeping something from the both of you. As you know, the night you were born, your mother fell deathly ill. I was desperate to do anything to save her, and you. So I sought out the miracle of the Sun Drop Flower. But what I've never told anyone was that there was more to the story. You see, earlier that night, I was warned. Warned that taking the Sun Drop would reap unimaginable consequences. That by removing the light...I'd be awakening a darkness. But I had no choice. I've known about these black rocks all along. At first, I didn't wanna believe that they were the result of my actions. And when that became impossible...I chose to ignore them. Even when we discovered your sister's power. And I expected everyone else to do the same..."

"Including us," Rapunzel murmurs slowly.

"Yes, yes. Especially you and your sister. But the truth is, the rocks—her rocks are destroying Corona. And you...you are connected to them somehow. And I am responsible," He places his hands on her shoulders. "No king...would ever put the welfare of his family before that of his country." He puts his hand to his heart. "How can I tell my youngest daughter that...I am possibly the reason that she has the powers of the Moonstone? When the king of the Dark Kingdom gave it to her, I didn't think it would result in all of this..."

She holds his hand with her own. "But a father would put the welfare of his family first." She smiles softly. "I'm sure that when Harmony hears the truth, she'll just be happy that she heard it from you."

He smiles back at her, and they hug. "Now...let's find a way to save our kingdom, without it greatly affecting Harmony."

* * *

Harmony sits there as Varian angrily paces back and forth. She wishes that she could reason with him and try to get him to come to his senses, but...no matter how much she wanted that, he wouldn't listen. But that doesn't mean she'll stop trying.

She looks up at Quirin encased in the amber and then at Varian. Obviously he's tried and tried, but nothing had worked...why?

The black rocks had touched the amber...but had done nothing to pierce it significantly. She stares sadly at the rocks that had sprouted up from the ground, and yet still ended up with the same outcome.

"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!" Varian yells at her. She flinches at his harsh and angry tone.

"Well?!" He walks up to her, the princess backing up so that her mother could hug her.

"Varian, calm down. You're frightening her," Arianna tells him, running a gentle hand into Harmony's hair.

"Shut up!" The boy shouts at her, not seeming to care right now about the princess' feelings. He turns his attention to the girl. "Are you going to answer me?"

She stays silent at his tone. "Say something! Say anything!" She shakes her head slowly, staring at him with horrified eyes. Harmony couldn't say anything...because she didn't know what she could say to the boy.

"Tell me why it didn't work!" He laces his fingers into his hair, pulling. "Why didn't it work?! Why does nothing I do work?! Why do I always fail?! I failed my father, I failed my village, I failed you!" Tears come from his eyes and the two hostages glance at each other. Harmony reaches out her cuffed hands, but he gains an angry expression, slapping them away.

"Don't touch me!" He grabs her arms and slams her into the ground. "This is your fault! Your powers were supposed to work! He should've been free by now!" He starts punching her in the face multiple times. All she feels is pain, physically and emotionally, some blood gushing out of her mouth.

As he continues hitting her, she hits her fists on his back, screaming, "VARIAN! STOP IT!"

"You're hurting her!" Arianna begs for him to stop, but once again, he's too angry to listen and he just keeps punching her face.

"Stop screaming!" He wants her to be quiet, both of them, so that she wouldn't remind him of what she couldn't do for him.

"PLEASE! GET OFF ME! STOP!" She screeches in pain until she finally falls unconscious and the yelling stops...

Varian is about to land another hit when he freezes, seeing her closed eyes. She has cuts on her lips and purple bruises on her cheeks. He looks at her, breathing deeply and still looking angry. His eyes suddenly widen as he notices her slow breath. Putting a gloved hand to his mouth, he shakes a little. What has he just done...?

"Mona?" He slowly reaches out to her, Arianna silently crying as she looks at her daughter. "Mona, I-I-I'm sorry," He stammers, placing his arms around her back, hoping that she'd wake up at his apology. He thought for a minute that perhaps she was faking it to get him to stop. He brings her into his lap and her cheek rests on his right shoulder. "P-Please, I didn't want to hurt you, I just...wanted you to stop screaming," He shakes her gently, but she's too beaten to wake up at the moment. "Mona, please!" Tears steam from his eyes as he's shaking. Arianna sees real remorse in his eyes. He grips onto her as he snuggles his face into her top, sobbing softly.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." He whispers, angry with himself now. He didn't mean to injure her, he was just upset. If he could, he'd go back in time and slap himself. He continues to hold her as Arianna can tell that no matter what...he still cares about her...after all, now that Quirin is still stuck, he had no one else.

"Please..." Varian looks up at her face. "Please forgive me when you wake up. Please...!"

Arianna could only stare as the boy continues to sob, kissing those sweet lips softly.

"Please..."

* * *

The rocks have started to reach Corona itself, and because of that, a mob has formed at the castle. Cass and the other guards try to hold back the angry villagers. "The rocks are getting closer!"

"Oh! Oh, we're doomed! Doomed!" Feldspar exclaims, tugging his hair in fear.

"Pipe down, Feldspar," Crowley elbows him in the side. "No one can hear me." She then changes her voice so that it's ominous. "We're doomed, I tell you."

"People!" Frederic yells over all the shouting. "Citizens, please, listen to me!"

Max whinnies loudly, neighing for everyone to be silent. "I will not lie to you any longer. Corona is in grave danger. The queen and the youngest princess have been taken. Over half our royal guard lie wounded. And these black rocks draw ever closer."

They begin yelling again and Eugene leans in towards him. "Uh, sir, hi, yeah. If there's a "but" in this speech, you probably wanna cut to it...right now."

"But I look at you, and I don't just see subjects," Frederic steps up to the crowd. "I see friends, family, strong, brave individuals who have stood by each others' side, and have never, ever backed down from a fight. Today, we face a danger like none before. As your king, your friend, and as your brother, I ask you to fight one more time. For Corona!"

"For Corona! For Corona!" They chant along with him.

* * *

After that, he gathers them into his strategy room. "What do you ask of us, your majesty?" Crowley asks curiously.

"As was so insightfully pointed out to me," Frederic smiles a little to Rapunzel, "We've been playing straight into Varian's hands, and now, he's expecting a full-out attack on Old Corona."

"So what's the plan, your majesty?" Stan wonders as he looks up.

Rapunzel points to Old Corona on the model. "We launch a full-out attack on Old Corona."

"But we'd be giving him the upper hand," Pete says in confusion.

"Yeah, well, we're gonna let Varian think he still has the upper hand. And while we distract him with the assault, I am gonna sneak around the back using the underground tunnels and rescue the queen and princess. And after that...we let Harmony do the rest."

Frederic places a hand on her shoulder, and she smiles up at him. "_We _are going to rescue the queen and princess. And then we let Harmony attempt to appeal to him. He won't harm her, so it won't be a risk."

Daisy looks down towards the ground, Rapunzel nuzzling her forehead. "We'll rescue her, Daisy."

"With all due respect, Princess," Stan gestures to himself. "Varian only wants you both. Once he sees you're nowhere to be found, won't he realize that our attack is just a diversion?"

"Probably. That's what he is for," Rapunzel gestures to the open door. Shorty steps through wearing Rapunzel's dress and a blonde wig.

"I got this!" He even has a fake Pascal on his shoulder. "Ready, Caspal?" He pokes the plush, one of the eyes falling off.

* * *

Back at Varian's cottage, lights are flickering from the lab. He's holding a welder as Harmony is sitting up, her arms chained to the ground as she stares at him in worry. The bruises hurt a little, but that won't stop her from trying to help him get his head straight.

"Any moment now, your highness..." Varian speaks to Arianna, who gives a worried look.

**Believe me, I know**

**I've sunk pretty low**

**But whatever I've done, you deserve**

"Varian-" Arianna speaks up, but he whips around to her.

**Quiet!**

**I'm the bad guy, that's fine**

Harmony blinks as she hears the broken tone in his voice at the last word. Somewhere deep down...some part of him still doesn't want to do this.

**It's no fault of mine, and some justice will at last be served**

"Please listen!" The queen begs with him, but he ignores her, climbing up the ladder.

**Now it's time to step up**

**Or it's time to back down**

**And there's only one answer for me**

He pours in some chemicals into a sphere.

**And I'll stand up and fight**

**Cause I know that I'm right**

**And I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready**

**Ready as I'll ever be**

He stares up at his father, prepared for the attack.

The Captain groans as he's lying down on his bed, surrounded by Eugene, Lance, Stan, and Pete.

"Cap, are you sure you're up for this?" Eugene asks in concern.

"Actually, I don't think I am. I'll only slow you down."

"But how are you gonna lead the assault?" Pete wonders as he stares at him.

"I'm not," He sits up and looks behind them. "She is."

Cass is standing in the doorway, walking past everyone.

_Now it's time to rise up_

_Or it's time to stand down_

_And the answer is easy to see_

Her father smiles at her proudly.

_And I swear by the sword_

She pulls out her sword.

_If you're in, get on board_

_Are you ready?_

**I'm ready!**

Eugene stands up, sword ready.

**We're ready!**

Stan and Pete hold up their weapons as well.

**We're ready!**

_Ready as I'll ever be_

Harmony stares at Varian as he continues working. She notices that he won't look at her, probably so that he's not reminded of what he did...even so, she knows that it's not really him doing all of this. It's the anger in him that's acting out...

**I know he's my friend**

**But I can't play pretend**

**Cause I don't know what he is anymore**

**One thing's for sure,**

**When they walk through that door,**

**I'll show 'em who he is to meee**

**I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready**

**Ready as I'll ever be**

Arianna hugs her from behind as she watches him.

Rapunzel is wearing a black cloak, turning around and seeing her father.

"There you are!"

He's wearing the same outfit he wore when he went to go prank King Trevor. "Yes, yes. I just had to make a stop in the kitchen. I'm told you're pretty handy with one of these." He holds up a frying pan, to Rapunzel's delight.

"Hee hee...I sure am." He throws it and she fumbles to catch it in her hands. Daisy shakes her head.

**F: Are you quite sure we can do this?**

_Together we will, guarantee!_

She puts an arm around him as they head for the tunnels.

**I'll make them hear me!**

Varian pulls on a chain.

**Now it's time to repeat **

**Or it's time to resolve**

The crowd is heading to Old Corona on horses from the stable.

_Prove they can trust me..._

_I'll save my home and family_

Rapunzel looks back towards the castle.

**Is this my destiny?**

Harmony looks like she's about to cry as she looks up towards the ceiling.

**Now the line's in the sand **

**And our moment's at hand**

**And I'm ready**

Eugene grits his teeth towards Varian's cottage in the distance.

_I'm ready!_

**I'm ready!**

Harmony clenches a fist, her left hand glowing.

_**I'm ready...**_

Rapunzel and Frederic look towards the house. Varian looks down towards an automaton lowering towards the ground.

**Ready as I'll ever be!**

"Keep an eye out, everyone," Cass warns everyone as they're walking through the passageway of black rocks. "It's too quiet for my liking."

"I can fix that," Shorty clears his throat next to Eugene. He starts singing off-key. "I got the wind in my hair-"

"Can it, half-pint," Eugene punches him a little, annoyed. Max just snorts at them.

Varian looks out the window to see them. "What a happy family reunion this will be." He turns around to the two. Arianna gasps as she hugs Harmony close. "For all of us..."

He steps up to the princess, Arianna pulling the girl away slightly. "Mom," She looks up at her.

"I can't check up on my Mona?" He replies in a sickeningly sweet way, holding the princess' cheeks. She squeezes her eyes shut as the bruises still sting. "You know I never meant to hurt you...right?" He brushes away some of her hair. "With the flower...and earlier..."

"...Yes...I know," She says slowly, looking away.

"Good," He leans up to her forehead, kissing it. She doesn't respond and he gently lets go. She knew that one day, he'll look back on this and feel remorse for all of his actions...even if he tried to kill her, or drain her power...

Her heart is still telling her that she can help him. After all, she knows that he regrets what he did for her. He shouldn't have to resort to this...madness. If Rapunzel could help Eugene, then she should be able to help him.

"Varian's lab should be right above us," Rapunzel whispers to her father. They come to a stop in front of a ladder. Rapunzel climbs up first, the wood creaking a little.

"Ah, careful," Frederic warns her softly and she reaches the top. She lifts up the door slightly to see the place empty besides Quirin. She comes in through the door, looking past a chair as Frederic steps up behind her. They can see Varian in the distance looking out the window. The two step up to him slowly, Pascal and Daisy peeking from the hood of the cloak.

However...when they turn him around, it's just a doll. "What?" Frederic drops the fake. "What is this?"

Suddenly, a ball of pink goop fires, dousing them in smoke. Two more trap their feet to the ground, hearing laughter.

The real Varian steps out of the shadows, holding his staff. "Welcome back..." He shows his evil grin.

Rapunzel gasps at the sight of him. "Rapunzel..."

She glares at him.

* * *

The citizens reach the cottage. "Maybe Rapunzel was wrong and we...overestimated the little guy," Lance states as Cass jumps off Fidella.

"You don't know Varian very well, do you, buddy?" Eugene asks him.

"Shh," Cass shushes them. "Listen." The same music from the chime that Rapunzel turned is playing. They look around, trying to locate the source. The ground rumbles and the automaton rises out of the ground.

"Oh man, not this guy again!" Eugene narrows his eyes wile the others look on with shock.

"Okay, everyone. This thing may be tough, but we got him outnumbered." Because her back is facing it, she fails to notice other green eyes in the smoke.

"Uh, Cass," Eugene cringes at this. "Are you sure about that?"

Cass looks back and sees other automatons. Another one appears behind the group. "It's an ambush!"

* * *

"Varian, I demand you release us," Frederic demands to the boy, "And tell me where the queen and princess are."

Varian locks the two pets into cages. "Your majesty, I know it's hard for you, but for the first time in your life..." He slams down the cages onto a table. "You are in no position to demand anything! But in the spirit of compromise, how 'bout I meet ya halfway?"

He moves behind a curtain, revealing the duo. Arianna's leg is chained to the ground. They look up and see the two, gasping.

"Mom! Harmony!" Rapunzel tries to move towards them, but she's still stuck.

"We're okay, Rapunzel," Arianna tries to assure her.

"What did you do to my sister?! Why is she hurt?" Rapunzel sees Harmony's bruises.

"Punzie, really, it's not as bad as it looks," Harmony looks at her softly.

"Let them go, Varian! Please!"

Varian steps in front of the two. "Mona was an accident, and I deeply regret it, believe me. First, you're going to do something for me."

"What do you want?" Frederic hisses at him.

"Oh! So now you care about what I _want_," Varian says in disdain, laughing as he steps towards the two. "All it took was threatening the things you love the most," He lightly grabs the two, smirking at Frederic as he kisses Harmony on the cheek. Frederic clenches a fist. As much as he trusted his youngest daughter, it still stung to see the boy act like he can do that with her.

* * *

Meanwhile outside, the others are struggling with the automatons. "Don't let up!" Cass grits her teeth as she stabs her sword forward at the machine. Max and Silver run around them, whinnying. Eugene grips his sword as they approach three of them, but ultimately move past. Eugene jumps into the air and slashes one in the back. It does no damage to it whatsoever as the automaton turns around.

"They've shielded their timing cylinder," Eugene glares up at it.

The automaton runs up to the trio. "Max, Silver, split up!"

The three run in different directions as the automaton chases after Eugene. He jumps and rolls, turning around. "Man, these things are almost as tough as-" He notices the rocks, laughing. "Ah ha! Guys! The rocks! Use Brownie's rocks!"

Vlad yells as he charges forward with Attila on his back. He slides and Attila goes flying. He bumps an automaton into several, knocking them into the black rocks, and they explode. A shoe is thrown at one and it turns around to see Feldspar. It raises its arms when Max comes in and kicks it towards the rocks.

"Good thinking," Cass smirks at Eugene. For once in her life, she's actually impressed by him.

"Well, I'm a problem solver. It's what I do," He says proudly, and they hear more music as automatons approach them.

"Oh, come on!" They both exclaim in frustration.

* * *

"What are you going to do, Varian?" Frederic asks the boy as he's pushing something towards them. Harmony stares at it, wondering what's underneath.

"Yeah, I'll-I'll spare you the details about the Sun Drop and darkness, blah, blah, blah, and get to the good stuff." He removes the cloth to reveal the drill he used before, which has been repaired. He walks up to the rocks, gesturing to Harmony's hand. "Unbreakable," He lightly touches the rock. He then walks up to Rapunzel, holding her hair. "Unbreakable. To put it plainly, with assistance from my drill, Rapunzel's hair _should _be able to shatter the amber, and free my father."

"What do you mean should?" Frederic questions defensively, placing an arm in front of his daughter.

"Oh, I suppose it's just as likely the amber shatters Rapunzel. I mean, the properties-"

"Absolutely not," The king immediately refuses at that answer, pulling out his sword. "Didn't you think that would affect Harmony as well?!"

"Of course it won't, because her rocks didn't work!" Varian points to the rocks touching the amber.

"It's not your choice, Dad," Rapunzel speaks up, holding her hair. Varian casually puts his elbow on Frederic's shoulder.

"She's right, _Dad_," He puts down the sword. "Oh! And I almost forgot, we're, uh, kinda on a time crunch here, so, I'm gonna need to speed things along."

He opens up a vial, pouring it on a black rock. Amber starts to form, heading right towards Arianna.

"NO! You said you wouldn't hurt her!" Harmony protests at this.

"Shh," Varian guides her away from her mother so that she won't be affected. "It won't hurt her, starlight. I'm just pressed for time."

Harmony blinks back tears as he caresses her cheek.

"Varian, stop!" Rapunzel shouts in alarm. She didn't want her mother to meet the same fate as Quirin.

"Well..." Varian steps up to her. He takes out a silver ball and throws it onto the goop trapping Rapunzel. This frees her and she glares at him. "Shall we get started?" He smiles wickedly.

"Please, Rapunzel, hurry," Harmony pleads with her sister.

* * *

Eugene and Max charge up to an automaton. He leaps into the air, throwing his sword at it. He lands on top of the head. "Lance! Let's give 'em the old Bob and Weave."

"On it!" Lance swings a bat at one of an automaton's leg, knocking it off its feet.

"Ha! Still got it!" Eugene crosses his arms proudly. The thing explodes behind them.

Max and Silver are being chased as the automaton behind them jumps. They see an arm up ahead, smirking at each other. They slide to a stop, kicking the arm at the automaton, knocking it into a cluster of black rocks.

Cass runs up the arm of an automaton, stomping on its shoulder to propel herself into the air. When she lands, she slices off the chime on its back, deactivating it. It falls straight forward onto some black rocks, exploding.

* * *

The drill is brought forth to Quirin, Rapunzel's hair attached to the tip.

Rapunzel slightly holds her hair, glancing at her mother. "Varian, if this doesn't work, and something happens to me, please...please, let my mom and my little sister go."

"I can't make any promises, Princess, and Mona stays with me. I'm not going to let anyone take her away from me again." He replies thinly, putting on his goggles. He turns on the drill and Rapunzel gasps, screaming a little. Frederic can only watch as Varian grits his teeth, the drill going in further. Rapunzel's hair starts to glow, the amber from Quirin flashing gold.

Varian lets out a tiny frustrated scream as nothing seems to be happening. "What?! Why?" He makes the drill go in again, but it's starting to drain Rapunzel as she holds her head, kneeling.

"Raps, no!" Harmony calls out, biting her lip. Varian tries again and again, but nothing. Pascal and Daisy try to get free, Ruddiger staring at them from behind.

"Stop it! She can't take anymore!" Frederic shouts, watching his daughter fall onto the floor.

"Rapunzel!" Arianna yells in worry.

"Big sister..." Harmony murmurs in fear. She could literally...feel the pain she was going through right now.

The drill powers down, completely stopping. "I just...I-I don't understand!" Varian holds his head, looking like he's about to lose it. "Why won't it..." He steps up to Quirin. "Her hair! It...it should've cut through it! Why didn't it work?!" He slams his fists on the amber.

Ruddiger pushes the cages down and they break. He hands them the solution to get the king free, and they give it to him.

"Arianna!" He throws the sword to the queen. She catches and slices off the bonds from herself and from Harmony. They run up to Rapunzel. "Rapunzel."

"Rapunzel!" Arianna joins them.

"Rapunzel, are you okay?" Harmony asks in concern.

"Harmi...little sister!" Rapunzel pulls her into a hug, the girl smiling in relief. The two parents join in, relieved that both of their daughters are safe.

"Mama. Papa," Harmony murmurs in relief, feeling her mother stroke her hair.

"No! No! I wasn't wrong!" Varian laments behind them. "It's not my fault!" He looks towards the happy family, glaring. If it wasn't for the three of them, he wouldn't be going through this. They all turned him away, didn't help his father...and worst of all...

They took away the love of his life.

"None of it is! It's _her _fault..."

"Rapunzel, Harmony, are you two alright?" Frederic lightly touches their hair. She sighs a little.

"Yes, I will be."

"Me too...my wounds will heal eventually," Harmony lifts a hand towards her cheek. Rapunzel looks past them, tensing up.

"Varian. Oh, where did he go?"

"Vari...?" Harmony asks in confusion, the ground rumbling underneath them. Suddenly, a large automaton bursts out of the ground in front of them, with Varian inside.

"Sorry, Princess! We were in this together! But if I can't have a happy ending, then neither can you!" he shouts as the automaton raises its hands, the three running away. He chases after them, Harmony stopping in front of the machine.

"Varian, no! This won't solve anything!"

"Oh, sweet Mona...I'll handle this. You stay here," He walks right past her and she gasps in horror.

An automaton lands in a pile of black rocks. "Alright! Who's next?" Eugene challenges the army. Frederic, Arianna, and Rapunzel step out of the cottage. "Rapunzel!"

Varian breaks through the door. "Sorry, buddy, but there's a line," Eugene jerks a thumb to the other automatons. Harmony runs through the doorway.

Cass runs towards him with her sword, jumping at him. Varian grabs her using the automaton, causing her to drop her sword. "Hello Cassandra! I always knew I could sweep you off your feet!"

"Let her go, Varian!" Arianna yells at him. Varian turns the robot around and grabs the queen with the free arm.

"Arianna!"

"Mom!" Harmony and Rapunzel shout in alarm.

Rapunzel throws the pan at the windshield of Varian's automaton, Harmony firing an arrow into it. Once they have his attention, they step down the stairs of Varian's home. Rapunzel has her hair down. The princess has her bow and arrows ready, taking a deep breath. She really doesn't want to...but he needs to be stopped, before he does something he might regret. This wasn't him...

"That's enough, Varian!"

"Look at what you're doing, Vari...is this what your father would've wanted?" Harmony gestures to everything.

"It's not enough until you endure the same amount of pain, and agony I have!" He screams, making the automaton hold the two up, using the giant hands to slowly crush them. She stares at him in fear. He's an entirely different person to her...

Arianna groans in pain. "Arianna," Frederic says in worry. Then Varian starts squeezing Cass. The two sisters gasp, staring at the two.

Suddenly, Harmony's hand glows and rocks start shooting up towards the two, making a wall around them. "What's happening?" Eugene asks, the girl staring at her hand. She didn't know whether or not she was protecting them or trapping them, and soon, they're completely blocked off from everyone else except each other.

"Rapunzel!" Eugene calls out. Their hair starts reacting to the rocks, moving on their own. Strands of their hair touch a rock. As soon as they had come, they quickly shoot back, impaling the other automatons in an instant. She hated to do this, but...

It was the only way.

"_Rapunzel, you are connected to them somehow."_

"_Stop running, girls. Face your destinies."_

Their eyes widen before they narrow.

Varian steps closer to them with the automaton, still holding Cassandra and their mother. "Mona...you're betraying me?!"

Her lip quivers, bravely looking up at him. "I'm stopping you before I don't recognize the real Varian anymore."

They step up to them.

Harmony makes two rocks come up besides the two. Varian stares at them in shock, wondering when Harmony could do that. The sisters take a deep breath, holding each other's hand. They then take hold of the rocks next to them. Rapunzel's hair starts glowing gold, floating into the air. Harmony's hair turns completely blue, moving around above her head in all directions. They yell and a huge blast of light forms around them, sending Varian's automaton sliding backwards. They and everyone else cover their eyes. When they look, the automaton is laying down, and it releases the two women from its grip.

Frederic rushes over to Arianna. "My darling," He hugs her, helping her out of the automaton's hand. Eugene notices the rocks glowing.

"Rapunzel, Harmony!"

The rocks start moving again as Varian has gained back control.

The automaton stands up and the two reach their body forward, sending rocks in his direction, impaling more automatons in their path. The rocks continue to scatter around, Varian reaching his automaton to the two. A rock impales the leg, ripping it away from the machine. Another one takes the arms and flips the machine over, sliding across the ground and reaching the princesses. The last arm reaches out to them, but a rock stops that one too.

"NO!"

He tries to move it, but it's no use. A huge rock impales itself through the giant automaton, causing it to shut down completely. Varian...has been defeated...

Everyone looks on in surprise at the two princesses. They didn't even touch him!

"NO!" He cries out, Harmony breathing heavily. She slowly releases the rock and her sister's hand, kneeling on the ground. She couldn't believe what she just did...but she had no choice. It was either that...or he could've died.

And she wasn't going to let that happen on her watch.

The rocks again start to move, but this time, they turn around and face the two. They shoot past the princesses and towards the walls of Corona. They break through the walls and Rapunzel finally lets go. She faints, but Eugene catches her in time.

"Rapunzel!"

Harmony kneels onto the ground, her hair turning back to normal. "Harmony!" Her parents run up to her, holding her arms.

"Blondie," Eugene stares at his girlfriend, who opens her eyes. She smiles and pecks his lips.

"Hi."

He laughs in relief. "We have got to start finding better ways to spend your birthdays."

"Harmi!" Rapunzel stands up, rushing over to her sister. "You okay?"

"Yeah...yeah, I'm okay," She gets up, dusting herself off. They look towards the broken wall of Corona, the black rocks seeming to go outside the wall. They lower to mark the path, the two sisters staring in shock.

"Your rocks have never done that, have they?" Eugene asks her slowly, and she shakes her head.

"No they have not..."

* * *

A few minutes later, they watch Varian being dragged away by the guards, handcuffed. Harmony could only stare with tears in her eyes. He's loaded into the back of the carriage, planning on being sent to prison. Ruddiger runs over to Varian, landing on his shoulders.

"I will make you proud of me, Dad...if it's the last thing I ever do..." He glares at everyone before looking at Harmony. His eyes soften at the sight of her, glancing at her hand. No matter what she does...he could never stay mad at her. His heart doesn't allow it. He could immediately understand why she did it...

To protect him.

True, he'll be in jail, but it could've been worse had she not interfered.

The door closes and the carriage leaves.

"Varian..." Harmony murmurs sadly, sniffling as Cass rubs her back.

"Don't be too hard on him, Dad," Rapunzel tells her father.

"I'll be sure to do everything I can to get him help...by consulting my daughter," He looks to Harmony, confusing her. "Harmony...I'm so sorry for what I've done. It's just...when I see you, I see that little girl running around in the castle, and...I suppose I was still thinking of her not growing up."

"Papa..." She murmurs, hugging him. "I'll always love you. No matter what."

He smiles and returns the hug. He sighs a little. "As for Quirin, I'll not give up until I find a way to free him."

Rapunzel looks towards the wall, her sister following her. "It's like the rocks, your rocks, want us to...follow them."

"I think you're right," Frederic states and they turn to him. "At first, i believed the rocks' purpose was to destroy Corona. I was wrong. I can see now that they're pointing in a direction. Pointing you in a direction. I only regret that it has taken all this to convince me that I should be doing the same. Rapunzel, when you were returned to us, I swore I would never let anything ever happen to you or Harmony again."

"But Dad, we talked about this," Rapunzel looks up at him. "We don't-"

"I know, I know. You're right. This past year, you two showed me that there is so much more in you than I could have ever imagined. I've just been too afraid to let either of you go...but this path is yours to follow, to share together. And if you both ever lose your way..."

He doesn't finish his sentence as he smiles, moon and sun lanterns floating over their heads. They open their mouths in shock at the gesture, staring up at them. Arianna smiles at her daughters. They both hug their father with smiles.

"Thank you, Dad. We love you so much."

"Thank you for believing in us," Harmony murmurs softly.

"And I love you too, sweethearts."

Arianna hugs them as well. "Find your destinies, girls. Find out the history of your rocks, Harmony."

"Do you really think it's out there? The answer?" Harmony looks towards the path.

"I know so. Because you're the smartest girl I know," Arianna puts a hand on her shoulder. "But please, treat your wounds. Both physically and emotionally."

"Oh man..." Harmony pinches her nose. She forgot that she still has her bruises.

"I'll take care of them, your majesty," Eugene promises them.

"Eugene, you should know by now, Rapunzel and Harmony don't need anyone to take care of them," Frederic smiles in amusement.

"Better believe it, Fitzherbert," Harmony smirks, crossing her arms. Eugene just chuckles at them.

"Touche."

Cass walks up to them, and the two princesses hug her. Rapunzel takes her sister's hand and they walk forward. As soon as they touch the rocks with their feet, they light up. Smiling towards Pascal and Daisy, they take that one step forward...

* * *

Harmony walks up to the dark doors being guarded. They see her and give no reaction. She stares at them, taking a deep breath. As scared as she was, she had to do this.

"...Open the doors."

The guards stare at her in shock. "But...he's dangerous, your highness. He kidnapped you and the queen. Just look at what he did to you!"

"And if you didn't listen to all of those silly rumors, you'd know the truth that he didn't kidnap me during the storm, I left willingly. Now let me in."

They silently open up the doors and she walks through the dark halls of the dungeon. It's almost kind of like an inescapable horror...

She stops in front of a particular cell, gripping the bars. He has his head down and she stares at him sadly. The animal notices her and chitters. The boy didn't even look up. He had so much to live for...and everyone had turned him down so easily...except her.

"Hello Varian."

Hearing her voice, he slowly looks up and sees her standing there. She hadn't seen him ever since what happened. Days since he was arrested. Days since he betrayed them.

Days without Varian.

Of course she feels bad about it. She still feels bad about it. She did the right thing by helping Rapunzel...right?"

"Mona," He walks up to her, the girl's stomach in knots. "Why are you here? Came here to rub it in my face? Tell me that you hate me? What?!" He sounds bitter and tired. "I already beat you up and in return, you defeated me! What else could you possibly do?"

She sighs, ignoring his hostility, "I'm leaving Corona today."

His eyes widen. The boy looks away, tears in his eyes. The girl he loves is leaving, today.

"I came to say...well, not goodbye. More like...hope that you can learn to forgive."

"...Why?"

She knew exactly what he meant by that.

"My sister and I are taking a journey to find an answer on my...black rocks. I need to know where they first appeared, because I know that I would never ever do this...and hopefully along the way...I'll find the answer to help free your father. I swear it."

He couldn't believe it. After all he did and said, she still wanted to help him...and she wasn't even doing it out of pity. Everyone had turned against him but Harmony was still here...he wasn't even mad that she was going with Rapunzel right now.

Then again...the girl blames herself because those were her black rocks...okay, she didn't technically create them on purpose in Old Corona, but...if she had never had touched them with Rapunzel, he'd still be that sweet brilliant alchemist who holds a special place in her heart...and they most likely wouldn't have met.

"I'm so sorry..." Harmony streams down tears from her face as her voice sounds broken. Varian just stares at her. "If I wasn't born, maybe you'd still have your dad back and—and everyone could've been by your side. You could've been set free if I knew what to do...I'm sorry...I hurt you, my family, my friends..."

He says nothing as she genuinely sobs for his sake. Though...being born with those powers wasn't her fault, and it still isn't. Even if his father was trapped in that amber for years...he could never bring himself to say that Harmony caused all of this.

"No...you didn't do anything wrong, Mona. The amber appeared because I didn't listen to my dad...I'll never free him at this point. And...you were just trying to stop me, not hurt me. Besides...I'm the one who should be apologizing. I mean...I lost control of myself, and now..."

He clenches a fist, looking at her almost-healed injuries that he almost couldn't notice where he...

She sniffles, wiping her nose with her sleeve.

"Vari, I...I don't care about that anymore. I'm not even that bothered by it. I don't know if it'll do anything good, and I don't care if it takes me a lifetime, but I'll find a way to fix all of this. And my pride...my destiny...or anything else won't stand in my way..." She wipes the hot tears from her face, turning to leave. "Well, we better get going. My sister is waiting on us."

He looks up at her slowly. "...Us?"

"It took a lot of convincing from everyone," She cringes a little. "But...my father has agreed that as part of your sentence...you'll be coming along with us. Ruddiger too. However, there's a few catches: you're not allowed to come out unless it's absolutely necessary, or to arrive at our final destination. You'll have to be transported in a different car, and you're only allowed to have visitors at a certain time every day. We'll be providing you with food and drinks along the way. A transportive prison, if you will. I have final say on what happens with you during the trip. And when the time is right...they'll be taking you back here to serve out the rest of your jail time."

He steps up slowly towards the girl. "And...the others?"

"...Let's just say that everyone except Rapunzel have their doubts," She takes a deep breath. "But I don't care. It's under my recommendation, and they're not allowed to decide on your behalf. Only me...I have to go now. We have to go prepare."

He had to do it or else he'll never have a chance to as he watches her slowly leave. They could be gone for a long time and who knows when he'll be out...

"Wait!"

She turns around to look at him, stepping closer. "Wha-"

He leans in and kisses her. She's surprised, but returns it. Harmony could hear both of their hearts beating as she steps forward, trying to be as close as possible since the bars are in between their bodies. Varian slips his arms through the bars, holding her cheeks as he deepens the kiss. Despite the environment, all is calm and it feels like nothing could break them.

Varian pulls a few minutes later and they stare at each other with half lidded eyes, panting softly. "Thank you...princess," He finally speaks up softly. "I'll see you soon."

"...I love you."

He blinks twice as she places her hands on top of his. "And I'm not just saying that, I've always loved you. I...understand now why you did all those things...and they did hurt, but I could never forget about you, Varian...and I never will..."

"...I love you too, Mona. More than anything."

Harmony closes her eyes as she presses her forehead against his. "I have to go..." She whispers so quietly he almost didn't hear it.

"Hold on."

She stares at him in confusion as he digs into his pocket. "A little birdie told me that your dad broke your necklace, so...I believe this could be a gift. Just for good luck."

To her surprise, he holds out a necklace with a small blue rock, with moon and sun charms on the chain, looking kind of like a charm necklace.

"Vari..." She murmurs in shock. He places it over her neck and she smiles softly. "Thank you."

Varian pecks her lips and she reluctantly lets go, her fingers brushing against his gloves for only a moment. He stares after her as she goes down the hall, trudging her feet along. Once she reaches the door, she glances back at him one last time, smiling lightly.

"See you soon."

"See you soon, love," He whispers and she slowly walks through the door. He had only one thing on his mind.

"When I get back here...I'll never hurt you again..."

The next day, a stranger steps up to where it all happened. The hand lightly touches a rock. She pulls out a sword, and on her hand is the same symbol that's on Quirin's chest in the cottage. Her sword cuts through something, and the black rock is actually cut off!

**Angel: I initially wasn't going to have Varian go on the trip, because he was supposed to be in jail for the whole next season XD But then I thought that maybe during the trip, he could realize his actions (because we never saw it in canon), and then I tried to get an idea of how he could be there without technically being out of prison, because he needs to pay for his actions. (Sorry, I know that sounds prejudiced, but with his crimes, it was hard to argue about) So after coming up with several ideas, I finally went with the idea that Harmony could arrange for him to come. Plus, it is a Varian/OC story, and it just felt weird to have him gone for a whole season if it's supposed to focus on the two. **

**So...the show has officially ended...but that's not gonna stop me! Sure, there's some questions I wished they had answered, but I'll be okay with the ending we got. And I'll be even writing some things after the series finale (I'll leave it up to you guys to guess what would happen). Thank you everyone for your amazing feedback and support. I get so happy reading them. See you guys on Thursday with both parts of Beyond the Corona Walls!**


	26. Beyond the Corona Walls Part 1

**Angel: First chapter of the second season~ *does a little dance* I finally got to this point! I'm almost at the mid-season special, I've been working non-stop on this story since I'm not uploading two-part specials separately anymore. Also, I wanna ask you guys something: What do you think of me doing a one-shot story for the Tangled series after this story ends? Let me know what you guys think and I might just do it! But only after this story is over.**

**My Crimes and Defenses teacher gave ME a gold star for sections of a paper I have to do. That means I earned 10 extra homework points AND I get my lowest homework grade dropped. Ha ha! *does another dance***

**Also, they're finally having new episodes out for Rise of the TMNT this month! Too bad we've gotta wait three weeks for them, though...**

**I also included an OC here too! If you think about it before you read the end, you just might find out who she is ;) **

_Previously on Tangled..._

_Rapunzel, with her brown hair, stopped on Fidella, seeing the Corona Wall. "Have you ever seen anything so beautiful? We'll get out there soon."_

_Eugene took a hold of her hand._

"_I can't wait to meet my little sister!" Rapunzel bounced up and down. She ran up to the girl and gave her a tight hug._

"_Yes, it is very pleasant to see you, dear sister," Harmony curtsied to her._

"_I just wish our dad would let us go out and see the real world." Rapunzel opened up her arms to a baby, only to be moved away by a guard._

"_This is where they found the miracle flower that saved your mom, and the Moonstone Opal that was left for you, Princess Harmony."_

"_What...?" Harmony stared at the symbol on her hand._

"_What are they?" Rapunzel inspected them._

"_Don't know. They're unbreakable," Cass broke her sword on the rocks as soon as the weapon touched them. The sisters touched one at the same time, and the blast knocked them back, resulting in strands of their hair glowing gold and blue._

_Harmony's hand glowed, sprouting a black rock. She scooted back in shock._

"_You touched a mysterious rock that somehow caused your hair and powers to return..."_

_The two sisters landed at the end of the hill, Rapunzel's hair now long and blonde, Harmony's hair a turquoise blue._

"_We once tried to double cross this guy called The Baron," Eugene turned around in shock at Weasel and another guard at the open wall, when Lance returned to "see him." "He hasn't stopped hunting us since."_

"_Of course, it didn't help matters that Eugene stole his prized stallion," Lance brought up to Angry and Red, Eugene flinching, elbowing him._

"_Those black rocks are actually some kind of—of ancient darkness...but the wielder doesn't necessarily have to be dangerous." Rapunzel and Harmony recovered the first piece of the scroll, letting Varian examine it once he saw them again._

"_These rocks hold a secret, and somehow, I'm connected to it. And I don't know what will happen to Harmony once I uncover it..."_

_The sisters touched the rocks, breaking through the wall._

"_I can see now that they're pointing in a direction. Pointing you both in a direction."_

"_It's like the rocks, your rocks, want us to follow them..." The sisters stepped onto the rocks, closing their eyes and stepping forward._

_A mysterious woman went back to the scene, with the same symbol as Quirin's chest on her hand. She pulled out her sword and cut right through Harmony's black rock._

_25 years ago..._

_In the dark kingdom, the king was pacing around, surrounded by black rocks. The woman and Quirin were standing nearby._

"_I can't stand this anymore! This stone has destroyed too many lives!" He pointed to the Moonstone Opal, where it lied in a different room, away from them in a sort of prison. "It stops today!"_

_He ran towards the stone, trying to break through the prison, his sword splitting into pieces. He reached out to touch it, but Quirin held him back._

"_Your majesty, please! You're not thinking clearly. You know the stone cannot be destroyed!"_

_The king pushed Quirin off him, trying to grab the opal. It reacted by blasting Edmund and the duo onto the floor. A large shockwave occurred, some pieces of the castle falling into the room from above. Quirin and the woman looked up, running over to his aid._

"_Your majesty!" Together, they pushed the debris off him, the king coughing weakly._

"_I was a fool...It cannot be stopped." The woman's eyes widened. "Our only hope is to keep its power from the world."_

"_But your majesty!" The woman protested behind Quirin._

"_At any cost," He shook his head rapidly. "You must...leave this castle. Keep any from finding it."_

_She closed her eyes, looking away. Then she noticed a long blade glowing nearby. "Anyone who seeks out this opal...must. Be. Stopped!"_

* * *

_11 years later..._

_He paced around in solitude, all alone. He couldn't take it anymore. The opal hurting everything around it, his kingdom...his family and subjects all gone..._

"_What can I do? It must be hidden, but I can't stand to look at it!" He gritted his teeth at the opal across the room. He hated it. What it's done, what it represented...and what darkness it brought upon the world. It may be in that prison, but it had done more damage than good. But he can't touch it directly..._

"_Hm..." He stepped across the path, looking at the prison. He tried to reach inside it...but he had never tried touching the prison directly... He took a hold of it and plucked the giant thing off, to his surprise. But if he was going to finally get it away from him, where would he sent it? There were kingdoms from miles away..._

_He then remembered a certain kingdom that just had another princess, despite the oldest still being lost. And this time, there was no one to stop him from doing this..._

_The next day, a large crate was brought to the royal family. Frederic looked tired, but he looked to his newborn daughter with a small smile on his face. Arianna took a flower from nearby and gave it to Harmony to hold. The baby cooed at it, holding the flower in her hand curiously. She twirled it between her hands._

"_Open it," The queen told the guards. Once they did, they stared at the opal in awe. They had never seen it before, and it was definitely new to them. _

"_It's from a King Edmund..." Pete read the card. "We found it at the same location of the sun drop flower."_

_Frederic glanced at his wife. Arianna stepped up to the opal, Harmony eyeing it curiously. Once she came into close proximity with it, the stone flashed._

"_What's happening?" Arianna looked between the opal and her daughter in shock. The opal then floated out of the prison, shimmering as it floated over to the baby. She took it into her hands and her left hand glowed blue._

"_Harmony!" Frederic snatched it away, holding it with a handkerchief. Everyone around them gasped at what happened. The king and queen inspected the baby's hand to see the crescent moon symbol on it. Frederic tried to wipe it off, but by the look of the symbol, it was now a part of her. Pete took away the Moonstone as he looked up at his wife. "I don't know what just transpired, but it won't happen again. Until we are sure of her being safe from the outside world, we shall lock her doors. We will reduce the staff coming in and out of her room. Contact must be limited to everyone inside the castle. No citizen or criminal shall ever lay witness to the princess again!"_

"_Frederic!" Arianna tried to warn him. "I'm sure it's fine..."_

"_After losing our daughter...we can't take any chances, Arianna," He told her regrettably and she frowned sadly._

* * *

Birds are chirping in the present day as the sun is shining on a yellow and purple caravan, followed by a brown caravan being driven by Silver. Max and Fidella are moving the caravan, a hummingbird going towards some sunflowers.

Cass is sitting up front as Rapunzel opens up a door.

_I wanna break every rule_

_And cross every line_

She runs out of the caravan with a big smile on her face. "Whoo-hoo!"

_I wanna show all the stars _

_How stars oughta shine..._

She looks out a telescope to all the stars in the sky.

_I wanna do as I please_

_And knock the world to its knees_

She unties her hair, wrapping it around a tree.

_And go wherever the breeze is blowing_

She climbs up the tree using her hair.

_Next stop, anywhere_

Rapunzel holds out Pascal as her hair flies past. She can see all the trees, lakes, and some mountains.

_Got a whole wide world to see_

She paints the nature around her.

_Nothing's stopping me_

She proudly holds up her journal once she's finished.

_Next stop, anywhere_

She does a cartwheel, running across a field and then stands in a lake with a crane.

_Cause with so much waiting_

_I know it's waiting_

_I feel it waiting out there!_

She runs up the top of a waterfall, the birds flying away into the skies.

_Everywhere!_

Eugene pants as he manages to catch up to her and Pascal. "Blondie, wait up!" He pants, laying down on a rock out of exhaustion. "Oh, man, do you have any idea how hard it is keeping up with you out here?"

Pascal just shakes his head with an amused smile. "Come on, Eugene!" Rapunzel encourages him. "It's my first trip outside of Corona! It's like a whole new chapter of our lives has just begun!"

"Yeah, that's...kinda what I was thinking, too," Eugene holds up a red box with an engagement ring inside...

"I mean, aren't you excited to see where Harmony's rocks are taking us?"

He stands up with a smile. "Well, uh, let's see. Excited? To follow a bunch of creepy rocks that your little sister has barely learned to control?" Eugene pokes one, recoiling his hand back in pain. "Ah! To who knows where?"

She sighs at him, shaking her head. "Of course, I'm excited. I'm with you! What else could I be?" He takes a hold of her hand. He takes a map out of his vest, throwing it behind his back.

**We're gonna toss out the maps**

**And follow the sun**

_We're gonna blaze on our own path_

_And go on the run_

Rapunzel pulls him forward and he screams as they jump off the waterfall.

**We're gonna get out and do what nobody's done**

_There's so much out there to do_

_We've barely begun_

They run up to a crater and she drops a rock inside.

**We're gonna take every dare**

_**And feel the wind in our hair**_

They both smile, closing their eyes as they feel all the butterflies flying past them.

_**With no one tellin' us where we're going**_

_**Next stop, anywhere**_

They play with the sheep and farmer, waving to them once they're done.

_**If you're there, I'm gonna be**_

_**Where I wanna be**_

_**Next stop, anywhere**_

The two roll down a cliff, Rapunzel landing in mud.

_**And the world is calling**_

_**It keeps on calling**_

Rapunzel grabs the flaps from Eugene's vest.

_**Just think of all that we'll share**_

_**Everywhere**_

They smile at each other lovingly, Cass arriving with the caravan. Harmony is walking next to the brown cart.

Harmony's hair is in a high ponytail that cascades down to her hips, a white lily resting over her left ear. She has two braids in her hair near her ears, which hang free past her shoulders and rest over her clothes. She wears hoop earrings with small blue beads threaded onto them. Her frilly white long-sleeved blouse is pirate-like that shows her shoulders with a frilly black bodice over her waist that has white buttons, her pants red and shin-length. There's also a black/red belt over her waist, with a sheath attached to her back for the sword she got on her birthday from Eugene, and her bow and quiver. Her feet are bare like her sister's, a golden bracelet on her right wrist and a red beaded anklet on her left. A dark green shawl is tied around her waist, stopping at her thighs. And of course, she's wearing the necklace Varian gave to her just before they left.

"Rapunzel!" Cass calls out. "Do me a favor, try not to run off like that. Not that I don't think you can handle yourself, but I promised your dad I'd keep you both safe, and I'd hate to lose you less than a week on the road."

"Has it been that long already?" Rapunzel turns around to look at her sister, who checks her log book.

"Technically only 3 days, if you wanna be specific," She smiles playfully. Daisy flies above her head, chirping at the sights around her.

"You've got to exercise at least some caution out here. Trust me, Raps. The real world isn't all fun and games," Cass keeps her eyes on the road.

"Next stop: Vardaros!" Hook Foot lifts himself up to the roof, followed by Lance.

"City of fun and games!" Lance laughs a little.

"I am so glad we decided to bring those three along," Cass murmurs in disdain. "And that the princess decided to bring a dangerous criminal with us!"

Harmony blinks, narrowing her eyes and closing the book. Ever since she announced that Varian was coming along, things have been pretty dicey between Harmony and Cassandra. She is very against bringing the boy along, because after what he's done, she doesn't believe that this trip will help him. Prison, however, would.

"Oh, come on, Cass!" Eugene steps in between the two men. "Vardaros is an amazing city! You're gonna have fun! Which I'm guessing is a new thing for you."

Cass glares at him and Rapunzel leans in. "Cass, I know that you and Harmi have had your differences ever since we left Corona, but she's kept her promise to not let him out unless it's absolutely necessary. And he hasn't shown that he'll hurt us. Can you at least try to get along?"

"Emphasis on trying with the princess who brought a criminal that tried to hurt me," Cass grits her teeth.

Rapunzel sighs at her. "Come on, Pascal! It's our first big city outside of Corona," Rapunzel lets him out of her bag and he crawls onto her shoulder. "You heard Eugene, Cass! This is gonna be fun!"

**H: Next stop, anywhere**

Harmony runs along a lake, seeing a cliff up ahead and smirking.

**Got a destiny**

**And it's out there waitin' for me**

She jumps off the cliff, soaring across the sky as she lands in the water below. Once she comes up for air, she shakes her wet hair with a big smile.

_C: Next stop, anywhere_

_Got a feeling things'll be happening suddenly_

_R: Next stop, anywhere_

Rapunzel holds out a torch to what looks like dinosuar bones in a cave.

_Gonna chase my destiny_

_Find the best in me_

**Next stop, anywhere**

**Cause it's time we went to be where we're meant to be**

**H: Next stop, anywhere**

**Gonna find the answers **

**Cause I'm flying free!**

_**Next stop, anywhere**_

_C: And the world is waitin'_

**I feel it waitin'**

Eugene jumps onto Max, smiling.

**H: Cause it's waitin' **

_It's all just waitin' out there_

_**Everywhere**_

**Everywhere**

_Everywhere!_

"Vardaros, here we come!" Rapunzel declares happily.

"Not that you shouldn't trust the endorsement of three lifetime criminals, and one that shouldn't have been let out, Raps, but maybe you two should trust me, too. I just wanna make sure we're not losing sight of what we're doing out here," Cass warns the sisters. "Listen...Harmi, I know it's hard seeing what happened to him, but...Varian is dangerous," Cass places a hand on her shoulder. "I honestly think that you shouldn't try to free Quirin. How can you? You don't even know what chemicals Varian used-"

Harmony slaps her hand off, glaring at the woman. "Cass...I promised him that I'd find a way, even if it takes the rest of my life. And I can't break another promise like you guys did to him...I have to try."

"I know! Believe me, Cass," Rapunzel changes the subject. "I want answers more than anyone..." She pulls out the scroll piece, opening it up. "I feel like whatever is waiting for us at the end of this road, is only _part _of why we're out here..."

Someone from the shadows is keeping a close eye on them. Harmony senses it and whips around, but sees no one.

"Hm..." She decides to let it go for now, taking the piece from Rapunzel. The blonde notices her expression and silence. The girl has been the only one to check up on him consistently, and with Cass trying to discourage her...she may not approve, but everyone else could understand Harmony's decision on the matter. And she wasn't going to make another mistake not trusting her sister like she did during the storm...

"You know...you can talk to him if you think it'll help," Rapunzel speaks up. "Don't worry about Dad. It'll be just between us."

"Thank you, Rapunzel," Harmony whispers gratefully, pulling the older princess into a gentle hug. She releases the woman and runs off.

"Raps. You just might've sent her to her doom," Cass stares on in disapproval.

"Come on, Cass, he could use the company. Besides...I don't want to discourage her. Look at Eugene, he was a thief and look at him. Varian needs someone to be there for him, even if he doesn't want it."

Harmony lightly knocks on the door, opening it. Varian is sitting right across from her, looking a bit tired. Ruddiger is sleeping on his lap as Harmony shuts it closed.

"Hey..." She murmurs as she turns around.

"...Hey," He replies in a quiet whisper. She glances away to the corner, seeing a bunch of empty beakers.

"What's all this?"

"Rapunzel brought it for me, left it in here before we took off. Said she got them from my lab to see if they could help with my father..." He says the last word in a broken voice.

"She came in here?" Harmony raises a brow.

"No: it was there before I came in. She left a note."

She looks to the crumpled paper nearby and deduces that must've been the aforementioned note.

"...Nothing so far has worked," He grits his teeth. "All because of them...!"

"We'll find a way," She murmurs, kneeling in front of him. "But Vari, eventually you need to think about the others and then we find the solution-"

"What if we don't?! What if he's trapped in there forever, Mona...?"

"I won't let that happen," She declares to him.

"Please...please help him," Varian looks up at her with soft, broken eyes. "Please...even if you don't...I want you to know that my feelings never...changed. You mean everything to me, and...I don't blame you for what you did...having to stop...me..."

He starts sobbing and she gives him a hug, squeezing her eyes shut.

_Thank you, Varian, for trusting me...I promise that I'll find the solution to freeing him. I'll be there for you when no one else was... _

She lets out a small sigh as she exits the prison caravan, closing the door behind her. She starts walking up to the other caravan.

"Still think it's a good idea to let him come?" Cass calls out as she freezes. The girl's shocked eyes turn into an annoyed look, and therefore, clamps her mouth shut. She walks backwards and opens up the door to the boys' part of the caravan, seeing Eugene holding the box with the ring inside.

"Alright, boys, we're gonna try this proposal thing one more time, and where better than Vardaros? One of the most beautiful cities in the world. It's perfect!"

"Didn't she say "no" the first time you proposed?" Lance asks knowingly. Eugene looks up at him questioningly. "I'm just sayin'. You probably thought that was gonna be perfect, too."

"Thank you, Lance," Eugene replies with a slight hiss, closing the box.

"Mm-mm. No, no," Harmony shakes her head. "Eugene...I know that you love my sister, but think about it. We're heading off to find our own answers, and I'm not sure another proposal attempt is what Rapunzel is looking for right now..."

"It makes perfect sense to me!" Hook Foot shrugs nonchalantly. "The crown princess is out in the free world for the first time in her life along with her little sister! I'm sure she's just itchin' to settle down with you!"

The caravan creaks and then stops as Eugene sits across from them, giving them looks.

"We're here," Cass' muffled voice announces.

"Woohoo!" Lance hollers as he and Hook Foot run out of the carriage. "I'm gonna find a picnic spot!"

"No way! You got to choose last time, and there were ants all over the place!" Hook Foot hollers as Rapunzel smiles at the duo.

"Men," Harmony shakes her head in amusement.

"Harmi, let Varian out and come on!" Rapunzel encourages the girl, throwing her the keys.

"What? Raps, what happened to letting him out unless it's absolutely necessary?" Cass demands to her as Harmony opens up the door.

"Well, we can't just leave Varian behind with the caravan, and we need to look after him. Besides, even someone who tried to take revenge against the kingdom needs fresh air, Cass. Harmi will be with him, I'm sure it'll be fine."

She glares as Varian steps out. He glares right back at Cass, walking past the boy cabin with Harmony. Rapunzel walks up to the door, where she can hear Eugene talking to himself inside. "Come on, Fitzherbert, forget Hook Foot! Forget Lance! This is Rapunzel we're talking about. Of course she wants to get married." He looks down at the ring in his hand. "Besides, I'm not asking her to settle down and throw her life away. "I'm just asking her to...settle down."

He then realizes what he's trying to do, but he loves Rapunzel. "Okay, enough already! You just have to ask her flat out!" He gets down on one knee just as the blonde princess is opening the door. "Rapunzel...will you-"

She falls in front of him, looking up to see his position. He stares at her, unsure of what to say. She then notices the ring and he glances at it, hiding the box behind his back. He smiles awkwardly as things now feel weird.

Cass pets Fidella, giving the teen couple a disapproving look. Harmony is picking flowers with Varian, and while he is smiling just a little, she still didn't trust it. After all, he did try to crush her...

Suddenly noises are heard, getting all of their attention. Harmony steps up to the food storage unit, but Cass lowers her sword between Varian and the compartment.

"Stay right there, you two. With you checking, who knows what you'll do?"

"Cass, it's been almost a week, and he's done nothing wrong," Harmony defends in annoyance.

"Yeah _Cassie_," He says in a sassy tone. "Relax. I'm not gonna do anything to your food. How can I? I'm cuffed and you took my gear. Even my bath bombs."

"It's Cassandra to you, Varian," She spits back. "We got that clear?"

"Crystal," Varian replies nonchalantly.

"Good," Cass points her sword towards the compartment, opening it up.

"Huh?!" They all ask in shock.

"Eugene...did you just ask me to marry you?" Rapunzel asks slowly, tucking a bang behind her ear.

"What?!" He laughs nervously. "Ha ha! No! That's...crazy. No, I just—I dropped something."

"Uh..." She stammers a little. She knows what she saw...

"And I got it! That—that something that I dropped, and I knelt down and I picked it up, which would explain why I was on one knee," He looks away awkwardly. "I can see how you would, uh..." He clears his throat. "You know."

"I thought I heard you say marry me..." She grips her arm, staring at him confused and baffled on how to act here.

"Oh, I see now! There's the confusion, because I didn't say 'marry me.' I said...Laramie. Uh, i was talking about my old dog, Laramie."

"You were talking about your old dog, Laramie?" She asks slowly. "To yourself?"

"Yep!" He replies quickly. "Good ole scruffy, totally real, and totally not made up, Laramie!"

A shriek is heard outside before they can continue the awkward conversation further. They burst out of the cabin, weapons and fists ready as the male duo return. "Okay, Cass! Cass! Harmi! Varian! Are you all okay? We heard a scream!"

"That wasn't me, her, or the criminal we have here," Cass gives Varian a look and he just clenches his fists at her. Cass holds up Shorty, who was imitating a screech, which is what they heard before. Everyone around covers their ears except for Varian, who cringes at the noise piercing his ears.

He chuckles and Cass drops him. "Shorty?!" Rapunzel looks at him in surprise.

"How did you get here?" Eugene asks him accusingly.

"How indeed! The circumstances which lead to my unexpected departure from Corona, make for a long, yet fascinating, tale." They glance to each other, wondering just what he had to say.

"Bottom line us, beardy," Cass orders with her arms crossed.

"I fell asleep in a food truck."

"He must've crawled inside and been asleep for the past few days," Harmony deadpans, looking towards the food compartment.

"Huh?!" Lance asks in alarm, running towards the storage. There is literally nothing left, and they had kept it stored for at least a week or two. "No, no, no, no, no! The food! He ate all the food! The bread! The cheese! Those little cocktail wienies in the peppercorn jelly. Gone! All gone! Why? Why?! You're a monster..." Lance starts crying, Eugene rolling his eyes. "This is the worst day..."

"Well, I guess someone should head into town and pick up more supplies," Eugene pinches his forehead. "Anyone up for a walk?"

"Um, I'll go with Harmi and Varian," Rapunzel offers, smiling at him. "If that's...okay."

Harmony glances to Varian, who gives a slight nod. "It's okay with us, sis."

"Sure! I mean, if you want to go for a walk, you don't...need to feel pressured," Eugene rubs the back of his neck, feeling uncomfortable around her. It's the first time they've spoken since the...

Earlier incident.

"No, no. I-I won't."

"But just to be clear, I didn't officially ask you to go for a walk," He elaborates, and Harmony got the sense that this whole walk thing means more than it should...meaning that something happened right before they discovered Shorty.

"O...kay," Rapunzel answers slowly. "But the question was still out there. Doesn't that count?"

"That depends. Are you officially asking me if it counts?" Eugene wonders, the others a bit annoyed as they watch. They didn't understand why the two had the need to act this way, since they've been together for a while now.

"Would that change your answer?"

"I don't know. Would it change yours?"

"This is pretty awkward to watch," Varian whispers to Harmony.

"Oh, so you feel it too? What is up with them...?" She stares at the couple.

"A question's a question. The answer should be the same either way..."

"Yeah, now, I'm confused, Rapunzel," Eugene scratches his cheek. "Do you wanna go for a walk or not?"

"...Do you want to go for a walk?"

Cass growls in frustration. "Guys, I can't take any more! Enough! No one's going for a walk! Let's just take the caravan into town! Together!"

The two glance at each other, unsure if this was how it's going to be from now on...

* * *

Cass sits between the silent couple, feeling the awkwardness in the air. She looks at the two as Rapunzel adjusts her bang. Pascal looks at them and sighs deeply. No one has spoken in what felt like an hour...

"Here we are," Cass stops the horses, Varian stepping out of his prison.

"Vardaros! Here we-" Lance gasps at the 'beautiful' city, which has become run down since their last visit. It's literally almost empty with broken buildings, ripped tarps, and of course black rocks. Some crows caw as they fly past. "Ew..."

"What happened here?" Harmony murmurs in confusion.

"Wow, guys! You were right! This is great!" Cass says joyously. "What do you wanna do first? Get matching face tattoos? I bet Varian would like one! Or see if we can get a deal on a rusty hatchet?" There only seems to be one person around, a girl with braided hair sharpening a knife. She gasps sharply. "Oh, I know! Let's see who can catch the plague first!"

"...You done?" Harmony asks after a few seconds.

"Yup."

"I don't understand! What happened?" Eugene holds his head. This is definitely not how he remembered the city.

"Come on, guys," Rapunzel tries to be optimistic. "Maybe it's not exactly how you remembered it, but that doesn't mean it's not a fun-loving city!"

"There's literally someone sharpening a knife," Varian gestures to the girl.

"Hello, there!" Rapunzel approaches the girl. "We're new in town. My name's-"

"Get lost," She interrupts without even looking up, not seeming to care.

"Uh, maybe you should hold off on the introductions," Cass places a hand on Rapunzel's shoulder. "Something tells me if word got out that actual royalty were in town, we could be in trouble."

"You know, I hate saying this, but she's right. Let's keep a lower profile, princess." Eugene whips around Harmony and Varian, pointing at them. "That goes for you too!"

"Kind of hard to do when he's cuffed," Harmony replies sarcastically, holding up his hands.

"You could just let me go," He smirks a little. "That is, if you want to be skewered alive."

Rapunzel seems to be considering it when Cass holds an arm in front of her. "No. The cuffs stay on. He can stay in his cabin."

"Cass," Harmony narrows her eyes. "That cabin is depressing to be in. Almost no sunlight, with only the bars to look out of, and yet he can't even get up to enjoy it! And besides, you wouldn't want to leave him all alone in there, would you?"

Cass clamps her mouth shut as she knows that the girl is right. "Didn't think so."

"Let's do this. We'll go get the supplies. You four take the caravan back up to the camp," Eugene suggests to them. "The last thing you need is for someone to recognize you."

Despite that, someone's looking right at him using a telescope. "I recognize that guy. Spread the word. Flynn Rider's in town."

"Flynn Rider's in town."

"Hey! Flynn Rider."

"Flynn Rider's in town."

"Flynn Rider."

"It's Flynn Rider."

"Flynn Rider."

"Flynn Rider's in town."

The news eventually reaches a blonde man, who Weasel is kneeling to. "Flynn Rider? Here in Vardaros?"

"Yes, Baron," Weasel smirks a little. "And he's with his friends from Corona, including that little boy who kidnapped the queen, beat up his little girlfriend, and tried to destroy the whole kingdom."

Gold coins are thrown into the fountain, which the goose feed on. "Let me dispose of him. Please!"

"No," The Baron denies, having a better idea. "That's not how this ends. Bring me the man who stole my precious stallion. I wanna settle things with Rider. Properly..."

* * *

The girls and Varian have made it back to the caravan, where Rapunzel has painted a picture of her awkward encounter with Eugene.

"He asked you to marry him again, huh?"

Rapunzel shuts the book quickly, cringing at the sudden voice. She turns around to Cass, looking back towards the other cabin. Harmony locks Varian inside regrettably, walking over to them. Cass scoffs at this.

"Come on! I know you guys well enough by now!"

"I told him not to..." Harmony shakes her head slowly. "That man never stops trying, huh?"

"I-I guess he maybe asked me..."

Varian is listening in with his ear pressed to the door, since Harmony forgot to lock him to the floor.

"Well?" Cass asks expectantly. "What did you maybe say?" She sits next to the woman. Harmony places her elbows on Rapunzel's knees, leaning in eagerly with shined eyes.

"I didn't say anything! And...I'm not sure why."

He leans back a bit, feeling...a bit sympathetic for her? He was unsure of his feelings for the princess, and she felt the same way...that whole 'date' definitely took the cake for them. And he could understand her wanting freedom...but he wants that for himself. Not just him, but for his father as well...he can't find the answer if he's stuck in here all the time with nothing to help him.

And he wants to do it the right way.

Harmony sighs a little at the answer. "Um...Raps...about Varian..." She rubs her arm nervously, not sure of how she'll take it.

"What about him?" Rapunzel raises a brow. "He's okay, isn't he?"

"That depends on how you define okay. Uh...I wanted to know how you'd feel...about maybe letting him out of the cuffs?"

"No," Cass says immediately. "Raps, Varian's dangerous. And your dad said that he's never to be let out. What happened to that?"

"I don't know..." Rapunzel answers skeptically, to Harmony's sadness. She notices the younger girl's look...it was the same look she had when she thought that Eugene was betraying her due to Mother Gothel's lies. She doesn't want Harmony to feel that way again...everyone deserves a second chance. She sighs a bit, giving the girl a gentle smile.

"But maybe we can think about it?"

"Oh, there's nothing to think about," Cass crosses her arms. "He attacked all of us, plain and simple. The only reason why he's here is because you managed to convince your father to bring him along. If it wasn't for you, he'd be getting what he deserved instead of being allowed to come."

"Cass," Rapunzel warns her. "I will ask the others, we'll hear you out, and then we can all vote on it," She places her hands on Harmony's shoulder. "I get why you wanna uncuff him, and I think it could help all of us. Just...just wait until the others get back, okay?"

"Thank you, Rapunzel," Harmony smiles gratefully. Hopefully it'll do some good for Varian...

Someone clears their throat, and it wasn't any of them.

"Oh, if I can on the unsure part for you..." They look around for the source of the voice, peeking around the corner to see the same mystery woman eating an apple. "You have bigger things lying ahead of you." She takes another bite of her apple. "Greetings."

* * *

"I told you she was gonna say no," Hook Foot says knowingly as the boys are walking through town with food. "She wasn't ready!"

"For the last time, she didn't say "no," Hook Foot," Eugene retorts back. "She didn't say anything."

All of them turn around to Eugene quizzically. "Which, in a way, is kind of worse than saying no, so I'd appreciate it, if you'd just change the subject!"

"You got it, pal. I'm not gonna say another word," Hook Foot smiles a little.

"Thank you!" Eugene continues walking silently...until Hook Foot decides to speak up.

"Hey, here's a fun fact! Rapunzel's agreed to marry me as many times as she's agreed to marry you!" Eugene's eyes widen. "And I didn't even have to ask-"

He's hit with a bag to the face, courtesy of Lance. "Now that's enough, Hook Foot! Eugene's in pain," He defends his best friend. "It's not his fault he couldn't see that asking a girl who is free for the first time in her life, to clip her wings and get hitched, would be a horrible idea, but Eugene is still our friend!" The man gives him a glare. "And we should stick by him, no matter how oblivious or-"

"Desperate," Hook Foot adds in.

"Yeah," Lance points to him with a smile. Eugene is not amused by this encouragement, at all.

"Downright pathetic he comes across," Shorty points up to Eugene.

"Isn't that right, buddy?" Lance puts an arm around the deep-frowned man. Hook Foot and Shorty join in with hugs, Eugene glancing at all of them.

"You are all just awful, awful people."

"Hey! You!" The girl from before is calling out to them. "You guys are friends with that annoying girl with the long hair, right?"

"Hey, hey! Easy! That happens to be the woman I love," Eugene defends to her.

"And she's not annoying!" Lance inputs sharply. "We like to use the term 'irrepressible.' "

"No! She's in trouble! That little luna girl too. You better come with me," She takes off running, the boys glancing at each other. This seemed a bit shady, but nevertheless, they follow after her, as they could be in trouble.

When they reach the girl, all they see is an empty alley. "Where are they?" Eugene demands to her.

"How should I know?" The girl smirks, throwing up a bag in her hands. "Some guy just gave me a sliver of gold to get you to come down here."

"Hello, Rider..." Weasel steps out of the shadows, holding a small sword.

"Hoo! Anthony, the Weasel," Eugene smirks in amusement. "See, I knew it was you before I even turned around! Must be standing downwind."

Suddenly, a few men surround them, and they look menacing... "Oof! And I thought I was a big, ugly goon!" Hook Foot comments at the one in front of him.

"An old friend would like to do some catching up with you," Weasel has a smug smile on his face as they get closer.

* * *

"I'm sorry, who are you, exactly?" Rapunzel asks curiously to the stranger. Harmony eyes the woman, tilting her head. She got this feeling all of a sudden...that this woman wasn't an enemy.

"Oh, right, sorry! Princess Rapunzel, Princess Harmony," The woman bows respectfully. "My name is Adira."

Varian peeks through the bars, seeing the woman. "Who is she...?"

"And what do you want, Adira?" Cass asks defensively, standing in front of the two.

"A word with the princesses is all...alone. If you don't mind."

The handmaiden scoffs at this. "Not gonna happen," She places a hand on Adira's shoulder, blocking her still.

"Just a second, Cass," Rapunzel calls out. "Let's hear her out."

"Not everything has to be taken with your way, you know," Harmony steps forward a bit.

Adira looks at Cass' hand on her shoulder instead of speaking directly to the two. "Okay, I gotta be honest. I know we just met, but, uh...I'm not a big fan of people _touching_ me."

"And I'm not a fan of people who lurk in the shadows," Cass narrows her eyes.

"Okay...last chance to do this the nice way," Adira grabs Cass' arm, showing the same symbol on her palm. Cass eyes it for a second, but ignores it in favor of fighting this woman.

"And where's the fun in that?"

"Cass, no! Wait," Rapunzel tries to warn her.

"Please don't..." Harmony murmurs, but Adira spins Cass around, throwing her away. She slides across the grass, gritting her teeth as she stands up. Adira just stands there with her arms behind her back, smirking.

"Hey!"

She turns around to the girls, who are armed and ready. "I don't know who you are, but you do _not _get to do that to my best friend! Well, one of them," Rapunzel ruffles Harmony's hair affectionately. The girl adjusts herself as she points her bow and arrow towards Adira.

"And this is coming from someone who wanted to talk," She glares at the woman.

"Ruddiger, move, I can't see," Varian mutters as the raccoon is standing in front of the bars. Pascal and Daisy watch the display nearby. Adira looks between the three of them. She groans at fighting them.

"Alright then..." She prepares herself, encouraging them to make the first move. The two pets cover their eyes, not wanting to look. The two charge up at Adira, who dodges their attempts. This causes the two to knock into each other, tumbling onto the floor.

"Ow..." Harmony mutters in slight pain, Daisy and Pascal looking at them in shock.

"Let's try that again, weirdo," Cass pulls out her sword, charging towards Adira. Pascal cringes, Daisy chirping in slight alarm.

Adira moves out of the way from Cass' swipes. "I'm not a weirdo. Am I?" She ducks from the princesses' attacks. "Eccentric, maybe. Unconventional, sure, but weirdo?" While saying all of this, she dodges all of their attempts like it was nothing. Varian's mouth opens in shock. He's never seen anyone with that kind of fighting style before. It was definitely new to the three.

Cass looks behind her, only to be kicked onto the ground. Pascal cringes, Daisy covering her eyes with her feathers as she looks away. Cass rolls away from Adira, allowing the two princesses to try another attack.

"Oh, come on, guys. This is ridiculous," She ducks from the two, catching one of Harmony's arrows. "I don't wanna fight you," She steps away from Cass' sword. Cass continues attacking, but Adira doesn't get touched once.

"You could've fooled me," She glares up at Adira, running forward towards her. Adira just backflips, landing behind Cass.

"You guys aren't even trying." She catches Rapunzel's frying pan, looking at the princess. "Oh, wait. They are trying."

"Why don't you try this for size?!" Harmony throws up her hands, sending a few black rocks in Adira's path. She gasps, stepping back a bit in shock.

"You...how...how is this possible? How can she have...?"

"That's it!" Cass jumps into the air and Adira snaps out of it to literally disappear. Cass' sword touches the grass, confusing her. "Huh?" Adira slides behind her, and then with a few swift kicks, knocks the weapon out of the lady-in-waiting's hands. The sword flies into the air as Adira prepares to kick. But she doesn't actually hit Cass, who falls onto the grass. She looks up at Adira, who has a smug smirk on her face.

"Whoa..." Varian murmurs, blinking. Adira offers her hand to Cass, only for her wrist to be snatched by blonde hair.

"Enough!" She narrows her eyes as Harmony directs a black rock towards Adira's neck from the ground.

"Yeah, see, I thought we covered this." She pulls out her sword. "I don't like being touched!" She holds it up into the air, the teens' eyes widening.

"NO!"

Adira slams her sword towards the hair, but it has no effect. They all gasp at this. "Huh?" Rapunzel murmurs in shock.

"It didn't cut..."

"It didn't break..."

Cass and Harmony look between them as the woman stands up. "It must be made of..."

"Princesses! Cass!" Hook Foot calls out, interrupting Rapunzel before she could finish her sentence. He looks panicked as he's panting.

"Hook Foot!" Rapunzel runs up to him. "Are you okay?"

"I can see you have your hands full," Adira simply walks away. "I'll seek you out later. And believe me, Princess Harmony..." She looks over her shoulder. "We will speak again."

Rapunzel just glares as Harmony is confused. "What does she mean by that...?"

"I fought as hard as I could," Hook Foot states once he catches his breath. "And barely got away alive!"

"Wait, wait? Fought? Fought who?" Then she notices that he's all alone. "Where's Eugene?"

"Or Lance and Shorty for that matter?" Harmony asks in concern.

Hook Foot breathes heavily, not wanting to tell her...but he had to. "I'm so sorry. Eugene...Shorty...Lance...they took them all."

Rapunzel's eyes go wide in horror. Harmony's mouth opens as does Varian's.

* * *

Crows caw as on a private land, Weasel is escorting the trio to a certain person. All of them are tied up with rope and forced to kneel. Shorty snores, falling backwards onto the floor. Two feet step towards them slowly

"It's the...oh, it's...it's the..."

"Baron!" Eugene finishes for the terrified Lance. The same one that was after Angry and Red, and that Eugene and Lance stole from when Lance returned to Corona. "Ha ha! Long time, no see. I'm glad to see you've set up shop here in Vardaros now." The Baron just gives him a furious look. "In fact, we were just admiring what you've done with the place."

"If you'd like to keep your tongue, I suggest you stop moving it...now," Weasel threatens, pulling at Eugene's collar.

"Anthony, enough," Baron warns him and he lets go of Eugene. "Quit playing games, Rider. I've been waiting for this moment. It's time to make amends for what you did to my Stalyan and Morgan."

"Oh, right!" He chuckles nervously, looking away. "The Stalyan and Morgan incidents. You really should let this whole Stalyan and Morgan thing go. Come on! I mean, it's ancient history." Lance smiles widely as he nods in agreement. "Let's all just move on..."

"Let's not."

"Yeah, _Rider_."

Two people are standing right behind them, one of them a young woman. A younger girl next to her has the same fair skin with rosy cheeks, but her mole is on her right cheek. She looks to be the same age as Harmony and Varian. Her lipstick is red, her wavy brown hair going just below her shoulders. Part of it is tied back into a braid. She has violet eyes and silver horseshoe earrings for jewelry. She has a red neck collar, a belt with the silver horseshoe in the middle, a red corset top, black skirt, and shin-length black boots.

They both smirk at him.

"Hello, Stalyan. Morgan," Eugene narrows his eyes at her.

Stalyan takes the bag she has and puts it over her shoulder, walking past them. "Hello, Rider," She lightly smacks him across the face as Morgan blows a raspberry at the man.

"Yeah, real mature," He retorts to the girl.

"So was leaving me to get arrested during a heist," She follows Stalyan up the steps, who both kiss the Baron on his cheeks.

"I'm so confused," Shorty states, though he's like this almost all the time...

"Staylan and Morgan are the Baron's daughters," Lance explains to him. He clears his throat, "And Stalyan's Eugene's ex."

"I see! ...And who's this Eugene guy?"

"Are these really people you hang out with?" Morgan snorts at this.

"Hey! Stalyan! How are ya? Uh, look, before you two get too upset, I can explain."

"Oh, we're not upset, Rider. Besides, what's to explain?" Stalyan clenches a fist. "You left me at the altar!"

"And you basically turned me in to the guards!" Morgan grits her teeth. "I spent a year in jail because of you!"

"Did I? Did I...do those things? Is that how it went down? Because those aren't how I remember it! But hey, you know, it was—it was quite some time ago," Eugene tries to get out of this unscathed, both of them rolling their eyes. "Who's to say who did what that day? I mean-"

"Stop talking," Stalyan orders him and he clamps his mouth shut. She steps up towards him, Morgan crossing her arms. "After what you did to me and my dear little sister, I swore that if I ever saw you again, I would break a lot of bones."

"Fair, fair. We're talking about _my _bones, is that correct?"

"Yes, you two-bit hood," Morgan sneers at him and he whips around to her.

"You know, I never liked you! You remind me too much of another dragon-lady, who I hope you never meet!"

"But with time comes perspective," Staylan continues her point. "I realized that we were meant for each other, Flynn Rider. Partners in crime. Partners in life. We can't change what we are."

"Ugh, disgusting," Morgan looks away with a gag.

"You just don't understand it yet, Mo," Stalyan calls out.

"Ew. No. You don't see me ever having...those kind of feelings," She waves it off.

"Wait, what? What are you talking about?"

"I'm making you a proposition, Rider," Baron speaks up. "Keep good on the promise you made to my oldest daughter, and marry her."

"Waiting for the or," Eugene looks away, as he does not want to do that option whatsoever. Not on his life.

"Or...you, Strongbow, and your pet troll will perish." The Baron stands up, Morgan rubbing her hands together in glee.

"Painfully," Weasel adds in.

Eugene scoffs at this. "You can't make me marry her, Baron!"

"Oh, I'd like to give it a try," He taps his ring, opening it up.

"Oh, Daddy, can I do it this time? Please?" Morgan looks up at him with puppy eyes.

"Anything for my little girl," He pats the top of her head and she holds out her hands. A spider crawls up onto them, causing Lance to gasp in fear.

"It's a spider, Eugene! Eugene, it's a spider. You know I hate...spiders," He starts breathing heavily.

"Not just any spider," Baron grins at the insect. "It's a venomous Kai spider. Its bite causes fever and delirium," Morgan smiles evilly as the spider crawls around her hand. "Only when there's swelling of the tongue and throat, do you know the end is near..."

Morgan steps up to the duo, waving it between them. She then plants it on Lance, who shudders. He tries to blow it away, to no avail.

"Spiders bite. He's on me! He's on me! He's walking! He's walking! He's on my hand! He's-" The spider bites onto his hand. "Ow!"

Lance whimpers as he falls onto Eugene's shoulder. "No! Is he dead?"

"No," The Baron rolls his eyes. "The half-wit passed out from fear."

"The big baby," Morgan scoffs at him.

"They're right. That's exactly what happened," Lance opens his eyes, realizing what the girl said. "Wait, hey! I resent that, Morgan!"

"But he will be dead by nightfall," The Baron reveals, to their horror. "Unless, of course, you have this," He digs into his collar, pulling out a tiny vial with orange liquid inside. "The anti-venom. Marry Stalyan, and this will be your wedding present from me."

"Trust me, Rider," Stalyan places a hand on his shoulder, smiling. "It's meant to be." She joins her father and her sister.

Eugene narrows his eyes at the family. He didn't have a choice...it was the only way to save Lance.

"Congratulations, Mr. Groom," Shorty tells him, though it was not a happy occasion at all...


	27. Beyond the Corona Walls Part 2

**Angel: *pinches nose* Somebody had the nerve to copy my Sophia X story and put it on Wattpad after I was alerted to this situation...third time this has happened to me over the past few months. Someone just tell me why this keeps happening? People who copy from others need to get their minds straight and create their own stories. I wouldn't be surprised if I found this story on Wattpad as well at some point. True, Sophia X is my least-favorited fic I've ever done, but plagiarism is still plagiarism. **

"Somebody somewhere has to know who took Eugene," Rapunzel holds up a wanted poster from Corona of Eugene. "We'll cover more ground if we split up. Harmony, you got Varian?"

"Mmhm," She nods as Varian is standing next to her in cuffs. They separate in different directions. They ask everyone they can find, asking if they've seen him. However, most are either not willing to talk or don't want to. They're also ignored and ridiculed.

"No one wants to talk!" Hook Foot states once they've met back up. Rapunzel groans, holding her head.

"Look, Raps, we've been at this for hours," Cass speaks up. "Maybe we should go back to Corona and send for the cavalry," Cass shakes dirt out of her boot. "If we leave now, we can be back in two wee-"

Harmony and Varian both wince, looking away as Cass notices the look. "Oh! You're right! I'm so sorry!" Cass cringes, backing away. "Please stop looking at me like that."

Rapunzel is breathing heavily with a glare, Harmony shrinking behind Varian, who looks away while sweating.

"You know, she might have broken her promise to me, but suddenly I find her really intimidating," Varian whispers to the princess.

"What's the matter, Princesses?"

"Huh?" They look to each other at the new voice, glancing upwards.

"Looking for your boyfriend?" The same girl who led Eugene away snickers.

"You!" Rapunzel glares up at her. She runs up the pathway, undoes her hair, and captures a mast with it. She swings around and grabs the girl by the collar. "You know something! What do you know? Tell me now, or so help me!"

"I don't need to tell you nothing!" She growls back at Rapunzel.

"Oh yeah?" Harmony lands behind her, pointing her bow and arrow. Fanfare plays in the distance, getting their attention. Rapunzel drops the girl, trying to deduce where it's coming from. She jumps and runs towards the music. She arrives in an alley, and sees a stage in the distance, surrounded by all of the citizens. Rapunzel steps up slowly as Weasel faces the crowd.

"Alright! Shut your faces and listen up, you scum," He insults them.

"Hey!" Hook Foot, Cass, Harmony, Max, and Varian arrive. "That's the guy that attacked us!"

"Weasel," Both Harmony and Varian narrow their eyes at the sight of him.

"He works for the same person that was after Angry and Red," Harmony whispers to the three.

"The Baron has something he'd like to say," Weasel steps back as the man appears.

"The "Baron" Baron?" Rapunzel looks towards the girls, Cass shrugging.

"Yeah...that'd be him. How many Barons do we know?" Varian whispers to her.

"People of Vardaros, I bring you cause for celebration," Rapunzel manages to weave past the crowd to get to the front. The others step forward behind her. "A glint of joy into your otherwise meaningless and pitiful lives."

Eugene is behind the curtain, listening to the whole thing. "My people will be collecting gifts for the occasion from each of you." He glances to Lance nearby, whose face has green dots on it, his skin turning a light green. He steps up to his wheezing friend.

"Hang in there, buddy. I'm gonna get you outta this," He pats Lance on the shoulder.

"Wow!" Staylan looks at the crowd. "You should see all the people out there!"

"Stalyan, come on. This is stupid," Eugene clenches his fists, standing up.

"I know it is. I told my dad the spider wasn't necessary, but you know bad guys," She smiles in amusement, hands behind her back. "They have such a flair for drama. Kind of like Mo."

"Why thank you," Morgan bows proudly.

"That's not what I meant," Eugene replies in a clenched tone.

"I know what you meant," Stalyan crosses her arms with a knowing smirk.

"Stalyan, I can't do this. I'm in love with someone else," He tells her firmly.

"Yeah. I know. We've all heard the story by now. How the daring, ne'er-do-well thief rescued the lost princess from her tower. And how the princess' sister defeated that boy and took him along with her on your journey. Let me ask you. Do you really think it's fair to ask a girl who spent the first 18 years of her life in prison to give up her freedom for a lifelong relationship with...someone like you? And let's not forget, she's still getting to know her sister, who could destroy someone with the drop of a hat."

"Ugh," Morgan crosses her arms. "She spent 14 years in her castle, and she thinks she has it so bad? Pft," She waves it off.

Eugene stares at them sadly. He thought that was the best decision...but now that he's heard it so much, he's having doubts. He did love Rapunzel...but his friend needed to be saved as well. Plus he doesn't want her to make that kind of commitment yet.

"I am pleased to announce the re-engagement of my oldest daughter, Stalyan," The Baron gestures to the curtain, where the woman steps out to face the crowd.

"Wait. The Baron's daughter?" Rapunzel stares at her.

"Oh! What a daughter," Hook Foot looks at her in awe. Harmony elbows him in the arm.

"And her fiance, Flynn Rider..."

"Huh?" Rapunzel is confused as she hears the name. They're all shocked to see him step out onto the stage.

"What...?" Harmony murmurs in confusion.

Cass stares sadly at her best friend as she approaches the front. "Eugene!"

He hears her voice and sees her in the crowd. "Rapunzel..."

"Eugene, I don't understand. What's going on?" Her heart tries not to break with each sentence. The Baron steps up to deal with her, but Stalyan stops him.

"Rapunzel, I-"

"He's with us now," Staylan interrupts before he could explain.

"This is some kind of joke, right?"

"Nope," Morgan steps up to them.

"Who's she?"

"My little sister Morgan," Stalyan gestures to her.

"How ya doing?" Morgan smirks, wiggling her fingers. A guard whistles and they all turn to the open curtain. No one else but the three of them could see the sick Lance.

"I, uh...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Rapunzel," Eugene says regrettably. He really didn't want to say it, but he had no choice. "But I've made my choice." He walks away from her and she steps up heart-broken.

"Eugene? Eugene!"

They ignore her and leave the stage. Rapunzel hugs Cass and her sister, sobbing into their chests. "Eugene..."

Harmony looks up at Cass sadly, Varian frowning. He wanted to see her feel pain, but...not like this...

Pascal squeaks sadly as Rapunzel continues to cry.

Morgan turns around to give her a raspberry, stopping short when she sees Varian. Her eyes shine at the sight of him. Those blue eyes, that hair, those freckles...she isn't one to fall in love and be mushy like her older sister, but...something about him in those cuffs...

"Dad," She whispers, looking over her shoulder. "I want something from them..."

"Whatever Morgan wants, Morgan gets," He smirks at her. "And what is it that you want?"

"I want..." She looks back to the boy. He's not even looking in her direction, but she already feels a connection.

"Him."

* * *

Eugene paces around in the cell. "Your nose," Lance speaks in a lisp voice, poking Shorty's nose. "It looks like a strawberry. You know, speaking of strawberry—I get the berry part. That part makes perfect sense, but what?! Where does the "straw" come in? They should call it noseberry. Cause it looks like your nose. I'm gonna eat your nose." He chomps towards Shorty, who backs away.

"How's he doing, Shorty?" Eugene finally speaks up.

"He's doing great!" The little man smiles, the former thief looking at him skeptically. But he'd get them out of this.

"Lance, buddy, just hang on, alright? I'm gonna get you that antidote. I promise I'll do whatever it takes."

As he's reassuring him, Staylan appears to see him. "It's the right thing, you know. Getting hitched."

"And so is taking that little boy for my taking," Morgan smirks, crossing her arms.

"You? And V-Varian?" Eugene starts laughing and she glares at him. "And what makes you think he'd even want to be stuck with you?"

"That girl has him handcuffed like a slave," She examines her fingers smugly. "He'll choose freedom over her."

"That's because he threatened Corona. Not that I agree with him coming, but he'd rather be cuffed than to be with you!" He spits at Morgan, who clenches her fists. He's still getting used to having Varian around, but...he's seen how happy he makes Harmony outside of his current state. Of course he doesn't trust the boy, but if that's what is going to make someone he respects smile...

Then he's fine with that. And he believes in the girl's promise to help Varian.

"Staylan, you need to call this off, and get me that antidote right now," Eugene steps up to the bars.

"You know what I was thinking about earlier?" She asks instead of listening to him. "Our trip to Pincosta. Remember you said stealing the sultan's jewels was one of the worst ideas I've ever had, but then, I made you go through with it, and well, we made a fortune that day." She clasps her hands together. "My point is, I know what's best for you, Rider. I always have. I know in my heart that this is where you belong, Flynn. And deep down, you know it too."

He looks at her in annoyance before adverting his eyes away.

"And I know what's best for Varian," Morgan swoons at the name. "Trust me, he'll choose me over that princess who's keeping him on a leash."

"Well...it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding, and the last thing any of us needs is..." Stalyan glances towards Lance. "Bad luck. Right, Flynn?"

"It's Eugene now," He calls out as he watches the duo leave.

"No it's not. See you out there," She throws the keys in front of the cell, surprising him.

* * *

"I don't understand," Rapunzel states once they've returned to the caravan. "Guys, how can Eugene be getting married...?" She lightly touches a drawing of herself and Eugene. "What if that's the last time we ever talked? Why didn't I say...yes?"

If she had answered him earlier, he wouldn't be marrying someone else...

_When I let him walk away_

She caresses the page, a tear falling onto it.

_What if I had spoken stay?_

_Why did I go on concealing_

_The confusion I was feeling?_

She slowly stands up, putting her journal on her bed.

_Now I'll never get to say_

_All the things I should have said_

She opens up the door with a downtrodden look.

_Now there's no more love, just echoes of_

_The life we should have led_

She can imagine Eugene bending down on one knee, holding out the ring.

_If I could take that moment back_

Her feet slowly step up to Eugene, clasping her hands to her heart.

_If he were here beside me still_

She lightly touches the box with her hand and he stands up.

_I'd let him see inside my heart_

He touches her cheek and she places a hand on his arm. They lean in for a kiss, but it was all just a dream now...

_Now he never will_

The image of the two fades away right in front of her eyes.

**Maybe if I gave her time**

Eugene's still in the prison, looking outside the window.

**Maybe if I didn't go**

**Maybe things somehow would change, but now**

He takes the keys, walking up to the window.

**I guess we'll never know**

He grips the bars with his hands, wishing he could explain to Rapunzel why he had done what he did.

_If I could take that moment back_

She walks outside past Hook Foot and Cass and down the path. Cass looks up at her.

**If I could turn back time, I would**

Eugene looks sadly towards the box in his hand.

_**If we could make a brand new start**_

_**How I wish we could**_

_Wish I could take it back_

_But now it's gone_

Rapunzel looks towards the moon forlornly.

_For good_

**Wish I had that moment back**

Eugene is looking at the full moon as well, looking towards the ground. He slides towards the floor, deeply regretting what happened with her...he never wanted to hurt her like that, but...Lance is still in danger of being killed...

* * *

Harmony is silently cleaning up the tray of empty food that Varian ate. He's not cuffed to the wall, but still handcuffed nevertheless. Both of them are silent as they can still remember Rapunzel's crying...her broken heart...

"...How's she doing?" Varian asks softly. Harmony looks up at him slowly, seeing the sympathy in his eyes. "Be honest."

"...I wish I could be," She murmurs, sighing. "This isn't right. Eugene wouldn't just up and marry someone else!"

"I think so too, but even then...why would he do it?"

She then recalls the event, remembering something. She slowly puts the tray on the table nearby. Varian notices her thinking face.

"What is it?"

"...It's kind of weird that we didn't see Lance or Shorty with him," She points out. "The Baron and Weasel did get to them too, right? Then why weren't they on stage?"

"He could've been holding them in his prison," Varian raises a brow.

"No, Vari," She shakes her head and his heart beats a little at the nickname. "I'm saying this is foul play. They might be forcing Eugene to marry Stalyan against his will...and I think it's got to do with Lance. Shorty's already...well, he's already got enough in his life," She glances away for a second. He is a friend, but Eugene would've had to be convinced to help him in any way. "They must've found out that he's back in town. So much for keeping a low profile."

"That would explain things..." Varian looks away in thought. "But what could've they done so bad to force him to marry Staylan?"

"I don't know...but we should go find out."

"Uh, no offense, but your sister doesn't seem so keen on the idea," He tells her.

"Which is why I have to convince her to go," Harmony stands up, smiling a little. "Vari...I know that you and my sister still have issues, but...thank you for not acting upon it further."

He shuts his eyes. It still hurt thinking about what she said to him...and why she couldn't help his father. "...I wanted her to suffer...I won't lie about that. But what she saw and heard...no one should go through that. Even someone who broke her promise to me."

"I just wish it didn't happen," Harmony murmurs, opening up the door and looking at him. "I'll be back soon."

"Take your time, Mona...you're worth it," He smiles a bit and she blushes bashfully. She closes the door and steps up to the caravan, her hand waving in front of the door. She can still hear Rapunzel's sobbing and she knocks.

"C-Come in."

Harmony opens up the door, seeing her sister sitting on the bed sadly. She takes a seat next to the blonde.

"Rapunzel...I know you're confused...sad...heartbroken...but we know Eugene and we know that he wouldn't do something like this."

"Harmi...I know what I saw. I just wish I understood why," Rapunzel places her head on her sister's shoulder.

"I think I have an idea," Harmony whispers softly. "Stalyan is the Baron's daughter, right? And the Baron doesn't overlook punishment easily from what I heard. Since Eugene's had trouble with him, the Baron must be blackmailing him to marry his oldest daughter. I don't know how...but I do know that Lance must have something to do with it."

"...But what if it's not blackmail? What if he really did decide to marry Staylan?"

"Eugene Fitzherbert," Harmony raises a brow. "You must have him mistaken for someone else. He's a loyal guy. He wouldn't do something like this unless he was forced."

"I wanna believe you, but..." Rapunzel puts a hand to her heart and Harmony sighs, slipping off the bed.

"Okay...time for me to lay down the truth."

**It's time you learned a lesson**

**It's time that you understand**

Harmony places a hand on Rapunzel's shoulder with soft eyes.

**Don't ever think you can't count on someone else**

**In this or any other land**

She gets onto her feet, gesturing for Rapunzel to follow her.

**I once hoped for freedom**

**To find a place among my kind**

The girl looks around the forest, imaging the citizens of Corona turning her away.

**And those were the childish wishes **

**Of someone who was blind**

She closes her eyes sadly.

**Open up your eyes**

**See the world from where I stand**

_Harmony pulled out her bow and arrow, pointing it towards her target._

**Us among the mighty**

_The four stood proudly in front of the crowd at the coronation._

**Enemy caged at our command**

**Open up your eyes**

Harmony opens her eyes, running towards the forest with Rapunzel.

**Give up your sweet fantasy land**

Memories of Rapunzel hugging Varian, smiling at the guests that had come to greet her when she returned to Corona, and her being proposed to appear.

**It's time to grow up and get wise**

**Come now, little one**

Harmony leads her to a lake, fireflies flying around them.

**Open up your eyes**

She can faintly remember Eugene being there for her when the blonde was betrayed...when she was lied to from her father...when he trapped her in her room...this may be a fascinating environment around them, but there were also risks, like Cass said.

Not that Harmony would admit that Cass is right at this point in time.

**We all start out the same**

**With simple naïve trust**

Rapunzel's eyes turn soft as they both remember having to fight Varian in front of his home...

**Shielded from the many ways **

**That life's not fair or just**

_Frederic handed them their tiaras and Rapunzel ran off crying._

_He ripped off Harmony's necklace, throwing it into the fire._

**But then there comes a moment**

**With simple truth you must face**

_Rapunzel shed a tear as she watched her childhood home crumble._

**If you depend on others**

**You'll always find your place**

_Rapunzel ran up to the caravan, all of them smiling as they were traveling to Vardaros. She hugged her sister when she had returned from one of the seven kingdoms. Varian, Harmony, Rapunzel, and Cass stared at the black rocks, the boy smiling at the older princess as he swore to keep the black rocks a secret._

**And as you take that first step**

**Upon a path that's all your own**

_The two sisters took a step forward towards the black rocks with smiles on their faces, about to leave Corona._

**You see it all so clearly**

**The best way to survive is not alone**

_Rapunzel ran up to her friends who were waiting around in front of the newly painted caravan, smiling at them. They smiled back at her, even her sister._

**Open up your eyes**

Harmony pulls out her journal, showing a picture of Eugene and Rapunzel that she painted. They looked happy...

**See the world from where I stand**

**Us against the mighty**

_Rapunzel looked back towards Corona as she was heading to Varian's with her father. Cass, Eugene, and the guards rode their horses towards the cottage._

**Enemy caged at our command**

**Open up your eyes**

**And behold the brightened light**

Moonlight forms around the two sisters, Rapunzel gasping. She looks to Harmony, her left hand glowing as the orbs fly around them towards the sky.

**It's time to grow up and get wise**

**Come now, little one**

They walk back up to the moon, standing on the small hill.

**Open up your eyes**

**Open up your eyes**

"...Thank you, little sister," Rapunzel pulls her sister into a hug. "You're right. I need to remember the truth and that Eugene wouldn't do this unless it was necessary. Something had to have made him do this."

Cass walks up to them. "Uh, Rapunzel? We all know Eugene and I don't always agree on everything."

Harmony rolls her eyes. "But over the last year or so...I've noticed something that makes him...less detestable. In Varian too."

She slowly looks up at her friend, sensing no hatred or anger in her tone. "Eugene loves you, Rapunzel. More than anyone has ever loved anybody."

Pascal chitters in agreement, nodding. "I feel the same way about him..." Rapunzel smiles a little towards Harmony. "I'm just sorry it took all of this to truly realize that..."

"I know what we all saw down there," Cass walks up to them. "But we all know, this isn't something Eugene would ever do."

"I know...my sister helped me realize that," Rapunzel kisses the side of her sister's head.

"And do you know what's something that Rapunzel would never do?" She looks towards Cass for the answer. "Rapunzel would never give up. She'd pick herself up, stop feeling sorry for herself, and she'd fight back with everything she had! So what do you say we get out there..."

"And get Eugene back!" Rapunzel pumps her fists in determination.

"Yeah!" Harmony cheers for her. Pascal smiles, positioning himself to look mighty. Daisy flies around them, punching the air. "But...what about...?"

The two women look to each other, nodding in agreement. "Alright...we'll let him out. As long as he's willing to help us. It's better to work together than against each other."

"Thank you," She smiles gratefully at the two, hugging them. "Thank you...!"

The door to the prison caravan opens and Varian looks up at Rapunzel. "...Princess..."

"Varian..." She replies politely as the air is tense for a few seconds. "You want your freedom, right?"

"More than anything," He answers, looking towards Harmony. "And...while I do still hate you...heartbreak...it's not something we all deserve. So what do I have to do?"

"What you'll do is," Cass steps up, pulling out her swords. He yelps, shrinking away as a shing is heard. He awaits for something to be in pain, but he opens up his eyes to see that he's uncuffed, the chains in half.

"Help us get back Eugene."

He looks towards Rapunzel, who has a pleading look. His eyes dart to the young girl, who nods that this was happening. He wanted to be free from this caravan more than anything...and to be with Harmony again. While he could be bitter towards all of them, they could really use his help.

"Deal."

"But if you try any funny business, it's back to Corona," Cass points the tip of her sword to his neck. "You got that?"

"Ah! Yes, okay! Just...put the sword down," He sweats nervously.

* * *

The group arrive at the Baron's castle, noticing guests outside the gate. Rapunzel looks through her telescope, Cass doing the same. She stands up right next to a black rock.

"Careful Raps. Remember what happens when you or Harmi touch one of those," Cass warns her. Harmony looks towards the rock and backs away a bit.

"Right...that would be bad."

"Yeah, good to remember," Harmony murmurs and they go back to checking out the castle.

"Sooo...Varian's helping us?" Hook Foot points to the boy, who rubs the back of his neck.

"It's better than being stuck in that cell..."

"Yes, he is," Harmony looks over her shoulder. "Is that a problem?"

"No, no..." Hook Foot sweats a little underneath her glare. "I'm just...being cautious here. We all wanna help Eugene, after all."

Cass groans at all the people. "I was hoping there would be more people here to make it easier to slip by."

"Vardaros has a miniscule population," Varian whispers to them. "At least half of them are probably already inside."

Rapunzel scoffs a little. "I guess Stalyan doesn't have that many friends. What kinda name is Stalyan, anyway? Who names their kid that? What's her other sister's name? Bronco? And Morgan's not even a horse name," Rapunzel raises a brow.

"Actually, it is," Harmony narrows her eyes. "They're used for clearing and tilling the farms, I saw them in the kingdom I was in before I came back to Corona. But now, they're used for moving caravans in other kingdoms." This is one of the times she wishes she wasn't so smart.

"Rapunzel, focus. We don't have time for jealousy," Cass states to her.

"Jealous? No, I am not jealous. You're jealous," She denies with a small huff, looking through her telescope.

"Yep. Jealous," Varian holds up a finger.

"Be quiet," She gives him a look and he clamps his mouth shut.

They all stare at her and she narrows her eyes, focusing on the entrance. "Now, the benefit to only having a few guests is that we might have a chance fighting our way in."

Rapunzel smiles at the black rock in front of her. "A slim chance, but a chance."

Cass stands up, pulling out her sword, but Rapunzel stops her. "We may not have to fight. I think I have an idea."

"Does this idea require the use of any hooks?" Hook Foot crosses his arms. He was not being used as a simple hook.

"Get over it. It was one time," Harmony whispers to the man in defense.

"No, but we will need the help of Vardaros' second little sweetheart."

"Uh, no offense, but unless you have something worth her while, the plan has a slim chance of success. Like 25 percent," Varian pinches his fingers together.

"Oh, we will."

The girl from before notices them and glares, turning away.

"Then what's the plan?"

"We are gonna crash a wedding," Rapunzel smirks as she stands up.

* * *

As guests are being escorted in, the girl rolls up a cart that has flowers on top of it. Rapunzel and Harmony stand behind in her in disguise.

"Remember what we talked about. Act normal, and you'll get the other half when we're done."

"I'm good for being stuck at a wedding," She mutters underneath her breath.

"Yeah. Come to think of it, I've never actually been to a wedding before," Rapunzel looks away in thought.

"I have. It was with Stan and his wife, I think. I was a flower girl. Beautiful ceremony," Harmony places a hand to her heart.

"Hmm," Rapunzel chuckles lightly. "If we didn't have to be in disguise, and it wasn't so dangerous, and my boyfriend wasn't marrying another woman, this might have been fun."

The line moves up and they walk in silence. Pascal and Daisy hide in the cloaks, the two glancing at the guards.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," A guard stops them from moving any further. "Hold up, fellas."

The princesses move their hats down to conceal their faces. "What's this?"

The girl scoffs at him. "The Baron wanted wedding flowers."

He holds up a tiny mace, the girl blinking. He looks between her and the weapon. "A battle bouquet. Brilliant." He hits the table, Hook Foot groaning underneath. "What was that?"

Rapunzel lets out a cough. "What about you?" He stands in front of the two. "Who are you?"

"I'm Cobra! And Desert," She jerks a thumb to Harmony. "Cobra and Desert Mc, uh...McBloodpuncher!"

Harmony pinches her nose at this. "You're not on the list," He eyes the both of them.

"Cobra and Desert McBloodpuncher don't do lists!" She grunts at him.

"Then what do you do?"

A fly appears on his nose. Pascal captures it and he stands up. "Eh?"

"You should see what we do to people," Rapunzel states in a tough voice. The man lets out a laugh, pushing them forward.

"You're alright, McBloodpunchers! Why don't you two go on in there, eh? Have yourselves a good time. Get some cake."

Harmony sighs in relief once they're past him. They slip past without any suspicion. Inside, someone licks off some of the cake with her finger, another stealing food from the table. Rapunzel, Harmony, and the girl walk behind a gate.

"Thank you, Vex. That was really-"

Vex holds out a hand, Harmony sighing at this.

"You're very shrewd, aren't you?" She deadpans as Rapunzel gives her the coin.

"Thanks," Vex walks away, the three coming out of hiding underneath the table. Both Cass and Varian cough once they're out.

"Why was I the one to get stuck in a box with Captain Foot Odor?" Cass waves a hand in front of her face. "You've got enough stink for two feet!"

"For someone who has a hook, that's saying a lot," Varian coughs into his sleeve.

"How dare you, Miss Viking Breath!" He retorts back, to her annoyance. "What? Do you brush your teeth with onions?"

Cass growls at the insult, threatening to pull out her sword. "No!" Harmony warns the two, stepping in between them. Varian recoils back, not wanting to get involved.

"Okay, guys! Guys! Stick to the plan. You two grab our friends...while we cause a distraction." Rapunzel looks up at her sister. She looks around before pointing to herself and the girl nods.

"Okay...the pressure just elevated in this plan..." Harmony murmurs to herself.

* * *

Shorty is snoring in the cell, Eugene looking at the keys. He glances towards his friend, who opens his eyes. "Look, Lance, I'm sorry I got you into this," Eugene bends down to him. "No matter what, I just want you to know, I love you."

Lance smiles at him, breathing heavily. "I...I've always wanted a cat named Clovis..."

"C-Clovis?" Eugene chuckles at the ridiculous name. "It does have a fun ring to it. I'm glad we could—glad we could share this moment."

Lance wheezes and he gets onto his feet.

"Wait here, guys. I've gotta do this one thing..." And with that, he opens up the cell door and walks right out the door.

"...He's doing great!" Shorty exclaims, even though Eugene has left.

* * *

Everyone who wasn't there earlier has arrived, the band tuning up their instruments. Light classical music starts to play as Weasel is getting the arch ready. Cass and Hook Foot just walk right in, followed by the others.

"Oh, come on!" Rapunzel exclaims, removing her face mask. Varian glances up at the swan statue that she's looking at. "Really? Ugh! I don't usually make fun of other people's tastes, but that's just tacky! I bet _Stalyan_ picked it out."

"Flowers are better."

The girls turn to look at Varian, who sweats a little. "N-Not that I've thought about it! Heh..." He rubs the back of his neck, looking away and whistling.

"Uh huh..." Harmony says slowly, walking away. Varian clears his throat, walking away awkwardly.

"Flora is a great decoration...is what I was trying to say..."

"Rapunzel!" Cass pulls the blonde away. Eugene walks up to the front of the crowd, cringing at his fate. The five see him from the buffet table, the blonde gasping.

"Oh, look! There he is!"

"The Baron must have Shorty and Lance locked away somewhere," Harmony whispers to everyone. The band plays again for Stalyan and her father to walk in. Morgan is in front, having a disgusted look on her face as she's the flower girl.

"Why did I have to be the flower girl? I deserve maid of honor," She mutters under her breath, joining Eugene. He looks up at the woman as her father walks her down the aisle. Morgan steps aside and Eugene glances at the smiling Staylan.

"Let's get on with it, shall we?" The Baron smiles at the two.

"Funny! I was just thinking the same thing!" Rapunzel declares, taking off her hat.

"Blondie!" Eugene cries out in relief.

"Eugene!" She waves to him, the Baron stepping up. His mouth opens wide as the guards pull out their swords.

"Blondie, you shouldn't be here."

"Yeah, move along, Blondie," Staylan replies in distaste. Morgan gasps at the sight of Varian.

"Daddy! That's him! My soulmate..."

"What?!" Harmony and Varian exclaim in unison.

"I don't even know you, but I know that I don't like you!" Varian points at her.

"You can and you will. I saw you earlier in the crowd. The princess just wants to keep you in chains...but with me, you can have all the freedom you want. Don't you want to have everything you could ever wish for?" She steps down the stairs, staring at him. "With me, you can be more."

Harmony opens her mouth, looking towards the silent Varian. It is true that Harmony had him in chains...but she did that for his sake. It wasn't meant to punish him...

It was to help him learn.

"...I..."

"Seize the boy!"

The guards snatch him away and Harmony holds out a hand. "No!"

"Hey, Eugene, just listen, please," Rapunzel begs with him as Varian is taken to Morgan, who smiles happily. "I may not know what my future holds, but I do know that _you_ are meant to be in it. I love you."

The crowd gasps as Eugene sighs happily.

"You can't have Varian! I'm not holding him back...I'm trying to stop him before he does something that he'll regret." She puts her hands to her heart. "When he did all of those things, I didn't want to believe it...but I know in my heart that he can redeem himself for his actions. Because I believe in him...so you can try to take him." She takes out her bow and arrow, positioning herself. She points it right at Morgan.

"But you'll have to go through me to do it! So get away from my boyfriend!"

"Boyfriend?!" Morgan's eyes widen.

"Boyfriend...?" Varian murmurs slowly, his heart beating. When he asked her to be hers...he didn't think he'd ever get an answer back. Ever since that day, he wanted to know how she felt, but...he didn't have the courage to ask. And now she said it to a crowd of people.

"Boyfriend?" The crowd asks in unison and it's only now hitting the girl that she just said that out loud for everyone to hear. Her eyes widen as she slowly lowers her bow and arrow.

"...I just said that out loud, didn't I?" She whispers to Rapunzel.

"Um...yeah, you pretty much established that fact. And now that we've spilled our hearts out to a room full of hostile strangers, feeling a little self-conscious."

"Speak for yourself!" Harmony hides behind her sister, but Varian is smiling at her, which she doesn't see.

"Well, that was lovely," Stalyan shoves the bouquet of roses into Eugene's hands. "Are we done here?"

"Yeah, can you leave?" Morgan asks rudely.

"Not even close," Rapunzel takes off her cloak.

"We're not leaving without them," Harmony narrows her eyes.

"And we're just warming up," They both run up to some black rocks. "Cass! Hook Foot! Brace yourself! It's about to get rough in here!"

The two hide behind the buffet table, Eugene whimpering as he realizes what they're about to do. The blonde touches them...and nothing happens. Everyone stares in confusion and Rapunzel opens her eyes, seeing the situation.

"Uh...uh...rough in here!" She touches it again, Harmony glancing at Varian. He just shrugs cluelessly.

"Impressive," Stalyan replies in a sarcastic voice.

"Come on! Come on, come on, come on!" Rapunzel presses her hair to the rocks, feeling a little embarrassed. "Okay, yeah! That played out differently in my head."

Harmony walks up to her. "Let me try."

She reaches out a hand to the black rock, the symbol from her hand glowing. Black rocks shoot up between Staylan and Morgan, and Eugene and Varian. The Baron gasps as he backs away in shock. The crowd looks on in surprise.

"Get them outta here," Baron points to the intruders. The four pull out their weapons, Harmony refocusing her aim.

"Hey! Leave them alone!" Eugene calls out.

"And let us go!" Varian shouts at them, only for the two to be tied up by Weasel.

"Tick-tick, Rider," Baron glances away as Lance steps up onto the stage.

"Guys! They poisoned Lance!" Eugene yells, the two princesses open-mouthed at Lance's state. He laughs, waving.

"Hi."

"Looks like the works of a Kai spider! And by the looks of Lance, he doesn't have much time!" Harmony explains to the three.

"Okay, Raps, if you have a plan B, now would be a great time to pitch it," Cass looks to her friend.

"We need that antidote," Eugene glares towards the Baron, who grips it between his fingers.

"Never, Rider."

"Time for a new plan," Rapunzel narrows her eyes. "Harmi, that antidote is the only way to cure Lance?"

"Yes." She nods in confirmation. "If he doesn't drink it soon, then Lance could die. So what's the plan?"

Rapunzel simply whistles between her fingers. Max stands bravely, snorting. He runs towards the sound. Rapunzel ducks from a sword using her frying pan, gripping his leg with her hair and tripping him. Harmony traps him to a wall using her arrow.

Max jumps onto the scene, charging towards a guard. He grabs the back of his shirt with his teeth, throwing him away.

"Max! That one was mine!" Hook Foot calls out after him. He runs around Rapunzel, knocking away people. He suddenly gets cornered by two guards, who trap his legs and mouth with rope.

"Max!"

"No one does that to him!" Harmony turns to the horse, but is surrounded before she can help him.

"Sorry, Cass. You were so right about being on the road," Rapunzel states, the girls back-to-back. Rapunzel deflects swings from a sword with her frying pan. "It is not all fun and games!"

"Are you kidding?!" Cass grins widely at her. "_This_ is fun!" She punches a man across the face. Hook foot lands nearby, having been kicked. Cass' sword is knocked out of her hands, and Harmony's weapon is kicked out of her hands.

"You might want to give up now," Weasel threatens the two sisters, holding two swords. Stalyan grins at this. Cass looks away and grins as something glints nearby.

"You're not getting off the hook that easy," She grabs Hook Foot's foot, using that as a weapon.

"I thought I said no hooks!" He shouts, grabbing a sword and battling someone from the ground. The duo smirk at Weasel.

"Now get out of our way."

"Oh, I'm not going anywhere," He replies, Lance's cheek brushing against Eugene's shoulder. He falls onto the floor.

"Oh, Lance!" Eugene kneels to him. "Lance, wake up, buddy! Lance! Say something! Please!"

He looks up at Eugene with a dazed smile on his face. "Clovith. You grew a goatee." He just laughs and his head falls back onto the floor.

"No, no, no, no. Swollen tongue. We're running out of time!"

"We need that anti-venom!" Varian looks up towards the Baron.

"I'm sorry, but...you're actually on our side again?"

"Long shory short, I-"

The two daughters pull them up. "Well, this party stinks. Alright, guys, let's get outta here," Stalyan orders as Morgan smirks towards Varian.

"Yeah, we have a lot of chatting to do."

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Varian narrows his eyes at her.

Rapunzel grabs Eugene with her hair, Harmony pointing her sword at Morgan's neck threateningly.

"His name...is Eugene," She pulls him forward, Stalyan gripping onto the rope.

"His name is Rider, and he belongs with me!" Stalyan continues pulling, but he stands between the two women. Morgan places Varian in front of her, pointing her own sword at the princess.

"How would you know? You had to poison his best friend to get him to marry you!" Rapunzel grits her teeth, pulling Eugene a little bit further.

"That is a good point, Rapunzel."

"In fairness, that was our dad's idea!" Stalyan grunts as she pulls the man backwards.

"Let him go," Harmony glares at the girl.

"Make me!"

"G-Girls, maybe put the dangerous weapons down?" Varian chuckles nervously.

"Ladies! There's probably a better way to work this out," Eugene calls out in a strained voice.

"We'll work this out as soon as we get back to the caravan!" Rapunzel struggles to keep her grip. Pascal crawls onto her hair and stops in front of Stalyan.

"And just what are you gonna do, frog?" She asks in amusement, Daisy flying up to Harmony's hair.

"Heh. Nice ugly duckling," Morgan snorts at her.

Pascal touches Stalyan with his tongue and she yelps, letting go. Daisy flies up to Morgan, swooping in like a plane as she gets into Morgan's hair.

"Ah! Get off me!" She drops her sword and Varian, flailing her hands around to get Daisy off.

"I love you!" Eugene calls out to Rapunzel as he flies past her.

"Thank you!" Varian sighs gratefully to Harmony.

"We need that antidote, Pascal," Rapunzel turns to the chameleon.

"Guys, hurry! He's reaching the final stage of the venom," Harmony urges, Daisy taking hold of Pascal's back. The two princesses see guards approaching them. They smirk towards each other, Rapunzel grabbing hold of a table leg. She flings it, sending the guards on the ground. A chicken leg lands near Shorty, who has somehow been standing there for a while without being seen.

"Hooray! Sky chicken!"

Eugene stands up, smiling at Rapunzel while Cass is still fighting a guard. "Guys, time to roll out that plan C!"

"I don't have a plan C," Rapunzel cringes at her. "I thought these rocks would react like they did back in Corona!"

"They're not reacting because they found the sundrop," They look to Adira, who's eating a slice of cake. "That would be you."

"So the rocks don't react when Rapunzel touches them anymore..." Harmony murmurs, glancing at her sister.

Cass sighs at this. "Great. Weird shadow lady."

"I'm not that weird!" Adira appears next to her, pulling out her sword. She runs up towards Eugene and Varian.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait! We're with the good guys! Well, mostly me, I don't know about Varitas here-"

She slices at their ropes, setting them free to the shock of Weasel. "Wow! Thank you, tall person."

"She tried to talk to Mona and Rapunzel earlier, but she left. Said she wanted to do it alone..." Varian stares after her, wondering just who she is...

Eugene turns around and punches a guard in the face. He places Varian behind him, catching a sword. "Yes!"

Adira sets Max free, who whinnies thankfully. Eugene turns around to the Baron. "You got something I want, Baron."

"Come and get it, Rider," He challenges, pulling out a golden sword. Varian runs up to Harmony, standing next to her.

"So, um, about earlier, uh..."

"Varian?" She asks, both of them ducking from a sword.

"Yeah, you're right, not the best time!"

Eugene and Baron clash weapons, Daisy flying above their heads. She drops Pascal, who reaches out to the venom. Baron notices him, grabs the chameleon, and throws him onto Lance. Daisy chirps at him in alarm, flying over to see if he was okay.

Eugene's sword is knocked out of his hand, baron gripping his collar and pulling him forward. He then drops him onto the ground and steps onto his chest.

"I should've done this from the beginning," He opens up his ring, the Kai spider falling towards the former's thief's face.

"Alright! Floor chicken," Shorty backs up into Baron, the spider spinning around and going up his sleeve.

"Ah! No, no, no!" He gets bitten. "No!" He pulls away his collar, seeing the green spots on his neck. "The anti-venom," He reaches for it, but he can't find it. "Where is the anti-venom?"

Pascal chirps, getting his attention. He's already dropping the anti-venom into Lance's open mouth. He tosses it away and Lance swallows it.

"Clovis," His voice is now back to normal. "You shaved your goatee."

Daisy and Pascal glance to each other in confusion.

"If I'm going down, then I'm taking you with me!" Baron declares, picking his sword back up.

"Hey, Baron!" Rapunzel sends her frying pan flying with her hair, hitting him across the face. He falls onto the ground and she smiles, blowing air onto it.

"Blondie!" Eugene runs up to her and they hug.

"Eugene!"

Varian and Harmony help Cass pull up Lance. The couple see the two daughters helping their father, walking away.

"We'll find the anti-venom, and then I will settle this, Rider," Staylan glares at him.

"And I will wait for you, Varian," Morgan blows a kiss at him.

"The name's Eugene," He corrects, holding Rapunzel's hand.

"And I don't need you," Varian takes a hold of Harmony's hand. "I've got everything I want right here."

She looks up at him, her heart beating fast. The family just walks away, the guards backing up from Max. He has a sword in his mouth, pointing it at them. Weasel escapes from the scene, Adira stabbing her sword in front of a man. He runs off in fear and she notices the fallen, but mostly intact wedding cake. She cuts the top piece off and starts to eat it. Shorty comes out of the cake with a hiccup.

Eugene and Rapunzel look to each other with smiles.

"I wanted to talk about when you asked to marry me," She speaks up with a small smile. "I...didn't quite know what to say..." She looks past him to see the smile of Pascal, who encourages her to go on. She smiles softly at her friend. "But I do now. Eugene...will you-"

"No," He interrupts before she could continue. "That's not necessary."

"What?" She asks in confusion.

"You're finally free and out in the real world! I understand now that making a lifetime commitment is probably the furthest thing from your mind. In other words, now's just not the time."

"Oh," She drops her smile, realizing the same thing. "Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're right, you're right. Now is not the time. That is totally what I was about to say." She glances up at him, smiling widely. "I'm really glad you feel the same..."

"But if the time does come, we need to have a serious talk about the ceremony decorations beforehand. I mean, did you see that swan?"

"I know, right?!" She exclaims at this. "So tacky!"

"Tack...? No, that swan is aw-"

"Eugene. It's tacky," Harmony deadpans at him, Rapunzel nodding in agreement.

"Awesomely tacky. I-I mean, what?! Outrageous." The two smile, holding each other's hands and sharing a kiss.

"This may be the fever talking, but was there a tall, angelic enchantress with a sword here a second ago?" Lance asks everyone else.

"Yeah! Where did Weirdo go?" Cass looks around, but Adira is nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, don't worry. She'll be back," Harmony looks towards the exit. "I just know it."

Varian puts his hands behind his back, nudging Harmony. "Umm...Mona..."

"Oh, look at the time, Max should go check on Fidella. Bye!" She jumps onto Max and rides off, confusing Varian.

"What just happened?"

* * *

The next day, Rapunzel slowly touches the black rock, and like last night, nothing happens. She puts a fist to her cheek, wondering where they'll exactly lead...

"Where is it taking us, Pascal? Harmi, do you know?"

"I wish," She snorts at this, hands on her hips.

"It's to fulfill your destinies."

They turn around, standing up to see Adira arriving. "Adira," Rapunzel chuckles lightly. "...Who are you?"

"And why have you been following us?" Harmony asks softly, Adira's eyes widening.

"You're good. I like you. Look, I am a friend. And I am here to make sure you get to the end of this journey you're embarking on," She hands them a paper, and Rapunzel opens it up to see a picture of the black rocks surrounding a tower. "Listen, I don't have all the answers, but now that I've seen all that I have...I have no doubt. These rocks were looking for you both." Rapunzel takes out the piece that she got for Varian, placing it down. "And you must follow them...to the Dark Kingdom."

They stay silent, trying to figure out just what's waiting for them there. "Oh...you have the power to create black rocks, correct?" Adira asks Harmony.

"Yes..."

"Where did you get them from?" She narrows her eyes.

"I got it for my first birthday. It was brought to Corona, the Moonstone Opal. I touched it, and...this was the result," Harmony holds up her left hand.

"I see...I would like you to do something for me."

Harmony tilts her head at Adira. "And what's that?"

"Learn how to utilize it to your advantage. I want to see how they'll develop the next time we meet."

She clamps her mouth shut, hoping that she'll be able to control it better.

**We're gonna walk down that path**

Eugene places a hand on Rapunzel's shoulder, Varian standing next to Harmony.

**V: And over the rise**

He smiles towards Adira, who nods and smiles back, leaving them.

_Guess we'll discover just where our destiny lies_

Rapunzel takes a hold of Eugene's hand.

_H: And travel past open skies_

She smiles at the boy.

**Who cares how dark it'll be **

**V: Cause I've got you**

_H and R: You've got me_

_**All: So let's go see where this whole thing's going**_

_**Next stop, anywhere**_

They stand in front of the caravan, seeing the smiling horses attached to it.

_Headin' where I'm supposed to be_

_With you close to me_

Cass smiles at all of them, arms crossed. Lance and Hook Foot come up from the top. Rapunzel and Eugene place their hands on Varian's shoulders, smiling gratefully for his help. He smiles back, glad to be free and to be with Harmony again.

_**Next stop, anywhere**_

**Facin' every jeopardy linked inseparably**

Rapunzel jumps onto Max, Eugene getting on behind her. Harmony and Varian run towards the back of the caravan.

_**Next stop, anywhere**_

**V: We're heading out**

**And with you, I have no doubts**

He helps Harmony get onto the seats in the back.

_**Next stop, anywhere**_

_Gonna find my destiny_

_With you here with me_

Harmony places her hand on top of Varian's.

_**Next stop, anywhere**_

_R: Though it may get rough for us_

**We're enough for us**

The caravan starts to move as they head out.

_**Next stop, anywhere**_

_And the world is waiting_

**I feel it waiting**

_With new adventures to share_

_Everywhere_

**Everywhere**

_**Everywhere**_

Adira looks on as she watches the caravan leave with a smile on her face.

"Um..." Varian coughs nervously to get Harmony's attention. "You know, being declared your boyfriend in front of a bunch of people is great and all, but...shouldn't we talk about it too?"

"...Yeah," Harmony sighs slowly, but neither of them say anything. They dart their eyes around, Varian tapping his fingers against the wood.

"Or...we could…" Varian glances at her. He scoots in closer, staring into her eyes. He silently asks for permission.

She giggles and nods at him. He leans in, capturing her lips with his. Harmony smiles into the kiss, the two holding hands as they just enjoy the moment. They didn't want to, but they pull away. "Okay, but seriously, we really need to talk about this."

"Yeah, I know..."

She hugs her knees as he speaks up. "I've just wanted to talk about this for so long that...every time I tried, something else got in the way. Or that I..."

He doesn't finish his sentence, but she understands where he was going with it.

"...Saying stuff like that doesn't make this easier. Sweeter, yes. Easier, no." Harmony looks at her knees. "Vari, we're teenagers, in complicated situations right now. And we're still dealing with the consequences of them. Starting with you and what you did to Corona and me with my black rocks..."

"Yeah, but I'm ready to deal with whatever comes our way with you," He stares at her softly. "I mean, I-I haven't exactly forgiven your sister...but maybe someday I will. And the others do hate me a little less. I think we can handle this."

"We're still taking the risk, and I want to be clear about that," She points a finger at him. "We have to make this decision unanimously, and not get caught in romance all the time. So...if either of us wants to bail out, we can do it now and chalk it up to getting too wrapped up in our destinies. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

However, neither of them decide that, and stay silent for a few seconds. Varian smiles at her. "I'm exactly where I wanna be, Mona..."

"Me too."

"So, I guess you're stuck with me now," He places his hand top of hers.

"Yeah, but where do we go from here?" She wonders, staring out at the path. "I don't know the first thing about love. I've only seen it through Rapunzel and Eugene. I just...I've seen so many people avoid me, and I don't want that."

"Well...speaking from someone who has the same amount of experience, I don't think there's a clear path on our destinies. Like everyone else, we have to make it up as we go along...and do what fits us. But, given everything we've seen, I think the best guideline...is to take it slow."

"We've known each other for a year," She points out.

"Slow being an interpretive term."

They share a small chuckle. "You're right, though," Harmony agrees with him. "There's no reason to rush anything. We've both thought about this for a long time. Let's make the most out of it. Still, we might wanna have some rules. We should keep things professional when it comes to my black rocks and your father."

"That's fair," He nods at her. "Eyes on the prizes."

"We want to stay undistracted while trying to accomplish our goals. We still have things to do."

"Plus, we get to do it together," He smiles a little.

"See? Win-win?"

"So..." He drags out the word.

"So..."

Harmony drums her fingers against the wood now, biting her lip. Varian lets out a deep breath. "Mona, you should know, for the first time, and even with taking all of that into consideration...I'm happy. And I'm gonna make sure that you're happy too. For the first time, I'm thinking about my future. And I will do anything to make that happen for us."

She blushes bashfully, looking away and placing her head on his shoulder. He places his cheek on the top of her hair as they watch the environment in front of them.

"So it's back to being professional at the next city?" Varian asks her softly.

"Well, anything can happen." She closes her eyes.

"At least we're experiencing it together," He holds her hand and she squeezes it. "And...I'm really sorry for what I did back in Old Corona to you, Mona." He stares sadly at his hands. "I...I was just so angry that your rocks didn't work that I took it out on you. I would never..."

"I know. But you were worth it, Vari," She whispers and he smiles weakly.

A squeal is heard behind them and they look up rapidly at the roof to see Rapunzel with her hands to her cheeks in awe.

"Aww, you guys! I'm so happy for you two!"

"Raps, that was a private moment!" Harmony scrunches up her nose at her sister.

"It was supposed to be romantic?" Varian raises a brow.

"It was," Harmony smiles at him.

"Don't stop because of me!" Rapunzel waves for them to continue. "This is cute."

"Good luck getting used to having no privacy at all..." Harmony deadpans to Varian as she goes inside the caravan.

**Angel: Open Up Your Eyes belongs to the My Little Pony Movie. And before anyone suggests that Harmony will turn evil again, let me explain XD I know that this is an evil song (didn't see the movie, but that's the gist I got after hearing it), but I changed the lyrics so that Rapunzel would realize to go after Eugene. Natalie Jarrett suggested I use the song, but I didn't like the idea of Harmony singing the original since she's not an evil person. She's still a teenage girl after all. So I had to get a little creative with the lyrics.**

**Also, Morgan was actually a last-minute addition! I decided to give Harmony a rival like Rapunzel does with Staylan (but trust me, it was hard coming up with a horse name that can be used for Staylan's sister, and I actually had to look up Morgan's name. But it's a real horse name!), and then later down the road, I'm going to even the score with Varian (not until the next season, though). I know Harmony got jealous of Cass back in one episode of season 1, but it doesn't really count. Anyway, see you guys next week! **


	28. The Return of Quaid

**Angel: T****o that guest reviewer Unknown since they don't have an account for me to send a message to: ...**

**Never mind, I'm not gonna go there. Nope. But I will say that I was never planning to have Varian not be present in Rapunzel's Return. I had no plans to change that major plot point. And, a little reminder...he's going back to Corona before Destinies Collide even happens! So he'll still be in Corona when they get back. I know what happened in these season 2 episodes XD**

In the city of Vardaros, the caravan is hiding in an alley, the group having gathered supplies.

"Alright, Cass, here's the last of the water. Just a few more supplies, and we are ready to roll," He turns around to the horses. "Looking good, Max!"

He walks up to Rapunzel, who's staring at the run-down city. "You know, Blondie, this might not be the glamorous city it used to be...Don't step there. Or there. You should really put shoes on. Honestly. But part of me is actually going to miss my old stomping grounds."

"OH MY GOD, WHAT IS THIS?!" Harmony shouts from the spot Eugene pointed at.

"Huh?" Eugene looks at the concerned Rapunzel. "Hello? Rapunzel?" He waves a hand in front of her face.

She stares at the citizens begging for money, Vex walking around trying to mack a buck, and two citizens bumping into each other.

"And what are you starin' at?!" The old man hollers at the woman.

"I dunno, but it ain't much, ya clod!"

A mule sounds off as a bunch of garbage is thrown into the money hat. "Huh? Oh!" Some of it lands on him, an old woman just laughing. A man slides in front of her and steals her purse.

"Stop, thief!"

No one does anything to stop him.

"This place is...it's so sad," Rapunzel frowns a little.

"It has gone a little downhill..." Varian comments as he joins the two.

"It's like no one cares," Harmony appears next to Rapunzel.

"Yeah, but maybe now that we've run the Baron out of town, this old city will turn itself around," Eugene guides his girlfriend away, but a large shadow looms over them.

"Uhh, guys?" Varian speaks up nervously as a large flag is mounted, with a W symbol. "I think this is the opposite of turning around."

"Ladies and gentlemen of Vardaros!" Weasel steps up to the crowd, everyone gasping.

"Or this could happen..." Eugene comments as Harmony narrows her eyes.

"Ugh, haven't we had enough of this jerk?"

"You may have noticed that the sudden departure of our beloved Baron has left a conspicuous vacancy in this city's management." Weasel smirks as the thugs surrounding him jump off the platform. "Well, good news...the position has been filled!" He holds up the Baron's ring.

"Is that Weasel?" Rapunzel stares at him.

"Weasel. The Baron's right hand man."

"He's also just changed the city for worse," Varian states as they look on.

"With that sadistic egomaniac in charge, you can bet things are about to get a lot uglier around here," Eugene glances to the others, skeptical about Vardaros' future now.

"I got plans for my city. In a word: Expansion." The people gasp at the word. "Any neighboring field, forest, or fjord now belongs to me. And, people, growth like that requires capital. So, I've come to collect." He grins, clenching a fist.

The thugs start stealing money. "Hey!" Vex protests, trying to get her earnings back, but is pushed away. The others look on in worry as money is placed in front of Weasel.

"Alright, Raps, I know you see people in trouble, but this isn't our fight," Cass whispers, looking towards her. "Don't do anything-" She sighs once she sees that Rapunzel is no longer in her spot. "Drastic..."

"Hey!" Rapunzel runs up to the stage. "Weasel! Leave the people of Vardaros alone!"

"Ah. Princess, still in town? Let me see you out." He snaps his fingers, a guard running up to her. She smirks and pulls apart her hair, capturing him. She throws him into a cart and it breaks into pieces. Harmony whistles with her fingers and Rapunzel looks up to see her sister throwing a frying pan. She catches the weapon, spinning it around.

"C'mon...you don't mind if we stick around for a little bit, do you?" She challenges the man. He grunts angrily, pulling out his sword. He steps down from the platform, charging towards the blonde. Harmony steps in front of her sister, having blocked the blow with her bow. Rapunzel grins at her, and they start battling him together. Cass fights with the large one, knocking his sword into the air. Owl catches it, tossing it to Eugene. He deflects swords from two guards, who eventually run away out of fear. They're suddenly caught in goop, looking up to see a smirking Varian.

Rapunzel knocks Weasel off his feet using her hair, and Harmony kicks his sword away, pointing her arrow towards him. Pascal and Daisy squeak bravely.

"You fancy you're helping these people, don't you, princesses?" He spits at them, standing up. "They know I'll be back. Only now, I'll bring extra muscle. In four days' time, we'll be taking it all, thanks to you!"

The crowd grumbles towards Rapunzel. "Thanks a lot, Princesses!"

"Yeah, beat it, ya clod!"

"You're not wanted here!"

"Pfft," Vex scoffs at the princess. "Vardaros is no place for heroes."

"Charming, aren't you?" Harmony challenges back. "Just where'd you get it?"

"None of your beeswax!" Vex glares at her, walking off. Rapunzel looks on with a frown.

* * *

They return to the caravan to eat lunch. "Look, I'm all for helping the little guy, but say we fight Weasel when he gets back, we can't stay here, and beat him up forever," Eugene frowns towards his soup.

"Though, pummeling that guy is kind of satisfying, Eugene is right," Cass points her spoon at him.

"Yeah, you can't help someone who doesn't wanna help themselves," Lance shrugs lightly while Max is eating apples. Lance snatches it from him. "Take it from a guy who is a pro at helping himself. Don't mind if I do."

He takes a bite, to Max's dismay.

"Raps, I admire your dedication, but Vardaros doesn't seem like the place that wants to be helped," Harmony shakes her head.

"You saw those guys. And we have to follow the rocks to wherever they're taking us," Varian states while holding some berries. Ruddiger sniffs them, snatching an apple from Max's bag. He whinnies towards the raccoon angrily.

"You know..." Rapunzel speaks up. "I keep hearing how great this city used to be. Well, greatness does not go away. It may get beaten down, or hide itself from fear or doubt, but it does not go away. You, of all people, should know that sometimes, all that's needed to get the best of what's inside of you, is a little help."

Lance looks to Max, who eats his stolen apple. "So, I say, we go out there, go door to door, if we have to, and rally these people to take a stand!" Rapunzel pumps her fists in determination, both Eugene and Cass smiling at her. She stands on the crate. "Because if we can inspire one person, just one person, then the battle is half won!"

"YEAH!" Everyone cheers, pumping a fist into the air.

* * *

Later, they sigh in defeat as they sit down. "I can't believe we couldn't inspire one person..." Rapunzel states sadly.

"Oh, I don't know," Shorty steps in between her and Cass. "That lovely young lady handing out fish seemed inspired." He eats it whole, leaving the bone.

"That was a seagull," Cass pushes him down.

"No, I'm pretty sure that was a rainbow trout."

Harmony rolls her eyes at him.

"I don't get it!" Rapunzel looks at all of the indifferent people, who all have one thing in common: hating her. "Why won't these people let me help them?" She sighs, blowing a bang away from her face.

"There's a reason _why _they're not willing to pitch in, Raps," Harmony crosses her arms.

"Because you're an outsider." They look to the shadows to see Vex approaching. "Also, you're a naïve princess who insists the glass is half full, even when it's obviously bone dry." She drags her cart over to them. "That's a really annoying trait. Especially here. You're basically everything people in this city despise."

Pascal growls quietly, narrowing his eyes.

"You could've stopped at outsider, but okay, get it," Rapunzel chuckles lowly. "The people need someone they trust. Someone who can offer a long-term solution." Max smiles towards everyone. "Someone they look up to..." She glances behind Vex and pushes her slightly. The sun shines over a statue, which has bird poop all over it...

"Captain Quaid," Eugene walks up to the statue, recognizing the man. "He was the sheriff of Vardaros back in the day."

Lance wraps an arm around him. "And he was the first guy to ever arrest us. And the second. And the third." The two sniffle at the memories. "In a way, he was family. Captain Quaid the Blade, we called him. He was known for his cunning, strength, and bravery! But, above all else, he was proud of his city. His pride was infectious. People loved Quaid, and they loved Vardaros."

"What happened to him?" Rapunzel asks curiously.

"He quit," Vex states to her, "Or, at least, that's what I was told. It was before my time, but the few people who are still here from the glory days, say he met his match. No one hears much from him anymore."

"That's just great..." Varian sighs at this.

"Do you know where we could find him?" Rapunzel wonders hopefully.

"I do. But it's gonna cost ya," She wiggles her fingers together, holding out her hand. Rapunzel rolls her eyes and hands her a coin.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, lemme get ahead of this one here," Eugene speaks up, "You wanna find a way-past-his-prime lawman, somehow convince him to come out of retirement, and inspire these poor people to fight back against Weasel, and/or any other lowlife who tries to claw their way into power in this flea-bitten city? And you wanna do this all in four days?!"

"Yup. That's my sister for ya," Harmony glances up at the older princess.

"Do you think it'll work?"

Vex sighs in annoyance. "If we say not in a million years, would it change your mind?" Cass asks knowingly, Eugene slightly glaring at Vex.

"There _is _a high chance that this Quaid won't help us," Varian holds up a finger.

Rapunzel smiles a little towards the beaming Pascal. "I know, but probably not." She starts walking, the others following her.

"Well then. Let's go find us a sheriff!"

They leave behind the stained statue.

* * *

The caravan moves down the path they're given from Vex. "I know it's crazy, guys, but if Quaid is even half the inspiration Lance and Eugene say he is, Vardaros could be on its way back to greatness," Rapunzel puts down her paintbrush, looking at her painting of Quaid. Her hair acts as a hammock for herself and Harmony.

"Well, I'd say you're crazy, but you are persistent," Harmony points to her.

"Aw," Rapunzel smiles at the girl. "Hey...do you think Varian is still angry with me?"

"I can't say for sure..." She murmurs slowly, closing her journal. "But I think we should do something nice for him! And hopefully everyone can help..."

"I'm sure we'd love to," Rapunzel smiles softly.

"Hm...Vex seems to be hiding something about why she is the way she is..." Harmony rubs her chin.

"What do you think it could be?"

"I dunno. She's not exactly the friendly type, but...I know that she's hurting. I can see it in her eyes," Harmony looks towards outside. "It was the same look I had when Vari betrayed us..."

"Alright! We're here!" Vex announces as they stare at a cottage on a rock. Rapunzel knocks on the door, Quaid slightly opening it.

"Captain Quaid?" Rapunzel questions hopefully.

"Who's asking?" He replies in a gruff voice.

"It's Rapunzel."

Quaid quickly slams the door in her face.

"Told ya everyone hates you," Vex inputs to Rapunzel, but she's not giving up just yet. She turns around towards the door.

"Uh, Captain Quaid?" She puts a strand of hair behind her ear. She knocks on the door again, and gets no answer. She bends her head down and peeks through the mail slot. "If you don't open this door, I will, uh...I'm just gonna keep knocking." She knocks, frowning slightly. "And knocking!" She knocks even harder, hurting her hand. "Ow!"

"Is this really gonna work?" Varian whispers to Harmony skeptically.

"Just watch."

"And when my knuckles start to hurt...I'm just gonna knock with my other hand! You do not want to test the commitment of these knuckles, Mister!" Rapunzel punches her hands together, and goes to knock again, falling to the ground. Quaid is staring down at her, having opened the door. "Hi!" She smiles sheepishly with a wave.

He holds up an hourglass, spinning it around. "Three minutes. Not a grain more."

She smiles with a thumbs up directed at everyone. The boy turns to the younger princess in shock.

"Persistence is key," She smirks in amusement. Vex, Harmony, Varian, and Rapunzel step inside, but Quaid stops Eugene and Lance from going in.

"Hey-ya Quaid! Remember us? The not guilty twins?"

They step forward, but he plants his hands in front of their faces. "You degenerates stay out here. Touch, look at, or breathe on anything, I'll get you where you sleep. That clear?" He closes the door on them, and while it was hostile, the two just smile.

"Ah, family..."

"There's nothing like it," The two smile towards each other fondly.

Vex looks at Quaid's old badge. "Okay, so here's my idea. The people of Vardaros need Quaid the Blade to stand up against Weasel."

"The guy's a jerk," Harmony narrows her eyes.

"And he won't stop attacking the city unless a hero steps in," Varian gestures to Quaid.

"Ha! Believe me," He stops putting honey on his bread. "The people of Vardaros need a lot more than that."

"What's this?" Vex holds out a yellow pot.

"Funny you should ask," He actually smiles as he stands up. He places it on a table outside the cottage, bees behind him. "Best honey in Vardaros. My friends here work like a single, well-oiled machine. Together, they gather all sorts of varietals."

"Fascinating," Varian gasps at them. Max whinnies towards all the honey jars.

"We make buckwheat honey, orange blossom honey, kudzu honey." While the horse is sniffing around, one of the pots gets stuck to his mouth. He snorts it off him. "Oops! Looks like he just got a face full of pheromones."

"What are those?" Rapunzel asks curiously as she's never heard of them.

"Think of...pollen for flowers," Harmony tells her.

"It's like a love potion for bees. They think they got themselves a new queen," Quaid walks up to the mini-hives, turning around to the horse.

"And they'll start being affected by it right about..." Varian starts off, the bees forming a heart at Max. He whinnies in alarm, running away from them. "Now."

"Listen, Vardaros' heyday is long gone," Quaid slowly shakes his head hopelessly. "And now, so's your sand."

They look to the hourglass as all the sand has stopped moving. Vex and Cass walk past the dismayed Rapunzel. She looks at the land that could be taken by someone who doesn't deserve it...

"Weasel's gonna expand, you know. Every nearby forest, field, and fjord will belong to him. Do you know what that means?"

"It means, I'm gonna have to get myself a dictionary to look up what a fjord is," He replies in a deadpan voice.

"Oh, it's like a river surrounded by a glacier," Harmony states to him. Quaid turns around to glare at her and she smiles nervously.

"...I'm sorry, I'm just realizing that you didn't need a comment for that."

"It means you can say goodbye to the field of buckwheat, kudzu, and orange blossom," Rapunzel turns around, walking in the other direction. "Come on, guys."

Varian and Harmony follow after her when Quaid speaks up.

"If I _was _gonna stand up to this Weasel, I'm awful rusty." As much as he knows that the people have given up, he still loves that city.

"Don't worry. We'll help you," Rapunzel smiles, Max running past them. Harmony and Varian stare after the horse.

"Right after we help Max..."

* * *

Quaid puts on his old badge, opening up a drawer. A cobweb surrounds his gloves, and he puts them on, grabbing his sword. He puts on a heroic pose, his badge falling onto the floor. Harmony fires an arrow into a target, getting a bullseye.

"Alright. Let's start easy," Rapunzel encourages him. Harmony hands him her bow and arrow, gesturing to the target.

"Take your best shot."

He prepares the arrow, but he doesn't even make it to the target...

"Ooh, so close!" Rapunzel exclaims, Vex and Eugene facepalming.

Cass holds out an apple that Harmony and Varian picked. She tosses it up into the air and uses her sword to cut it. The pieces land in her hand to look like a bunny.

"Alright, Quaid the Blade, let's go," She challenges him. Vex tosses her apple over her shoulder, and he cuts it, but the sword slips from his hand. It hits Shorty's food and goes flying towards the couple.

"Oh!" Varian shouts in alarm, pushing Harmony onto the ground. They look up as the sword and the food hit a tree.

"My yam!" Shorty exclaims in dismay, getting looks from Harmony and Varian. Little pieces of apple fall on Quaid's head.

"Maybe next time, don't aim for us," Varian calls out from the grass.

Rapunzel tosses her hair like a lasso, throwing it at Max and capturing him. She smiles towards Quaid, who throws around his rope, and ends up being captured in it. He falls in front of the teenagers, Vex facepalming in embarrassment.

Quaid sighs towards his beehive house. "This was a mistake..." He plants it back where it was, Rapunzel peeking around the corner.

"Captain? You're not leaving, are you?" She steps up to him.

"Weasel can have this place. We'll find another field."

"That could be miles away for all you know," Harmony speaks up, stepping to her sister's side.

"So you're a little out of practice..." Rapunzel tries to cheer him up.

"A _little_?" He asks skeptically, gesturing to Harmony. "Your sister here could've been skewered because of me."

She shivers, Varian walking up to her. "I don't wanna be nearly skewered again..."

"I know," Varian hugs her from behind.

"Vardaros doesn't need a warrior, they need a symbol, Captain," Rapunzel insists to him. "The people are-"

"Stop with the people, already!" He interrupts sharply. "The _people _are the reason I gave up on this city in the first place!" He storms past the three, his cape blowing in the wind. "It all began with the Collector. He was a sword-for-hire. The Baron employed him when he first started to take over Vardaros. Real bad guy. I tried to take him in, and, well, let's just say, that didn't work out."

"Oh...so he's how you met your match," Rapunzel states, the others looking on in sympathy.

"The Collector? Nah. At the end of the day, he's just another bad guy. I met my match when I tried to get the people to fight back against the Baron and his men, but they just gave up." A bee flies past him and he walks back to his cart. "If we'd stuck together, like my friends here, we woulda stood a chance against the Collector, against the Baron, against anyone." A bee flies off Rapunzel's bird accessory. "But they lost faith in Vardaros." He sighs slowly. "The look on little Vex's face reminded me that it would take a lot more than training to bring that back."

"The people of Vardaros were probably just scared," Harmony speaks up softly.

"They just thought that they couldn't take that guy..." Varian places his hands on her shoulders from behind.

"Or they just didn't care."

They look towards the ground sadly. "Vex used to be friends with Morgan, you know."

Their eyes widen as they look towards him. "The two were thick-as-thieves, always causing trouble. Morgan took Vex under her wing, but when they pulled off stealing Weasel's loot, Morgan blamed it on her. Vex went into the wind, selling knives, and she swore to never let herself have friends again. I don't blame her. That girl is nothing but trouble."

Harmony blinks slowly at the story, Rapunzel looking away.

"So, Princess, just so we're all clear here, the guy you chose to re-inspire the people, needs to be re-inspired himself," Vex states once they're all made aware of what Quaid said.

"We just need to get the ball rolling."

"Annnd, how do you plan to do that?" Vex asks skeptically.

"I'm not. You are," She points at the girl.

Vex wiggles her fingers, Rapunzel holding out Pascal with another gold coin. He reluctantly drops it into her awaiting hand. He knew that she'd been through a lot, but she was really pushing it with the money...

She bites onto it to make sure it's real. "So, what's the plan, Blondie?" Eugene wonders curiously.

"Yeah, just how are we gonna do this?" Harmony looks up at her.

"Uh, Lance, how is your acting?" Rapunzel smiles a little.

"My acting?!" He simply laughs. "You are looking at the star of Vardaros' own, A Walk in the Bushes!" He dances in front of them using two bushes. One as a skirt, and one as a wand. He pirouettes in front of them. "I was the bush."

Varian stifles a laugh, clearing his throat and looking away.

"Please tell me you have a backup plan," Eugene smiles nervously. Rapunzel smiles in amusement.

* * *

Weasel walks up to a door. "What we doing here?" A short guard asks him.

"Upholding my promise to the people of Vardaros," He smiles widely. "I said I'd be back with extra muscle, and he will more than suffice," He jerks a thumb to the door. He steps up to the guard, pushing him towards the doors. "You knock."

He glances over his shoulder and knocks twice.

The door is unlocked, and then slowly opened. A low growl is heard from inside. "I have a job for you..."

* * *

The townsfolk are simply minding their own business, Quaid walking onto the streets when he hears a cry.

"Help!" Shorty calls out. "I'm in Mortimer peril! Someone do something!"

"Stand and deliver!" Lance is in a cloak and mask, holding a sword.

"I am standing," Shorty gestures to himself. Harmony and Varian both facepalm.

"Okay, Vex, you're up," Rapunzel smiles at her and she stands up.

"Give me thine coin purse! Oh, bearded homunculus!" Lance points the sword at Shorty.

"Oh no! A holdup! In broad daylight?" Vex gestures to the two. "What can we do?" She holds her cheeks in dismay. "Oh, look! Captain Quaid!" She points to the man in the crowd, everyone around him gasping. "Thank goodness you just happen to be here!"

Lance dangles Shorty by the leg, shaking him for loot. He's just laughing until Lance spots Quaid, dropping the short thug.

"Thou thinkest thou can defeat me?" Lance pulls out his sword. "Tis to laugh!" He twirls his fake mustache, laughing exaggeratedly.

"I mean, honestly, he wasn't any better as the bush," Eugene whispers to the others, Cass rolling her eyes.

"What world is he living in to the point that he thinks he needs to talk like that?" Harmony drags a hand down her face.

"A deluded one," Varian glances away.

Lance continues to laugh, pulling his cape over his face to laugh some more. He approaches Quaid, shouting wildly as he dances around. He swings his sword towards the man, who blocks it with his own. He smirks and engages in a sword duel with Lance. Vex looks between the two, turning her attention to the citizens.

"Hey everyone! Look at this!"

The crowd turns and sees Quaid knock Lance's sword out of his hand. "Oh, disarmed!" He kneels onto the ground. "Oh, the ignominy! Quaid hath returned like a tempest of justice that rain upon the parched Earth of crime!" He starts fake weeping.

"Let's make some noise for Quaid!" Vex calls out, the crowd cheering.

"Quaid! Quaid! Quaid!"

"You saved me!" Shorty runs up to him, hugging his leg. "My life flashed before my eyes. Did you know I used to be a doctor?"

They continue to cheer his name and smiles, finally feeling inspired again to help out the city.

"Ha! Told you, Quaid just needed a little push," Rapunzel nudges Vex, who smiles a little. "Now watch: hope is contagious."

Quaid walks through town with Vex nearby. Someone slides up to a man, stealing his sack. "Huh? Hey, give that back!"

He runs towards the thief, who pushes past someone, but is tripped. Quaid takes the bag back, Rapunzel nudging Vex once again. She looks towards the crowd approaching Quaid, who hands the sack back to the citizen. He smiles up at the man, silently vowing to help him.

Then someone is about to toss guts out onto the street. Quaid stomps the lid of a barrel, and it goes flying into the air. He slides the barrel over and catches the lid. The contents fall into the barrel, and he throws the lid, where it falls into place like it was nothing. He nods sharply to the shopkeeper, who puts the bucket's contents into the barrel. Harmony and Varian couldn't help but feel impressed, Rapunzel walking past with a small smile.

Vex looks to the shopkeeper, who actually looks happy for once as he's sweeping outside. Vex smiles too, walking after the four. The shopkeeper too joins in on the army.

An old woman at the market turns her back to grab something, the customer snatching taters. He puts them into his coat and runs off, the woman looking to see him run away. Quaid tosses around a lasso and tosses it, capturing him.

Vex points to Quaid happily, Daisy and Pascal squeaking with big smiles on their faces. They had just watched the scene. Earlier, he couldn't even catch anything, let alone a thief! But now it's like helping the people re-taught him. Rapunzel, Varian, and Harmony all grin as the girl runs up to the role model, gesturing other people to look at Quaid. Soon, they all join together, walking into the streets.

A little boy gasps sharply. "Kitty!" He points to a little gray kitten stuck from a mast, a horse pulling a crate right above it! Because of the heavy load, the rope snaps and it threatens to squash the kitten. Quaid snatches a violin and bow, using that as a makeshift bow and arrow. It hits the rope that held the heavy box, stopping it right above the kitten's head. The horse blinks at Quaid, shocked by what just happened. The kitten breaks free on its own.

"Yay!" The boy cheers, the kitten running away just before the box smashes. The kitten jumps into the happy boy's arms, and he runs past Quaid. He stands bravely, his cape flowing in the wind. Rapunzel smiles, glad that it worked. Vex looks up towards the man happily, and he smiles at her.

* * *

Later, they go back to his cottage to celebrate him being a hero again. "Ah, to Quaid!" Eugene holds up his mug.

"To Quaid!" They all cheer, holding up their mugs in the air.

"Oh! I almost forgot," Rapunzel digs into her pocket. "I made you something. Well, with Harmony and Varian's help too." She holds out her hands to give him something wrapped in a napkin. "We couldn't help but notice your old one had seen better days." He opens it up to see a new badge, with a bee as the symbol.

"Suppose you're gonna throw this thing out?" Vex points to his old badge that has a ship as the symbol. He takes a hold of it.

"Well, it occurs to me, that every respectable sheriff needs a deputy," He places his old badge on her, and she touches it, smiling. Then she drops her expression.

"Oh! Yeah, uh huh. Okay. Whatever."

"To a new Vardaros!" Rapunzel declares, standing up.

"Vardaros!" The others cheer along, some taking a sip. Cass stares at Lance.

"I'm pretty sure that was bee pheromones."

He immediately spits it out onto Max upon hearing that. "Why is this just sitting here in a drinking glass?!"

The bee houses start to shake, and Max neighs in alarm. They fly out of their habitats, forming a heart and then Max. They fly towards the horse, who runs around wildly, knocking things off the table. The cloak that Lance wore lands on Quaid. He takes it off and recognizes it.

"That cloak...it's the same one that blasted crook in the town wore."

"Oh no," Harmony murmurs, eyes widening.

"No, no, this isn't a cloak! It's a towel," Lance snatches it. "I...I was going swimming later," He places it over his neck, but then the coins that Vex collected fall out of the bag.

"Vex...did you..." He bends down to them, taking one in his hand and realizing the truth. "You never believed, did you?"

"Captain, it's not what it looks like!" She pleads with him.

"You staged the whole thing."

"I guess it is what it looks like," Hook Foot frowns towards the others.

"I think you all best leave," He tosses the coin over his shoulder, opening up the door. Rapunzel and Vex have regretful looks on their faces.

"Sorry, Captain. I just thought that you-"

"Now!" He slams the door instead of listening.

"You said that you gave up on this city because no one wanted to fight for Vardaros," She argues to the door. "Well, you just made a deputy. And she's ready to fight! Are you gonna let her fight alone?"

However, he's too hurt by what they did as he clenches the badge in his hand.

"Captain...all that stuff you did to help the town...that was all you. You got the inspiration you needed to come back to Vardaros and fight for the people again," Harmony presses her hand to the door. "And you inspired someone else too...someone who lost a friend..."

Vex blinks at the girl, wondering when she found out about Morgan.

"The people aren't going to fight back unless you help them take a stand," Varian speaks up. "Can't we just talk about this?"

They get no response in return. "Sorry, guys," Eugene walks up to them, guiding Rapunzel away. "I don't think he's coming out..."

"Now what are we gonna do about Weasel...?" Harmony sighs sadly as they walk away.

"...He told you about Morgan...didn't he?" Vex asks her slowly.

"Yeah...he sounded really concerned for you about that. She abandoned you, and because of that, you've had to tough it out on your own."

"What would you know about it?" Vex raises a brow at her. "You're a princess. You grew up in a castle, surrounded by probably a lot of friends and servants and adoring people..."

"Actually...I didn't," Harmony replies, looking away. Vex stares at the girl. "See this?" She holds out her left hand, showing the crescent moon symbol on it. "It means I have the power of the Moonstone Opal. I can cause death and destruction, and I'm also the reason for those black rocks." The girl opens her mouth in shock and confusion. She didn't realize that not everyone like her has it so easy... "I grew up secluded from my people, Vex. These powers are basically a repeller for normal people...I guess that makes all my friends the opposite of normal," She smiles towards the others. "I found my place with them. So...I know what it's like to be alone. But that badge...it's a symbol of dedication. You wear it proud."

Vex smiles weakly at the princess.

* * *

The next day, crows are cawing as the bell rings. The group is standing, waiting for Weasel as a tumbleweed rolls past. Pretty much everyone has abandoned the plan.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Vex states in disbelief. "I feel like an idiot..."

"Yeah, kid, becoming one of the good guys will do that," Eugene places a hand on her shoulder. She smiles lightly, the men approaching. The citizens turn to look, a woman gasping at the army. Weasel smirks at them.

"Well, well! The princesses and their playgroup are still here. And it looks like there's a new sheriff in town," He notices Vex's badge.

"I'm a deputy, jerk!" She shouts at him, showing her badge.

"If you're gonna trash-talk, do it right! Boom!" Harmony points at the man boastfully.

"Alright then, Deputy," He brushes off his glove. "Allow me to introduce you to a special guest. He is the most deadly, the most fearsome, and quite possibly, the nastiest bounty hunter money can buy...The Collector!"

"Did he just say what I think he just said?" Varian whispers to Harmony, who nods slowly. The Collector walks up to them, breaking a streetlight with his bare hands. The remains lay in front of him, which he steps over. Pascal hides in Rapunzel's hair, Daisy ducking into Harmony's bag. The crowd screams in fear at the sight of him, running past Eugene.

"Come on, people! Don't be scared! I've heard the stories about this guy too, but how bad can he really be?" He backs away into metal, looking up at the intimidating face of the man. "There I go, speaking too soon again!"

He whimpers, running back to the others.

"Seeing as how I went through the trouble of hiring him, I'd hate to lose my deposit," Weasel smirks smugly.

"If you think I'm backing down, you are-"

The Collector's growl interrupts Rapunzel, staring her down.

"Rapunzel!" Cass pulls out her sword, Eugene and Harmony running up to her. They run in opposite sides, Harmony in the center. He fires right at them, Harmony flipping into the air. She looks behind her as Cass and Eugene are now tied up. He then traps Lance, Varian, and Hook Foot with them.

"Guys!" Harmony shouts in concern.

"Collect this!" Rapunzel grins, attaching her hair to Max. He, Pascal, and Daisy run around him. The horse gives Vex the other half, and together they pull, tripping him. Harmony fires a bolo using her bow, trapping him. "Alright, you got him!"

He rips himself free of the restraints, Harmony's eyes widening.

"Annnd I don't got him."

He picks himself right back up through a piping in his back. The others glance to each other as a wooden stick slips into his hand from his sleeve. The blade appears so that it's now an ax. Rapunzel snaps her hair, but he grabs onto it, throwing her into some hay.

"HEY!" Harmony screams, pointing her arrow at him. "Nobody does that to my sister!"

He turns to face the two, everybody around shutting themselves in their homes or shops. Harmony stands bravely in front of Vex, firing every arrow she's got in her arsenal, but nothing works. Vex stares at the girl, impressed that she's still willing to fight for her sister. Morgan would've just abandoned her in a situation like this.

"So much for Vardaros' new sheriff," Weasel grins at them evilly, Harmony gripping the bow in her left hand.

"Mona, no!" Varian gasps a little, seeing them defenseless and with no weapons.

"Do something!" Vex urges Harmony.

"I'm out!" She looks towards her empty quiver. "I knew I should've done more sword practice!"

"Weren't you listening, you filthy crook?" Quaid steps up behind them. "She said she was a deputy. The princess said to get it right." His new badge Rapunzel made for him shines on his chest. "And I'm the sheriff."

The two girls smile happily, Rapunzel digging herself out of the hay. "Quaid the Blade!" Weasel just chuckles in amazement. "How perfect is this? The Collector crushed you in your prime. What makes you think you can defeat him now?"

The Collector stares down at his former opponent, the group tied up glancing to him quizzically. "I can't...but we can!" He throws a jar of pheromones to Vex, who smiles widely and throws it above Harmony. She hands her a spare arrow.

"All yours, princess!"

She smirks and fires it straight at the jar between her and the Collector. She hits it dead on and it explodes into the man's face. Quaid releases all of the bees he had, which form a skull face. They fly towards the Collector, getting into his suit through the holes and sleeves. He growls as he runs into a wall, running away screaming. His mask falls off as the girls turn to everyone.

"Come on, people! Enough hiding! This is our city!"

"Are you just gonna let some punk take it for his own?" Harmony gestures to Weasel.

Weasel turns around in confusion. "She's right! Together, we can take back our home!"

"You heard them. Let's show 'em Vardaros doesn't belong to them...anymore!" Quaid declares, running with all the people to the army. Quaid battles two guards, the shopkeeper tossing a barrel over one. The fiddler pokes one of them with the bow, eventually knocking him down. Vex takes the ax, running up to a pulley. She slices it and a piece of the flag flies off. Two people pull it off, Rapunzel smiling. She flings her hair at the rest, Harmony sticking out her tongue as she aims upwards. She pulls it back and it hits the string. Rapunzel yanks it off and it falls. Weasel gasps in a panic, bumping into Vex and Quaid. They both punch him in the face and he falls. He stumbles onto his feet, running off in fear.

"And don't ever come back, you jerk!" Harmony shakes a fist at him. Vex smirks up at Quaid, who winks at her. The people gather around, cheering for their victory. Harmony cuts the others free, Varian hugging her. They watch as Eugene and Rapunzel clap.

"Well, what do you know? These people can smile after all. It's kinda nice," Eugene comments, leaning in towards Rapunzel. "Those are smiles, right?"

"...Yeah, they are," Varian tilts his head at some people. "7-75 percent certain..."

Soon, the Quaid statue is cleaned up to its former glory.

"I have a feeling that beneath all the grime, dirt, and gunk, is a beautiful city just waiting to shine," Rapunzel states happily.

"Princess," Vex walks up to Harmony just as they're about to go back to the caravan for dinner.

"Just Harmony," She smiles, waving it off. "That is, if you insist on me calling you deputy."

"Hmm, it still has a nice ring to it," She smirks, crossing her arms, causing Harmony to chuckle. "Anyway...after seeing you trying to stand up to the Collector and all, and how you always protect those close to you...I dunno, I..."

"You...?" Harmony drags it out, just wondering what it is that she's trying to say.

"Well...thank you. For trying to protect me even though you knew that you were defenseless."

"That's the thing about me. I don't quit," The girl smirks, hands on her hips.

"At least you're more to swallow than your sister," Vex lightly rolls her eyes.

"She has that effect on almost everyone. Even her best friend Cass had to get used to her at first. Anyway, if that's all you wanted to say-"

"Uh, not really," Vex rubs the back of her neck. "Look, you and I both know that Mo...did some bad things to me. And I'm not saying you can replace her, but...you're pretty close. But you didn't hear that from me."

Harmony smiles lightly at the almost-compliment. "Huh...never had a girl friend my own age up until now."

"Anyway, I wanna help you with your little boyfriend. You said you wanted to do something nice for him, right?"

"How'd you know about-"

"I have my ways," Vex smirks lightly. "If you really wanna make it count, here's what you gotta do..."

* * *

"Okay, two questions I immediately have," Varian states as Harmony is covering up his eyes with her hands. "One, why can't I see? And two, why do I have to be blinded?"

"Oh, stop worrying," She smiles excitedly. "Since you proved that we can trust you...we thought that your temporary home could use a touch-up."

"What are you-" Harmony removes her hands and he opens his mouth in shock. Standing in front of him is a newly-painted caravan painted with beakers, Ruddiger...and a painting of everyone in the center, including him, smiling. Not one spot was left untouched as it has something to represent Varian, or at least others close to him, and alchemy. Not only that, it's now attached to the main caravan, Silver mounted next to Fidella up in front.

"This...this is for me?" He points to himself.

"Yes~! We all worked on it!" Harmony sings behind him, pushing him towards the caravan. "And that's not all!"

She opens up the door, where the others are waiting. The interior is decorated to be just like his lab at home, but instead of a barred window from the front door, there is another window right above his table for him to get some extra sunlight. The walls have also been painted with a mural to commemorate his life after he met Harmony. All of their adventures were there: helping Attila with his bakery, watching the Challenge of the Brave, helping Rapunzel with Andrew and that hot balloon. Even the couple signing the book was painted.

"H-How...how did you...?"

"Harmi let me borrow her journal for inspiration," Rapunzel holds up the open book, and he can see the fresh paint still on their hands. "We didn't want you to have to look at a dark, dreary caravan during your stay here...but we did have a little help from Vex too."

His eyes widen slowly. Despite all that he's done to the whole kingdom and the whole group...they all pitched in and did something nice for him.

"Wow..." He murmurs, taking in all his surroundings. "T-This is amazing! Thank you." And for once since Rapunzel broke his promise...

He meant it.

"And look! Vex also found some new clothes for you to wear!" Harmony holds up a dark blue vest with a red belt and buckles that goes across the right shoulder and stops at the left side of the waist. Dark blue gloves with red accents are included, along with a beige satchel, and maroon pants with a black belt. The boots are a dark blue as well. Varian blinks at them, taking them into his hands. He smiles up at her.

A few minutes later, he steps out wearing the outfit, examining himself. "Wow, it fits great."

"Looking good, Goggles," Eugene smirks, pointing at him.

"Now you look like one of us!" Rapunzel smiles and he returns the gesture, looking back towards the caravan. He didn't know when they'd find the answer to free his dad, but he had a good feeling that they will eventually.


	29. Goodbye and Goodwill

**Angel: I have some announcements for everyone. First and most importantly, I am working for the rest of the entire week in the morning, so I may fall behind on some of my writing (not too worried about this story, since I'm writing You're Kidding Me at this point). That's reality for you, I guess XD And when I get home from work, I have to put time into my homework afterwards or else I'll fall behind. I think I'll be done with the second season by the end of the month, hopefully...but I have to resort to an online website for season 3 since it's not on Disney+, which is what I've been using to write this story...that's gonna be a little more difficult because it's a bit slower than the streaming service. But at least they put the final season's soundtrack on Spotify!**

**Also, I have written a response about MLP fanfiction on my profile underneath Future Stories, so if you were wondering about that, go check that out.**

**And lastly...something tells me I shouldn't say this XD If you've read my Sophia X story, you know that I hated doing it. But...I've decided to let that go and be more open to doing more Sonic tv shows and/or the film from this year. So let me know if you wanna see the movie or one of the shows first or to do a poll for that, but please don't ask for Sonic Underground or the OVA, because I just don't like them.**

**Enjoy the new chapter!**

"I can't express just how much this time in Vardaros has meant to us," Rapunzel states, the others except Vex smiling behind her. She's wearing her old dress. "We may have come here as strangers, but I like to think we're leaving as friends. So, in the spirit of that friendship, we would like to share a Corona tradition with all of you. I am proud to announce the First Annual Vardaros Goodwill Festival!" She pulls down a banner that looms over their heads.

However...very few people are around to hear it.

"Boo!" A shopkeeper shouts at them.

"Yeah, I got booed at last year's festival, too," Rapunzel whispers to an annoyed Vex. "Don't worry. This is gonna be fantastic!"

Vex ducks her head, a tomato flying past and hitting the wall behind her.

"It's great that you wanna do this, Raps," Cass says while looking at a goodwill festival poster. "But this town isn't like Corona," Owl hands her a poster. "They don't feel the need to celebrate something every six seconds."

"Vardaros isn't as...traditional," Harmony points to Cass. "Because I know for a fact she didn't just insult my home."

"W-What? No..." Cass waves it off nervously.

"You should really listen to them," Vex replies in a snarky tone, leaning against a barrel. "Vardarans aren't really the "goodwill" kind of crowd."

"Yeah, they seem to be the solitude type," Varian holds up a finger.

"I hate goodwill, ya clod!" A woman shouts as she walks past the alley. Rapunzel places her hands on her hips, slightly glaring at her.

"I know people here are a little rougher around the edges, but they deserve to have a good time," She smiles, walking up to Cass, who is still looking skeptical.

"Are you sure everyone shares your idea of what makes a good time? Look!" She gestures to the Gopher Grab stand, where no one is in line to sign up. "Not one person has signed up for the Gopher Grab. Which might not be a bad thing, since we don't have a gopher."

She frowns a little at Cass being cynical about the matter. "Hey, hey, don't worry about that," Eugene places a hand on her shoulder. "I've got my two best gopher hunters on the job."

"Ow! Oh! Aah!" Lance shouts as Hook Foot is pulling a rope around Lance's head with his hook. Both of them had gotten stuck in a trap in the woods. "You're pulling! You're pulling! You know how much I—aah! Aah! You're pulling!"

"I'm sure they're out there snaggin' a gopher as we speak," Eugene says confidently. "Probably. You know, we may actually wanna cancel the Gopher Grab?"

"It'll be tough finding a gopher out here," Vex speaks up. "This is sneezeweasel country."

"She's right. A normal animal like a gopher is almost non-existent in this area," Varian replies, looking over Harmony's shoulder. She's trying to construct the Gopher Grab to the best of her ability, per Rapunzel's instructions.

"I'm so sorry. What's a sneezeweasel?" Cass asks in confusion.

"It's a mammalian omnivore, indigenous to this region, whose primary diet is gophers, foxes..." Shorty blenches out paper. "And voles."

They turn to Harmony in shock, who has her fist to her cheek. "Shorty's right. Yeah, this conversation is really helping my concentration..." Her eyes widen as she realizes what she just said. "Did I really just say that _Shorty _was right about something?"

"Um, Shorty, how do you know so much about sneezeweasels?" Eugene couldn't help but ask.

Shorty just chuckles. "I used to be one."

"Oh...that's better," Eugene smiles awkwardly.

"Anyway, with all the sneezeweasels dominating this town, the chances of finding a gopher are slim to none. Now can I focus, please? I'm trying to find the best area to build the festival," Harmony calls out, looking back to the map of Vardaros.

Rapunzel suddenly gasps, hugging Eugene's arm. "Look! Someone's signing up for the Gopher Grab!"

A man grabs a feather. "And you thought the good cheer wouldn't catch on," She points to Cass.

"Actually, he's stealing your quill," Vex corrects her. They turn to see him running away and Cass growls.

"Hey!" she chases after the man, Owl flying after her. The man turns around, only to be tackled by the woman. He whimpers in pain as the woman is holding his arm. "You want the pen so bad..." Owl flies up to the two with the sign-up sheet. "Then sign up."

"Okay, okay!" He grabs the pen. "I'll sign up!" He places an x, a crowd gathering at Cass holding him down. Vex pushes past Rapunzel, who looks on in slight disapproval.

"Uh, Cass, we're celebrating goodwill? Remember?"

The man runs away sobbing once Cass lets him go.

"Anyone else wanna wrestle me for the pen?" Cass holds it up. "You lose, you sign up!"

"Me!" The crowd starts shouting to volunteer.

"Let's do this!"

"Okay then. Who's next?" She grins widely, ready for the challenge. They shout angrily, running up to her and she punches someone in the face.

* * *

Quaid puts up a festival poster, tacking it to his wall. Vex, Cass, Harmony, Varian, and Rapunzel walk into his office.

"Captain, I know why you wanna see us, and I'm sure it wasn't Cass' intention to injure 16 people," Rapunzel gives her a look.

"Uh, it was 23," Cass adds in.

"Basically half the town," Varian deadpans at her.

"It's just that-"

"Rapunzel," Quaid interrupts her, "I haven't seen folks that excited in years! Nice job," He smiles at the woman, who blinks in shock. That was definitely not something she expected. "When you told me about this goodwill nonsense, I thought there's no way that this feel-good garbage is gonna fly here. But...that's before I saw what Cass had up her sleeve."

Rapunzel chuckles nervously at her friend. "To be clear, that wasn't an official festival event."

"Well, it should've been!"

"You should have Cass plan all of your events," Vex suggests to her. "Harmony can still build them."

"Huh. Actually, that's not such a bad idea," Rapunzel rubs her chin. "I mean, I know this party stuff isn't your strong suit, but it would be fun to work together. What do you say? You wanna be my co-planner?"

Harmony and Varian glance to each other. Cass really isn't a party person. She'll attend one if it involves her duty as trying to be a guard, but planning it...

"Ha! Me? Co-planning a festival?" She laughs at the thought. "Hmm, why not?"

"Great!" Rapunzel smiles at her.

"Can I help?" Vex stands up with a smile.

"Of course you can." The girl walks right past her in annoyance.

"I was actually asking Cass."

She wraps an arm around Vex, leading her away. Rapunzel just shrugs, walking after them.

"This is gonna end..."

"Badly?" Harmony finishes for Varian.

"Definitely. Well, I guess we should continue building...just not for a goodwill festival..." He murmurs as they walk out the door.

* * *

"Here, gophy-gophy! Here, gophy!" Lance calls out. The two walk down the path, Lance looking underneath a rock. "Gophy...!"

"Aah! This is pointless!" Hook Foot exclaims in frustration, kicking away the rock.

"Listen," Lance stands up. "We promised to find a gopher, and I don't like breaking promises."

"Oh, come on, you break promises all the time!" Hook Foot declares, as he broke a promise to stop talking about Harmony's love life, and yet didn't.

"I do it, I just don't like it," He corrects himself, and pauses when they hear leaves rustling nearby. He looks at a flower bush.

"What is it...?" Hook Foot steps up in fear, hugging Lance's arm. "I'm not scared."

Lance digs his hand into the bush, and holds up what looks to be a gopher. "Hey, yo, Foot, is this a gopher?"

"I don't know," He stares at it. With him spending most of his time at the pub before they left Corona, he's not really in the woods much to tell the difference. "Check the picture."

Lance holds up the drawing he did, looking between the two. "...Nope, too cute." He places it back down on the grass gently, chuckling. "I can't believe I thought that was a gopher. Much too fancy. Such a knucklehead."

The gopher squeaks as it watches them walk away.

* * *

"Okay, partner, here is the list of events," Rapunzel is holding a piece of paper, looking up at all the work that Harmony and Varian have done so far. "It's a fifth draft, so it should be pretty close to final."

"Hmm, okay, let's see," Cass starts to read it. "Bobbing for apples...ring toss...juggling? Raps, are you sure people here are into...pony rides?" She asks skeptically, wondering just how she pulled that off.

"Who doesn't love pony rides?" Rapunzel smiles up at her.

"I hate pony rides!" The same woman who called Rapunzel a clod walks past them. "Ya clod!"

Rapunzel silently huffs to herself, annoyed. "Like I said...not final," She takes the paper away, taking a slight breath. She brushes a bang behind her ear. "Okay. Um, did you have any ideas for events?"

Cass tosses her a ball of paper, which she catches and opens. "Hmm," She looks at the human pinata, sitting out seeds at targets, and more. "Human Pinata? Spit Target Practice? Okay, I-I don't even know what_ this_ is!"

"That would be Piranha Dunk Tank, Rapunzel," Cass explains to her. Harmony slides down from a pulley above their heads to look at Cass.

"And just where would you get the piranhas, Cass?" She raises a brow, but her question goes unanswered as Rapunzel speaks up.

"Um, I'm not quite sure these scream goodwill."

Cass gasps sharply as she gets an idea. "Goodwill Scream Contest? Great idea! We can see who can scream the loudest!"

"OUTTA MY WAY!" The shopkeeper screams as he walks past. Harmony covers an ear and pulls herself back up.

"And there's the guy to beat!" Cass points at him.

"Take a break, Vari! Something tells me that we're not gonna get much building done..." Harmony shakes her head.

"What makes you say that?" He looks over his shoulder as he's standing on a rooftop to hang banners.

"In 3, 2, 1," Harmony circles a finger with each countdown, pointing to the two women. Rapunzel lets out a nervous chuckle as she watches Cass hold her sword.

"Cass, uh, don't get me wrong. I love your ideas, but event planning takes a certain...skill set."

"Skill set?" Cass raises a brow. She's trying to figure just what 'skill set' goes into event planning. "Are you suggesting I don't know how to help people have fun?"

"No!" Rapunzel replies immediately. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! No! …Maybe?"

Pascal stares up at her, baffled at how she admitted it. "Well, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, Rapunzel, but maybe the reason Vex suggested I be co-planner is because _you _lack a certain skill set."

The blonde just laughs, Cass crossing her arms with a smug look. "Well, then, Cassandra, if that's the case, maybe you should host your own events for the Goodwill Festival."

"Maybe I should!" Cass shouts back at her. "Thank you!" Then she starts to leave.

"After all, twice as many events means twice as much festival!" Rapunzel holds up two fingers.

"I agree! That way, _everybody _wins!" The lady-in-waiting backs away, glaring at her.

"Well, then it's settled. I'm glad we could work this disagreement out without ARGUING!" Rapunzel grits her teeth, clenching her fists.

"It's what friends DO!" Cass screams and they storm off in opposite directions.

"Man," Harmony sighs at this. "It's just like at the Challenge of the Brave..."

"So what do we do?" Varian asks and she looks up at him.

"This time, we get outside help. We can't have them arguing the whole time we're trying to follow the black rocks. Come on," She starts to climb back down.

"Hey Blondie. Everything alright?" Eugene greets as he and Max approach the crown princess.

"YES! My friend and I were just making polite CONVERSATION!" Rapunzel screams, walking off. Max turns to Eugene, who shrugs. He turns around to the two teenagers that approach him.

"Mind telling me what that was all about?"

"She and Cassandra are fighting," Varian sighs slowly. "Because of the Goodwill Festival..."

"I've honestly never seen my sister that mad before," Harmony stares after the blonde.

"We were looking for you, actually-"

"You finally want advice on good looks!" Eugene interrupts eagerly, the two glancing at each other briefly.

"Nooo...we need your help getting them to make up," Harmony stares at him. "I know you don't like Cass, but Rapunzel helped you out when you and Cass wouldn't stop arguing. You owe me at least that much, Eugene."

"I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?" He deadpans at the two.

* * *

Rapunzel walks up to the Goodwill Festival banner that the teens put up. Cass was already there, the tension high.

"Here we go. Festival time."

"Yep! Let's cram some goodwill down this town's throat!" She slams her sword into the ground.

"Uh, sure...Now, remember, Cass, if people don't like your events, don't get upset." Rapunzel holds out her hand.

"I'm not worried about it," Cass accepts the handshake, but only to be civil.

"Good! And I really hope your events go well. After all, if this Goodwill Festival is a success, we all win," Rapunzel replies politely.

"Totally," Cass narrows her eyes as they're still shaking hands. "And besides, it's not like it's a competition or anything."

"Right. Right, of course. It's about showing the Vardarans as much fun as possible!" Rapunzel snatches her hand back and they slowly move away from each other.

Rapunzel looks inside the barrel full of apples, taking a bite. Three bushels of apples with a bite in them are behind her, Harmony and Varian looking on with slight concern. No one's even approached her booth, or really paid any attention to it.

"Whew! That's 65 apples for me." She tosses one into the pile. "Whoo!"

A man runs up to her, taking a bitten apple and running off. They stare in confusion to see him throw it. Cass slices the apple in half with her sword, some of it landing on his shirt and face.

"Yes! Yes!" He laughs happily, Rapunzel giving a swayed look.

"I-I'm sure someone will come to one of her events..." Varian stammers, though he really didn't think so.

Pascal and Daisy are trying to get people's attention to a guessing game. The chameleon manages to get someone, gesturing to the sign. He reads it: 'Guess how many.' Pascal raises his hands, Daisy flapping over him.

He holds up three fingers, the two pets gesturing for him to guess more.

The man from before is holding a crossbow in his hands, Cass watching nearby. He attempts to fire it, but the end in front of him activates, and he's left slightly floating in the air.

"Well, at least you got your looks. Oops! No, you don't!" Cass retorts, people around her laughing. Then the crossbow fires, sending him flying off.

The man in front of the two pets guesses two, and they pinch the space between their eyes. Pascal gestures for him to go higher, but he guesses two again. He takes the whole jar, dumping it all over their heads. Daisy looks up at him in slight anger, and he slams down the jar. The man with the crossbow lands in the har, and he holds up a finger.

Since he's technically right, Pascal flings his tongue, capturing a penguin plush. He hands it over.

"Boo!" The man in the jar hollers, the sign falling onto the floor.

Varian and Harmony approach the table, seeing the man stuck there.

"Boo!"

"Not again, Cass," Varian mutters, looking over his shoulder. It's the third time it's happened today, unfortunately...

"Honey Wall! Honey Wall!" Vardarans chant as Vex is standing near a wall covered top to bottom in honey. "Honey Wall!"

Harmony, Rapunzel, and Varian appear in the crowd, watching. "Alright, whoever makes Shorty stick to Captain Quaid's Honey Wall the longest is our winner!" Cass is holding the tiny man, looking over her shoulder at the wall.

She steps up to a woman, who cracks her knuckles. She hands over Shorty. "Ready?!"

The woman prepares to throw Shorty, who just giggles without a care. She spins around and tosses him into the air. The people watch in awe as he goes flying.

"It's been a long time since I've been thrown into a good wall of honey," He sticks onto it upside down, his beard hanging.

"Honey Wall! Honey Wall! Honey Wall!" The people push slightly past Rapunzel, who looks on with a sad frown on her face.

"Guys, you're okay with this?" Rapunzel turns to the two.

"Well, no...but honestly, this event isn't hurting him," Varian gestures to Shorty.

"You kidding? It's _Shorty. _He couldn't care less. Besides, Rapunzel, not every single town is the same, and Vardaros is just one of those towns."

* * *

Later on, the blonde paints the Honey Wall event, sitting in front of the caravan. Rapunzel is looking on with disapproval in the painting, while Vex and Cass are smiling.

"Okay, so her events are getting a lot more attention. But that doesn't mean mine are bad, right?" Rapunzel asks the four. Pascal gives an unsure wave, looking to Daisy, Varian, and Harmony. They take one look at each other and whistle, looking away. They really didn't want to answer that.

"Eugene, are Cassandra's events more fun than mine?" She calls out to her boyfriend nearby. He's cleaning dishes from their lunch earlier.

"Are Cassandra's events more fun than yours? Ooh," He clicks his teeth, wincing. "Uh, uh. Are Cassandra's events more fun...than...yours?" He wipes his hand on the cloth being held by Max. He looks to the two, who gesture for him to say something.

He notices Rapunzel's glare. "You know what? The important thing here is, uh, is that—that people are having fun, yeah, you know, and isn't that the whole point of a Goodwill Festival?"

"That is right!" Varian grins nervously. "I mean, Mona and I had fun at our first one together."

"Course, we had barely known each other then, and you were dead set on Monty being your friend," Harmony holds up a hand. "Which, despite all that you did, didn't work and my leg broke, and we-"

Varian winces and she looks up to see Rapunzel looking at them with the glare now. Harmony clamps her mouth shut, hiding behind the boy.

"You know what, not a good example."

"And that Gopher Grab tomorrow is gonna make everything even better," Eugene adds in. "So, maybe the two of you should just get together and work it out, huh?" He lightly touches her hair, causing her to smile.

"Yeah...you're right."

She pecks his lips, walking off. Max stares after her in surprise. "Well, Max, I hoped you learned something there."

He glares a little, blowing the cloth over Eugene's face. Both Varian and Harmony laugh at him.

* * *

An owl hoots as it gets dark, Lance sighing as they're still in the forest. "Well, uh, it might be time to admit defeat."

A growl is heard nearby. "Shh! Wait!" Hook Foot exclaims in alarm. Lance puts a hand to his ear, and when he hears it, he shrieks in fear. They walk into the bushes, and see a bunch of footprints, along with some bones and black rocks. A large shadow is seen from the mountains overlooking the forest, which has big teeth and giant claws. Lance looks at his drawing and then at the shadow.

"Foot, old buddy. I think we've got our gopher," Lance says in a quiet voice.

* * *

"Hey, Cass?" Rapunzel announces as she's walking over to a tent, holding up a lantern and wearing a cloak. Harmony and Varian step behind her, Daisy and Pascal on foot. "I just wanted to say..." She doesn't see her friend anywhere inside. "Cass?"

"She's not in the caravan, so she has to be here..." Harmony murmurs as Varian is holding up his staff with chemicals tied to it.

"Cass?" She calls out again, seeing a table covered. She removes the cloth to see a bunch of weapons on the table. "Yeesh! What is Cass planning to do with that?"

"Whatever Cass does," Varian shrugs towards her. Rapunzel holds up a nunchuck and pulls it to extend the chain.

"Wow. Nothing says goodwill like nunchucks, I guess." She takes back the lantern and walks straight into a totem with a scary mask on it. They all scream at the sight, recoiling back.

"I don't even wanna know where she got that. Ew, ew, ew," Harmony takes the cloth and covers up the mask with it.

"Whew! Okay, looks like she's got the, uh, creepy clown events covered too, huh?" Rapunzel says after catching her breath.

"I am officially creeped out..." Varian murmurs and they turn around to see a frowning Cass. They scream again, falling backwards into the table. The crown princess drops her lantern.

"Oh. Cass, hi. You're here," She picks up the lantern.

"Of course I'm here," Cass crosses her arms. "This is my tent. What are you-" She gasps suddenly. "Wait a minute. I know what this is about. You're here to steal my event ideas, and you're using Harmi and Varian to do it!"

"What? No!" Harmony shakes her head rapidly.

"No, we're not," Rapunzel denies as they back away from her accusing fingers. "Why would we do that?"

"I just figured, since yours were so...disastrous," Cass replies smugly.

"I wouldn't steal again after what happened back in Corona," Varian defends himself.

"And, well, they weren't disastrous, Cass," Rapunzel places the lantern in front of Daisy and Pascal. "And I don't need to steal your bad ideas, thank you very much. I have plenty of my own."

The two teens look between the two of them, backing away so that they don't get in the middle of it. Cass chuckles at her.

"Okay, you have plenty of bad ideas?"

Pascal and Daisy frown up in worry at Rapunzel. "What? No," She growls in frustration. "You know what I mean!"

"Look, Raps, I'm sorry if people like my events better than yours," Cass takes a seat, smiling in amusement.

"What are you talking about? People love my events!" Rapunzel smiles, but the Vardaran woman walks past.

"I hate your events! Ya clod!"

"Is she just following me around?" Rapunzel asks herself.

"And aren't people supposed to be asleep at this hour?" Harmony raises a brow in confusion.

"I tried telling you, these people are edgy. And sadly, you _have _no edge," Cass tells it to Rapunzel straight.

"No edge? No edge? Oh, ho ho. I have got edge, sister. I've got so much edge that, well, you would fall off of me, if you're not careful. Varian, tell her I have edge," She looks towards the boy, who sweats nervously.

"Uh, I'm...I'm not sure I should, on account of the fact that you and Cass are friends, Rapunzel. Why does it matter whose events are better?" Varian rubs the back of his neck.

Cass raises a brow towards the both of them, Pascal waving a hand. "Because I'm edgy, you'd fall—trust me, it adds up. You'll get it." Harmony shakes her head slowly. "Look, can we just keep this argument focused, please?"

Cass laughs, getting onto her feet. "What argument? My events are just plain awesome, and yours are just...plain."

"Cass!" Harmony warns her, and she walks off with a pleased smile on her face.

"Really? Really? Well, you know what? Let me handle the Gopher Grab tomorrow, because I am gonna hold the craziest, edgiest grab ever!" Rapunzel calls out confidently, hands on her hips. "...I really hope Lance and Hook Foot found a gopher."

The two frown towards each other before looking towards the pets. Hopefully with their plan, they can get the girls to become friends again...

* * *

The next day, it's the Gopher Grab event as a man stands near the flag. "Boo!"

Rapunzel puts water in a bucket, Cass doing the same from the other side. They don't even look at each other as they pour the water, Cass spraying it a little on the blonde on purpose. She glares as she walks off, Lance and Hook Foot pushing a wooden box onto the sand.

"Whew! Boy, is it ever frosty between those two," Eugene looks over to Rapunzel as he, Max, Varian, Daisy, and Harmony walk over to the duo. Max neighs in agreement, Daisy chirping and nodding. "Well, you're right, I should help Brownie and Goggles with it. The problem is, when people don't get along, Blondie's the one who normally fixes it, and she usually does it in some unique and artful way..."

"Well, now we just have to do it in our own way," Harmony smirks a little.

"That's it! Max! Guys! Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" He smiles at the four.

"No," Harmony and Varian say in unison, shaking their heads. Max also shakes his head no, nickering.

"Ha ha! Perfect! Oh, Eugene, you unique and artful devil, you!"

The horse turns to the two in confusion. Hook Foot just shrugs and Varian looks up at the box. "So...this giant crate is holding a gopher? How'd you even find one?"

"Oh, it's a gopher, alright!" Lance nudges Hook Foot. "It just took hard work!"

The Gopher Grab involves swinging hammers, a large ramp, and a big metal razor...

Rapunzel glances over the fence, Cass joining her. Harmony and Varian look over the fence as well.

"I'm just gonna say...wow," Harmony blinks at it. She never thought Rapunzel could go this far.

"What? Not edgy enough?"

Eugene peeks his head over the crate that Cass and Rapunzel are standing on. He laughs quietly at what he has planned.

"I just wanted to say...I'm impressed," Cass comments to her. Harmony pumps a fist, Varian smiling in slight relief. They didn't need Eugene's help after all, it seems. Rapunzel smiles at the woman. "But..." A clank is suddenly heard, and they look to see that their legs are handcuffed.

"Well, well, well, looks like you two are partners!" Eugene declares, revealing himself. "Now you _have _to work things out!" He chuckles at them. "You're welcome."

"Eugene, we can't do this!" Rapunzel states, both of them falling down in front of the former thief.

"They were just _starting _to work things out!" Harmony narrows her eyes, elbowing Eugene in the arm.

"Ow. What?"

"Are you damaged, Fitzherbert?" Cass glares up at him.

"Well, if by that, you mean, this is a brilliant way to force you two to work it out, then, yes, color me damaged. If not, this was clearly their idea," Eugene points at the duo, who gasp sharply. They look around to yell at him, but he's already gone. Cass turns her glare to the duo.

"You set this up?"

"We didn't tell him to handcuff you!" Harmony defends, gesturing to where Eugene left.

"Just to help us help you become friends again!" Varian rubs the back of his neck nervously. "We just wanted you to realize that whether or not your events sway the Vardarans...that you two are best friends."

"Why would you do that?" Rapunzel stares at him. "Don't you still hate me?"

"I mean...my father is still stuck in the amber, but being angry towards you won't change what happened. And...the only reason why he's still in there is because of me. I was the one who created it, and then he saved me from suffering the fate he's going through now..."

"Vari..." Harmony places a hand on his shoulder in sympathy.

Quaid approaches Hook Foot and Lance. "What do you boys got in there?"

"A gopher, obviously!" Hook Foot rolls his eyes.

"I've named him Snoozy, because he's been sleepin' ever since we caught him. Isn't that right?"

Quaid, however, is skeptical as he peeks inside a crack in the wood. A growl is heard and his eyes widen in realization. "You better get it outta here before you wake it up!"

"Why? What is it?" Lance looks to the crate, and the fence opens to reveal the people, who are ready to catch the 'gopher.' Vex holds up a bell, Quaid looking on in horror.

"Grab that gopher." She rings it and the clang wakes up whatever is inside the crate. It busts out of the box, Lance screaming as he and Hook Foot run away. Vex opens her mouth in horror, the other citizens running away screaming.

"What-what is it?" Rapunzel asks as she, Cass, Varian, and Harmony arrive.

"It's a gopher!" Hook Foot runs past them.

"Uhh...that is not a gopher," Harmony says nervously, backing up a bit.

"They grabbed a sneezeweasel," Varian cringes at the sight.

"Mm, this is bad," Vex replies as the sneezeweasel roars. It's at least 10 times larger than an actual gopher, with sharp teeth, claws, a tail with a spike at the end, and a big nose. "We should probably run." She runs past the four, bell clanging. Rapunzel and Cass look at their handcuffed ankles.

"Uh oh..."

"A big uh-oh," Varian and Harmony say in unison.

The citizens are running around in a panic, the sneezeweasel running off. "So, that's a sneezeweasel," Rapunzel cringes a little.

"Well, it ain't a gopher."

The citizens trigger the traps, the big creature just running into them. He chases after two people, the woman falling onto the ground. The four chase after the creature.

"We gotta do something!"

"Quick, what do you two know about sneezeweasels?" Cass asks the teens.

"Well-"

The sneezeweasel crashes through a fence, the group glancing back in shock. "For one, it can break literally anything, and it's super strong," Harmony bites her lip. It snorts, sending some smoke into its nose. It then sneezes the smoke out, sending them onto the ground.

"And it has a very powerful sneeze," Varian says weakly, holding up a finger.

"Oh! Now I get why they're called sneezeweasels, huh?" Cass looks up at the creature runs towards them. The two women attempt to run away, but the cuffs limit this. Varian guides Harmony back a bit as the two fall in front of them.

"You guys can't even run like this," Harmony gestures to the cuffs. The sneezeweasel drags his hands into the sand.

"And that sneezeweasel looks pretty tough," Varian winces, Rapunzel looking around.

"Oh! Quick! That wall!" Rapunzel grabs Cass' arm, and they run off. They hide behind the wall just as it lets out another sneeze. Harmony sighs in relief, the sneezeweasel walking up to them. Lance and Hook Foot laugh.

"You guys really undersold this Gopher Grab thing," Hook Foot tells Eugene.

"No! We didn't! Because that is not a gopher!" He informs the two, pointing towards the creature.

"You really can't tell the difference between a gopher and a sneezeweasel?!" Varian calls out in frustration. Both of them are confused by this information.

"Huh?"

"Say what?"

"We gave you a picture! What'd you do with it?" Harmony shouts at them.

"Oh, that? I drew a better one," Lance holds up the picture. An arrow is fired at the paper, and it lands at the fence.

"You brought us the wrong animal! Come on!" Eugene runs towards the creature. The two just shrug, shouting as they follow Eugene. He grips its fur, the tail hitting him in the back. "Oh! Oh! Oh! Pointy! Pointy! All the points!" He lands in front of the four.

"Sneezeweasels have pointy tails to defend themselves," Varian tells him. The sneezeweasel raises a hand above a dismayed Lance.

"Snoozy!"

He hits Lance and he goes flying. "WHY?!"

The sneezeweasel walks up to the man, roaring. A bunch of bees surround him. "Get 'em, girls!" Quaid and Vex run up to it, holding lassoes. He growls at the dup.

"Alright, ugly! Prepare to eat rope!"

They toss their ropes, but end up missing. The sneezeweasel knocks Quaid towards the edge of a hole.

"Quaid!" Vex shouts in alarm as he slides off, but a rope captures him before he could fall towards the unforgiving pavement. The girl tries to hold him as best as she can, sliding towards the edge. The sneezeweasel runs through another fence.

"We have to stop the sneezeweasel!"

"We've gotta save Captain Quaid!"

The two women had said these at the same time, but when they try to separate, they end up falling on each other.

"Alright, this is ridiculous. We have to work together," She looks up at Rapunzel, who turns to her boyfriend.

"Eugene, you and Varian get Quaid, the three of us will get the sneezeweasel," She holds out her arm, Cass locking arms with her. Together, they run to where the creature disappeared, Harmony following after them.

"Come on, the sheriff needs us!" Eugene runs past the two men, the boy chasing after him. They suddenly trip on a wire, the two holding the rope. "Don't worry, kid! We got this!"

Lance and Hook Foot fly over the edge, hanging onto Quaid. Because of the extra weight, the three fall onto the ground.

"Really?!" Varian exclaims at them.

"Okay, we may not...actually have this."

A woman and a little boy run past the first part of the obstacle course, the sneezeweasel roaring. The hammer doesn't even affect him.

The trio attempt to pull them up. "You thought that was a gopher?"

"Me-Me? You drew him as big as a tree!" Lance holds up the paper.

"I thought you said you drew it," Varian looks at him, Eugene glaring at his friend.

"Oh, it's called perspective. Those trees are in the background! And you took credit for my work? How dare you!"

"Uh...Eugene! Varian!" Vex exclaims in worry, and they look over their shoulders to see the sneezeweasel heading right towards them.

"Oh, boy."

"No, no, no, no, no!" Varian shouts with wide eyes. It slides over and Eugene protects the two as they brace themselves. It looms over them, sneezing up dust.

"Hey! Pricklepuss!"

The sneezeweasel roars towards the girls.

"His name's Snoozy!" Lance calls out.

"Not the time!" Harmony shouts back.

"You ready to run?" The blonde asks the two. The sneezeweasel runs straight towards them.

"Now!"

They run up to the creature and slide underneath it with ease. They arrive at the hot bed of rocks. "Okay, I'm sort of regretting my whole edgy thing right about now," Rapunzel rubs her neck in embarrassment.

"I know how we can get across," Cass smirks at a barrel.

"Cass, no," Rapunzel denies to her, but they end up doing it anyway. Harmony jumps, and a large black rock forms underneath her. She lands on it and the rock slides down like a sled. "Cass, this might not be the best time, but...I'm sorry. I was acting like a-"

"Sore loser? Crybaby? Jerk?" Cass asks, looking a bit satisfied.

"Wow! Okay. You had those at the ready, didn't you?"

"Both of you were acting ridiculous," Harmony gives them a look. "Don't you think you should own up to it? _Because we are over a bed of hot rocks!"_

"You're right, you're right," Cass winces at her. The barrel then catches fire. "Jump!" They jump over the gap, watching as the flaming barrel rolls past them.

"But you're right! This is all my fault!" Rapunzel frowns in dismay, thinking about the sneezeweasel. "Okay, well, Lance and Hook Foot had a part in it, too."

"In fairness, you let Eugene assign them the task of getting the gopher," Cass looks away a bit.

"Should've just done it with Varian," Harmony shakes her head, the creature sliding in front of them.

"But, hey, I could have done things differently, too. I'm sorry I got so competitive," The lady-in-waiting looks over to her friends. "And mean. You and Varian were just trying to keep the peace between us, weren't you?"

"That's exactly right, Cass," Harmony looks up at her. "We should've asked someone else to help us. If we had done it ourselves, it would've ended up a disaster like when you and Eugene were arguing. Course, this isn't any better."

The sneezeweasel roars, charging towards them.

"Come on!" Cass runs off, dragging Rapunzel with her. Harmony runs after them. The creature faces them again, creating dust for another sneeze attack.

"The only way to stop a sneezeweasel is to trap it somehow. But you'll need something sticky; something so strong that it won't escape or break out of."

Rapunzel looks over her shoulder at the razor, which glints. "How do you stop its sneeze?"

"Reflect it back somehow," Harmony turns to her. "Why?"

"Guys, look," She undoes her hair, lifting it over the razor and capturing the clamp. Cass slowly pulls out her sword as Harmony's left hand glows. She stares the sneezeweasel down, wiggling her fingers a little. It runs up to them, and Cass slices off the rope. The razor goes down and when it sneezes, the razor reflects it back, the girls lifted up into the air. This sends the sneezeweasel flying, and he lands in the Honey Wall. Harmony flings her hands to create a cage for it. The three land behind the fence, smiling at each other.

Finally, with everyone's help, they manage to save Quaid, Lance, and Hook Foot. "Next time, the princesses draw the picture," Hook Foot warns, out of breath.

"Don't worry, big fella," Rapunzel states as they look at the sneezeweasel still trapped. "I'll make sure you get back into the woods."

Harmony waves a hand, wheels forming onto the cage so that it's movable.

"Nice plan, Raps," Cass nudges her shoulder.

"_You _came up with the Shorty Toss," Rapuznel smirks at her. "I just stole your bad idea."

Cass smiles softly. "Cass, I couldn't have asked for a better person to be chained to. Or a better little sister!" She hugs Harmony from behind. "All your information on sneezeweasels really helped us!"

"Aw, thanks," Harmony chuckles, hugging her arm.

"Me neither. For the chains and for the smartest princess we need," Cass ruffles Harmony's hair. The two stumble around a bit as they're still in chains.

"Eugene, where's the key?"

"Whoa!" They trip and fall onto the floor. "Unchain us now, Fitzherbert!"

The sneezeweasel falls from the Honey Wall, landing on the floor of the cage.

* * *

The group prepare to leave as they're packing everything up. The princesses face Vex and Quaid. "So, you're really leaving us, huh?" Vex asks bluntly.

"Yeah! I'm sure people around here are gonna be sad to see me go," Rapunzel rubs her arm.

"Oh, I don't know, I think they were startin' to take a shine to you, Rapunzel," Quaid winks at her.

"Really?" Rapunzel smiles, but Harmony shakes her head.

"No. They still don't like you," Vex tells her. Rapunzel frowns, sagging her shoulders.

"But that doesn't matter. Vardaros is a better town because you came through it," Quaid explains, nudging Vex.

"Thank you, Princess and Harmony," She smiles, and for once, she means it. Rapunzel smiles at Vex's expression.

"I wanna hug you, but-"

"Eww!" Vex recoils back. "No, no, no. We're not hugging."

"Well, Rapunzel, Harmony, I don't know what you're going to find at the end of this path you've both set out on, but whatever it is, I hope it's what you're lookin' for."

"Same here," Harmony smiles at him.

"Thanks, Cap," Rapunzel replies gratefully. "And who knows? Maybe I'll come back and visit someday."

"I hate you, and everything you stand for!" The Vardaran woman walks by again.

"Ya clod!" Rapunzel shouts at her. She winks towards Vex, who beams.

"Harmony, wait," She calls out to the girl as her sister leaves her side. "...Thank you for being there for me when Morgan wasn't."

"Oh?" Harmony places her hands on her hips in amusement. "I thought I could never replace her."

"You don't!" Vex looks away with a look of denial. "But...you're pretty cool for a princess who spent 14 years in a castle."

"Yeah well, it wasn't as luxurious as everyone thinks," Harmony holds up her left hand. "This symbol...it represents my path. I just hope I'm ready for whatever I find on the other side."

"Eh. Whatever it is, you can handle it," Vex gives her a thumbs up. "I'll...miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Vex," Harmony hugs her and Vex returns it. Quaid smiles at the two.

"Tell your sister this never happened," Vex warns the girl.

"Agreed. I'll write you letters!" Harmony waves to her as she runs to the caravan. Eugene and Varian, who had seen the exchange, grin towards each other. Maybe Vex could be soft in a rare occasion. They help the princesses into the caravan, and they take off.

Vex steps up a bit and waves, smiling. The two sisters smile, waving back as Pascal and Daisy wave back. The girl rolls up a flag.

'Welcome to Vardaros.'

Slowly, they could make the town flourish again...

"I'm glad that we got Cass and Rapunzel to make up," Harmony sighs in relief as she sits at the back of the caravan, next to Varian.

"Me too...Mona?"

"Yes?" She looks to him.

"Do you think we'll really find the answer to freeing my dad?" He murmurs, looking at his staff. "What if by the time I go back to Corona...we don't have the solution?"

"It's out there, Vari!" She clenches her fists close to her chest. "I know it is. Even if it isn't, I won't stop until we free him. I can feel it...I don't know what it is exactly, but I have a feeling we'll find it. Don't lose hope. I know we have a job to do, but that doesn't mean we can't have fun while doing it."

"Yeah..." He smiles at her encouragement. "Thanks." He leans in and kisses her cheek, causing her to chuckle.


	30. AN

**Angel: Hello everyone. I was just informed that my school is closing for the next two weeks due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Surprisingly, a teacher and not a student was tested positive for it, which means that they could've potentially gotten other people sick throughout campus. They'd rather be safe than sorry. So what that means is that all of my classes are going to have to be held online until they tell us when they plan to open again. At this rate, they're going for the first week of April to reopen, because my Spring Break is on the last week of this March.**

**No, this doesn't mean I'm stopping updates, they're just not going to be early in the morning like they were before. I usually updated right before classes, but now with this new change, I'm just going to be updating later than normal in the day. Still keeping the days I have for uploads. With me having to do everything online for now, I need time to adjust to this and to do all of my schoolwork on time. I had only one class fully online before this new development. So I'm still gonna be updating, still gonna be writing, and I'm still gonna be cautious with my own health at this time so that I don't get sick. That is the last thing I would want for myself or for others. I just thought I'd let you guys know this in case I forget to upload a chapter in the future.**

**But I still gotta work the rest of the week XD I have to earn money somehow...**

**I'm currently writing the 19****th**** episode, so I am almost done with the second season. If I finish the third season soon, then I'll change uploads to every day!**

**Stay well, everyone, and I will see you on Tuesday with Forest of No Return. **


	31. Forest of No Return

**Angel: *thinks* I don't think I've ever heard of Horrid Henry before...I've heard of Nightmare Ned, but never Horrid Henry. Writing Destinies Collide now~! Let me guys know if you have anything for season 3 you wanna see and I just might take it into consideration! Just suggest it in a polite way, and it has to be something that isn't going to drastically change a future episode, or episodes that have been completed in the past. Basically, have it be logical XD I've had way too many people, pushy people, on here asking me to suddenly add characters into season 1, or trying to get me to have Harmony evil. Please, no more of the latter. Put yourselves in Harmony's shoes, would you want evil powers that have damaged lives and homes XD **

**And I've had too many people copying my stories in the past year or so, so I need to make sure that it's not all just me here. So that when there is someone plagiarizing, it gives me more incentive to catch an author that's copied not just from me, but from other people implementing ideas. Especially when a story called 'Narssica's Tangled Adventure' is to the point where Harmony's name is present, and it's so painfully obvious in all of the chapters. I just knew this was gonna happen, and I'm still not surprised that it did -_- I don't know whether or not to be angry or shocked that I predicted this earlier..._And _the author had the nerve to mention me at the end while stating my story's name in the process! Despicable. **

**I think I've already taken into account Megan Guess' ideas for certain episodes, but I might have to go back just to remember them all. I know I wrote credit for her on a third season episode already.**

**Don't wait too long to tell me, I write fast! I can already say I have No Time Like the Past and Beginnings covered both on my own and with Megan's help planned out.**

**And I found out last night that my school is going to be closed for the rest of the semester...not sure if that's really a good thing.**

It's a beautiful morning as birds are singing...but something rustles in the bushes, snarling wolves running past black rocks. Rapunzel gasps as everyone is running away from them. She looks over her shoulder.

"They're gaining on us!"

The wolves bark as Cass looks at them. "What are these things?"

"Don't worry, it's just a pack of Slayer Wolves," Eugene holds up a gold coin between his fingers.

"Yeah, as in deadly wolves!" Harmony exclaims nearby. Eugene drops the coin inside a canteen, laughing.

"Come on! This way!" He guides them over...to a dead end.

"Dead end!" Lance exclaims in fear. "We're goners! Aw, please, wolves, don't eat me!" He pleads for his life. "I'm so chewy! Oh, who am I kidding? I'm probably moist and delicious."

The wolves lick their lips. "It's not a dead end, Lance," Eugene grins in amusement. "It's just got good acoustics. Brownie, Goggles, watch and learn."

"Huh?" They look to each other in confusion, and he shakes the canteen, the sound very loud. So loud it causes all the wolves to howl. He steps towards them and they all scatter.

"Of course! Wolves hate loud noises," Varian gestures to where they were.

"Ah ha! That was incredible, Eugene!" Rapunzel hugs her boyfriend.

"Oh, man, Eugene's back and better than ever!" Lance smirks towards him.

"Yeah! You're the king of the wild!" Hook Foot exclaims, Cass just smiling.

"That was some quick thinking," Varian nods towards him.

"Yeah!" Harmony claps for the man, who chuckles.

"Alright, everybody, let's hit the road," He smiles towards Rapunzel. Soon, they're on the road again as they approach a forest. "Eh, anybody who's spent time in the woods knows that Slayer Wolves have extremely sensitive hearing. You two oughta learn a thing or two from me," He points to the teens riding the horses.

"Okay, you got us," Varian rolls his eyes in amusement.

"Everyone has their skills somewhere, Eugene," Harmony looks over her shoulder as she sits on Max's saddle.

"See that teamwork?" Lance asks from the roof. "I distract them by pretending to cry while you chase 'em off." He laughs it off, leaning towards Eugene to whisper, "Thank you!"

"I just did what had to be done. Now come on, I'll show you how to extract drinking water from a tree trunk. Neither of you have any survival skills?"

Harmony and Varian look to each other. "Well, my answer's easy, I grew up in a castle without ever going beyond the walls."

"And I'm always cooped up in my lab rather than learn," Varian states, Ruddiger crawling onto his shoulder. The teens both stop short once they see the sight in front of them.

"Uh..."

Eugene looks in their direction and sees the swamp up ahead. "Okay, so the black rocks have led us to a swamp. But on the bright side...I was hoping someone would finish that sentence for me, this place is terrible."

A crow caws and a frog jumps to eat it. Everyone steps onto the ground to try and find a way past it. Shorty takes some swamp water with the canteen while scatting.

"Uhh, I don't think you wanna drink that, Shorty," Eugene tries to warn him as everyone looks at him weirdly.

"It's highly toxic and should never be consumed," Varian raises a brow.

"Ah, you know what they say: one man's swamp water is another man's I'll drink it!"

"Yeah, no one ever says that," Harmony deadpans, but he takes a sip anyway, to Rapunzel's disgust.

"So, "king of the wild," any suggestions on how to cross this thing?" Cass teases him. Eugene simply shrugs and steps forward. He bends down and breaks off a stick, swirling the water with it. Suddenly, an orange tentacle grabs his arm.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel exclaims in alarm. Pascal and Daisy gasp in horror as Eugene gets his arm back, the tentacle crawling back into the water in fright.

"Looks like it's too deep! Hah! So, I think we're going to have to backtrack to get through this. It'll add a day to our journey, but it's the only way."

Cass rolls her eyes in exasperation.

"That can't be the only way. What if this is the only path the rocks are showing us?" Harmony points to them. "We need to find a way to get past the swamp."

"I knew I liked you, Turquoise. You've got guts. As for the others, I had no idea people from Corona were such..._quitters_."

They look around upon hearing the new voice, and suddenly a slice is heard. A tree nearby is split in half, falling over the swamp as a perfect path. Harmony blinks at this, Varian opening his mouth in shock.

"You know, I always say..." Adira reveals herself standing on the cut tree. "If you can't go through something, go over it."

"Wow!" Lance gasps at her as Cass jumps, landing on the ground. "I guess chivalry's not dead!"

"I told you I'd be around if trouble came your way," She slides onto the ground, her sword behind her neck as her arms hold it casually. "And, well, here I am. Your new guide."

Eugene crosses his arms, pouting.

"Yeah, you were a real help with those Slayer Wolves back there," Hook Foot grumbles as he crosses his arms.

"You be quiet," Lance hisses at him, going back to beaming. Cass clears her throat to Harmony and Rapunzel, jerking a thumb behind her. They join her in a huddle.

"Girls, we talked about this. I don't trust this woman. She keeps popping up out of nowhere, and I don't like it."

"Yes!" Eugene whispers, coming into the circle. "Yes, yes, I second that, plus, we don't need her. Another person will just slow us down, particularly with all h-"

"Oh, I don't know," Adira appears between Harmony and Rapunzel. Eugene frowns in annoyance. "You're gonna need her. She's the only one who can get you through the deadly Forest of No Return." Up ahead past the swamp is the aforementioned forest. Hook foot jumps into Lance's arms, Shorty jumping onto his head. Varian yelps at the sight, recoiling back a bit. A light, eerie growl is heard from the area. "Few have made it to the other side of the forest alive, and I'm one of them. The first time I crossed, I had nothing but a dagger and a handful of nuts. And I had bronchitis."

Lance gasps as Shorty lands on the ground again. "You're amazing!" He whispers in awe.

"I know," Adira whispers back. Eugene simply rolls his eyes.

"So, lookie here, Adira, I appreciate the bridge assist, but I'm pretty sure I can lead us through a forest-"

"Forest of No-"

"Yes, I'm familiar with its name, thank you," He interrupts, crossing his arms. The growl is heard again, the princesses stepping up to him.

"Wait! Eugene, listen, I know you grew up in the wilderness, and I have complete faith in you, I really do. But can it hurt anything to have another expert along?" Rapunzel asks him, trying to be optimistic.

"She _did _create a bridge for us," Varian gestures to the big tree.

"Ah, son of Quirin," Adira states, to his confusion. "I see you've been progressing well with Princess Harmony."

"Wait…you know my dad?" He asks in surprise.

"It was a different time."

He tilts his head at her, wondering what she meant.

"And besides, we brought Varian along, and we've been doing just fine," Harmony places her hands on her hips. "It's either let the expert help or we fall behind going the other route."

"Oh, goodie! Another expert!" Cass rolls her eyes.

"Look, I know you don't like her," Harmony storms up to her. "But you think _everyone _can't be trusted, Cass. What more do you need, a couple of guards around her?"

"Yes," Cass looks to Lance, Hook Foot, and Shorty, who go forward one step.

"No," The girl warns them and they freeze in place. "Not everyone is a bad person, Cass. And we need the extra help. So both you and Eugene suck it up and get over it. Cause guess what, I don't like the idea of going around and being held back a day."

"Fine," Eugene grumbles as Rapunzel smiles. Cass glares at the princess.

"Excellent," Adira smiles at the two princesses. "You've made the only decision there is. The right one."

Eugene reluctantly gets onto the front bench of the caravan. "This doesn't change anything, Eugene," Rapunzel takes her seat next to him, Cass sitting next to her in anger and frustration towards Harmony. "You are still the go-to guy out here."

Eugene smiles, caressing her cheek and a thud is heard above them. The three look up to see Adira sitting on top of the caravan.

"That way!" She smiles, pointing forward. Lance gasps as he pops out of the door, sighing happily towards Adira. Harmony and Varian glance to each other in amusement, hopping back onto the horses. Eugene snaps the reins lightly with an unpleased frown on his face.

"I would've cut these logs so much smoother. Look at that shoddy craftsmanship," Eugene comments as they go past the bridge.

"Jealousy isn't a good look on you, Eugene~!" Harmony sings as she looks over her shoulder.

"Hey, just how well do you think she knows my dad?" Varian turns to the girl, who shrugs.

"Something tells me that she won't say and that we have to just accept the fact that they were friends."

"Exactly!" Adira calls out, startling them a little. The trees behind them move to close the opening.

* * *

As they're deep into the forest, leaves fall around them. A spooky tree is in front of them. 'Forest of No Return' is carved onto the front.

"That is one scary tree," Shorty stares at it. "Reminds me of my Uncle Mert. He, too, was a scary tree."

"Relax, Shorty, there's nothing to be afraid of. This swamp is just like any other swamp," Eugene shrugs, Harmony glancing at him skeptically. "Anyone else hear a buzzing noise? I hear a buzzing noise."

Pascal, thinking it was a bug, flings his tongue at it. And it is a bug...

A really big fly...

Pascal falls off Eugene's shoulder. "Pascal!" Rapunzel calls out, Daisy flying after him. Adira fires a blow dart, the two pets landing nearby. He scampers over to a relieved Rapunzel. "Oh! Thank you, Adira." Pascal is shaking in fear.

"Hey, Pascal, look," Varian opens up his hands, revealing a dead bug. Thank goodness his hands are still gloved...The chameleon beams, capturing it with his tongue and eating it. Harmony smiles softly at his gesture as Daisy lands on her hair.

"Alright, we all saw the creepy bug, nothing to write home about," Eugene deadpans, trees moving away suddenly. "Huh? Whoa whoa, whoa, whoa, wait. What's going on?"

"The Forest of No Return is in perpetual motion and changes without warning," Adira explains from the roof. "Luckily, I procured this special map many years ago," The map is basically a pink fortune teller. "It's the key to traversing the woods...safely," She holds it out to Eugene, who has a doubtful look.

"Uhh, thanks, but I happen to be a really good navigator. And uh, I've got all the directions I need, right here," He points to his head.

"Mm," Varian rolls his eyes.

"Suit yourself," She sits back up.

"Very well, Adira. Your passive aggression is noted and respectfully disregarded. Onward, Max!"

Max himself has a blank look on his face, and then winces as they hear eerie noises. He looks back to Eugene, frightened.

"Come on, Max, I'm trying to prove a point here!" Eugene insists to the horse.

"Are you done playing games?" Harmony shakes her head at him. Max hesitantly steps forward.

"Hey Turquoise," Adira calls out. "After this, I'll teach you some sword fighting. I can tell you're not experienced as you always keep it, but you never hold it. I noticed that from our last encounter."

"Cool!" Harmony beams at her.

"What? No, no! I'm supposed to teach you!" Eugene exclaims, gesturing to himself.

"Then why haven't you done it?" She crosses her arms.

"I will! I just...haven't gotten to it yet."

The logs behind them move.

"Although I was surrounded by stunning scenery, I knew not to mistake this beauty for what it truly was...pure evil," Adira explains as they go further. "Uh huh, that's right. The Drexis are the deadliest creatures within the Forest of No Return."

Eugene tries to look past her, pouting when he doesn't have a good view. "Their wingspan stretches over 20. And each of their fangs are the size of a chubby toddler."

"Wow, that is some powerful imagery there, Adira," Eugene replies sarcastically. "Fictional, but powerful. And I was with you, but once you got to the spider-bats, you totally snapped my suspension of disbelief."

"They're called the Drexis, weren't you listening?" Lance retorts to him.

"Who cares what they're called? Anyone? Show your hands? Would you put your hands down, Harmony, Varian, and Lance? Look, my point is, we are almost out of this fore—Oh, no, no, no, no, no." He's freaking out because they're right back to where they started, at the carved tree sign. "That cannot be the same sign."

"Uncle Mert! I saw a tree that looks just like you," Shorty beams at it.

"We just went in a big circle," Rapunzel stares in shock.

"This is a changing forest, guys," Harmony looks over her shoulder. "Meaning you won't get out of it that easy."

"And this forest seems to be pretty spacious," Varian rubs his chin.

"No...wait, it's not—we should be out of this forest."

"Of No-"

"I know what it's called!" Eugene shouts to Adira, who has one foot on top of the horses next to the teens.

"What is your problem?" Harmony mouths to the man.

"Return," Adira whispers to him, eerie howling heard right after she finished.

"I really don't like you," Eugene says quietly.

"Okay, so I haven't technically gotten us anywhere," Eugene scratches his cheek, Rapunzel looking at him in slight concern over his behavior recently. He's pushing himself to lead them out of here when they don't even know how exactly this forest works. "And I know what you're thinking, but it is not my fault."

"Not your fault?" Cass grits her teeth. "You led us in a circle, really good navigator."

"In Eugene's defense, it was a really good circle," Rapunzel gestures to herself.

"Ugh!" She facepalms at this, "We're never getting out of here."

"We will if we use the map, Short Hair," Adira speaks up while sitting on a rock.

"What did you call me?" Cass asks in annoyance.

"I find referring to people by a defining characteristic is more time-efficient than learning their names," She looks at a carving she whittled to represent a building. "Hence, Short Hair." She points to Lance. "Earrings." Then she gestures to Shorty. "Soiled Gnome."

"Seems accurate," He seems to like the name.

"Hook Foot," Adira goes to Hook Foot next.

"Ohh, that's just my actual name..." He complains at the name.

"Turquoise," She looks to Harmony, who lightly touches her bang.

"Oh, so that's why you keep calling me that..."

"And lastly, son of Quirin," She turns to Varian.

"That's not a look, that's just my relationship to someone you know," Varian crosses his arms, slightly huffing. Harmony giggles at his expression.

"It's still a work in progress."

Cass laughs as she couldn't help but ask. "What's Eugene's?"

"Fish Skin."

Cass giggles behind her hand. Harmony and Varian let out a small laugh. "Wait a minute, what? Fish Skin? Fish Skin? Hoo-hoo! Well, I think the daily application of 16 assorted lotions, creams and exfoliants, would beg to differ!"

"Eugene, hmm, maybe you should stop talking about your morning routine and just take Adira's map," Rapunzel suggests to her boyfriend.

"Fine! I will take the precious map," He grumbles, crossing his arms.

"What's up with him?" Varian jerks a thumb to the former thief, the younger princess shrugging.

"Wise choice, Fish Skin," She jumps off the rock. "You must follow its instructions to. The. Letter. Without its guidance, finding the exit to the forest would be like finding fur on a rattlesnake." Eugene mocks her by flapping his fingers together.

"Aw, that would be kind of adorable," Rapunzel states in awe.

"More like disturbing," Harmony murmurs to herself.

"Uh-huh. Yeah, well, maps are pictures of the ground, and that's sometimes useful," Eugene snatches the map as the horses and caravan wagons start sinking! "You know what else is useful? Common sense. And common sense says we need to take this other road! Everyone back in the caravan, and where is the caravan?"

He runs up to the smoke, but Rapunzel holds him back. Adira stands in front of the two. "Both of you, back up! That's a land pit. They're scattered all over the forest. The horses and the campers are likely in another section of the woods now."

"Oh no, Silver..." Harmony frowns in slight worry.

"That's actually a good name for your horse," Adira tells her and she smiles a bit, her worries diminishing for now.

"Thank you, Adira. Oh, I almost forgot! I gotta show you some new tricks I did with my black rocks."

"Alright, alright, listen up, everyone," Eugene calls out before she could even do anything. "There's no reason to be scared. We're gonna find Max, Silver, and Fidella, and get the heck outta this place in no time. Follow my lead."

He starts walking, the other three men a bit skeptical. Eugene starts climbing up a rock, tied to rope. Rapunzel smiles up at him hopefully, Adira giving Harmony over to her side. She hands Harmony an arrow attached to a rope, gesturing for her to fire. She stares in confusion, but takes it anyway.

They point up their bows, firing. They land at the top of the cliff, both ropes merging to turn into a ladder.

"Whoa!" Harmony exclaims in awe, looking at her bow. "Why have I never thought of that before?"

Eugene glares at the two, slightly jealous of them getting along. He watches them climb up next to him. Rapunzel stops and gestures for him to get on, and he scoffs. His hands slip and he falls onto the rock. "Cheater," He gives Adira an accusing look. And she's a little sister stealer too. Yes, it was silly, but...Harmony was always eager to learn from him. He was someone that she looked up to, but now that she's growing up, she's moving onto someone else...he wanted to be that big brother she never had.

* * *

Then they have to walk in the rain, Rapunzel squeezing her hair. Eugene grabs a hold of a flower to use as a makeshift umbrella.

"Everyone! Over here!"

They run towards him, Adira staring at them. The flower isn't giving all of them that much cover. She cuts some branches to make a larger umbrella with a huge leaf over her head. The others don't even hesitate to run over to her side, the flower splashing Eugene. Adira smiles a little towards him.

* * *

Once the rain has stopped, Eugene and Adira are walking silently. Suddenly, the others get caught up in vines.

"Rapunzel!" Eugene rushes over, Adira's hands behind her back.

"The secret to escaping is to relax. Reacting only tightens their grip." Regardless, Eugene pulls out his sword and starts trying to cut Rapunzel free. Everyone sighs in relaxation, and just like Adira said, the vines willingly let them go.

"Fascinating," Varian murmurs at them. Pascal rolls his eyes at Eugene.

"Alright, gang. Time to fuel up," Adira leads the others away.

"Why! Won't! These! Stupid! Vines! Cut!" Eugene shouts with each strike, Rapunzel watching them leave.

"Uhh, how much longer, Eugene?"

"...Don't think of it as longer, think of it as better," He smiles at her.

"Just relax, Rapunzel," Adira calls out. She starts to, the vines loosening up a bit.

"Would you please avoid relaxing?" Eugene chimes in. "I'm really tryin' to save face here. Stupid Adira and her relaxing vines!"

Rapunzel just sighs, looking away.

* * *

They gather around a small fire to take a break. "Just when I thought it wasn't possible to like you more, you go and make this delectable blackberry salad!" Lance compliments Adira.

"Mmm! Mmm," Rapunzel hums in delight. "The roasted trout is fantastic! And Pascal loves his spiced fly medley."

"And Daisy her roasted weeds," Harmony grins, the two pets taking a bite.

"Ruddiger thanks you too for the caramelized apples," Varian pets his raccoon on the head.

"Yeah, well, the cobbler's salty. I'm gonna go extract some drinking water from that tree over there," Eugene walks past Adira and Harmony.

"That's damaging to the tree, Fish Skin," Adira takes a sip of her tea. "Try cutting a notch in one of those water-bearing vines instead."

"Those exist?" Harmony blinks in shock.

"This is the best Gouda I've ever had!" Hook Foot holds up his piece of cheese. "It's-it's a taste explosion!"

"You know, I always say...never leave home without hard cheese." Eugene sits down in dismay, watching Harmony and Adira.

"You must like food a lot, huh?" Harmony wipes her mouth. "You know, right now, I have a craving for-"

"Blueberry pie with cream!" The two say in unison, the girl gasping in awe.

"Oh my gosh! I didn't think we'd have anything in common!" The princess smiles happily, Lance leaning in towards her.

"You think you can use that to help me as a wingwoman for Adira?" He whispers and she shoves him away slightly.

"Oh, oh, oh! Watch this!" Harmony holds out a hand above the fire, creating a ball made of black rocks. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Very impressive," Adira smiles at her. "Skills like that can only prove to be formidable in battle."

Eugene sighs sadly, getting swallowed up by the mushroom. He screams as it hops around. "Oh, and uh, by the way, watch out for the pup-shrooms," Adira tells him.

"Aww! Are you kidding me?" His voice is muffled. Rapunzel gasps as she stands up, the pup-shroom spitting out Eugene. This leaves him covered in goop.

"Eugene, I think it's time that you give Adira a chance," She tries to get him to understand. "She's done this before. She can lead us out of there. It's not your fault you took the wrong way and lost the camper. Everyone still thinks-"

"We'd be lost without you, Adira!" Lance interrupts her, Eugene glaring at them.

"You're the king of the wild!"

"What aren't you good at? Maybe somebody should take some notes! Eugene! You got a pad on you?"

"Adira, I'd really be honored if you could teach me how to sword fight and survive like you," Harmony smiles, clasping her hands.

It's almost like they're trying to get underneath his skin. But Harmony was the last straw. "Ah...I'll handle this," He slowly steps over to them, snatching Hook Foot's cheese.

"Hey, my Gouda!"

"Break's over, everybody. We've got a forest to conquer, preferably sooner than later," He gives Adira and Harmony a look, confusing the girl. He throws the cheese into the fire, stepping in between the two budding friends.

* * *

The three horses are separated from the caravans, Max taking hold of the rope that held them together. A growl is heard, and Max sniffs around to investigate. He stumbles upon a mushroom, which is another pup-shroom. Silver stares at it, Max grumbling a little. The pup-shroom barks up at them before running off. Max just grunts, looking over to the others and walking forward.

* * *

Eugene climbs to the top of a tree. "Ohh! Look what I can see from here! It's the edge of the forest!" He can see the black rocks and sunset not too far away from where they are now. "We made it! You know something, it's almost like we didn't need this map, or some random stranger." He slides down the tree in triumph. "Okay, perfect landing. Ten out of ten. Now, I don't wanna brag—scratch that, I want to brag—who led us outta here?" He holds up the map mockingly, Adira glancing away. "Buckle in, because this is a lotta syllables, kids: Eugene Fitzherbert, Esquire, navigator extraordinaire-" He gasps sharply at what's up ahead.

A whole field of geysers rests in their path, shooting up hot air. "Oh boy..."

"I'd love to know what else this forest has someday..." Varian glances around.

"Those are the Silver Geysers. They're lava hot, and emit toxic gases," Adira explains to everyone.

"Looks like I got some competition," Shorty shakes his head in dismay.

"The map is instructing us to run through them," Adira states after taking a look at it. "It's possible, if we time it right."

"Are you kidding me?!" Eugene shouts at the woman. "You want us to run through there? A field of piping hot fire water? Yeah, we're not doing that."

"_She_ technically did not ask," Harmony holds up a finger. "The map did."

"You're taking her side?!" Eugene gestures to Adira.

"This isn't about sides, this is about getting out alive! She's gotten us this far," Varian rolls his eyes at Eugene and him being overdramatic.

"Why are you so bent about-"

The trees behind them rumble, getting their attention. "We could be swallowed by a land pit at any moment," Adira states seriously. "You have a better idea?"

He looks to Hook Foot, eyes widening. The man glances around awkwardly.

"...I gotta be honest, I don't like the way you're lookin' at me right now."

A crossbow is fired at the tree across the geysers.

Hook Foot's hook is latched onto a rope. "Alright, Muscles? Hold onto this. Madame Ice Demon, grab onto him." Adira just crosses her arms in disapproval.

"Let's go with somethin' else," Cass suggests as she steps forward.

"Bearded Raisin, hold onto her. Sunshine! Hop aboard, darlin'. Ms. Luna Aria, get on. And finally, Raccoon Alchemist."

"Why are you calling us by nicknames?" Harmony deadpans at him as the two climb on.

"I can do nicknames too. And it's like you said, if you can't go through something, go over it," Eugene brags, looking over his shoulder. "Right, Adira?"

"You're making a mistake, Fish Skin," She simply tells him.

"Yeah, this isn't going to work," Varian speaks up as he looks at a geyser. "Those geysers could activate again at any moment."

"Maybe we should, uh, listen to her, Eugene?" Lance asks nervously.

"Guys, she's literally asking you to run through blazing hot explosions!" He exclaims at his friend. "Look, I may have underestimated these woods, and made a few mistakes along the way, but those mistakes were really the forest's fault, not mine. So who are you gonna trust? Me, your friend who's gotten you this far, and has always had your back, or hmm?" He gives Adira a look.

"You think that this is any better?!" Harmony gestures to all of them, jumping off to land in front of him. "Eugene, I know it's not easy, but for once, can you just listen to Adira? This isn't about you. Take a look at those geysers and tell me that this is really the best idea."

"It is!" He insists to her. "Trust me, Brownie! Have I ever steered you wrong?"

"No, but you did steal my mother's ring," She smirks in amusement and he glowers at her. "Look, I'm not saying we don't trust you, but hovering over HOT AIR isn't the best way to go."

"I hate to say it, but I think I'm gonna go with Adira and Harmi on this one," Cass says slowly.

Rapunzel sighs regrettably. "Me too..."

"...No! I know best!" He pushes them off, holding onto Lance.

"Guys, no!" Harmony panics as she watches them fly into the air and land on the other side. Shorty rolls down the path.

"Aw, no—oh, come on. I cannot believe this!" Lance slams a fist onto the ground, because in front of them...

Is that dang tree.

"_How _are we back here?" Rapunzel asks in disbelief.

"Hey, look, it's-"

"Uncle Mert! We know," Cass interrupts in annoyance.

"Who's Uncle Mert?" Shorty looks over his shoulder in confusion.

"But-you just—this shouldn't be possible!" Varian gestures to the tree. Ruddiger plants his face into the ground out of exasperation. "How does every path we've taken get us back to the tree?"

"It gets worse," Hook Foot looks to the right. "The path we came in on. It's not there anymore!"

"Guys!" Harmony hollers to them, cupping her hands to her mouth. "You okay?"

"We're fine!" Varian shouts back to her. "But we're at the same tree again!"

"We're never gonna escape, and it's all your fault, Eugene," Cass gives him an angry look. "You're not the king of the wild. You're a disaster!"

"You should've just given the map back to Adira," Lance accuses him. "You can't read it!"

"Even I can't read it," Varian gestures to himself. "Adira just knows these woods better."

"Who could? It's a joke!" He holds up the map. "This doesn't make any sense! I saw the exit. You saw the exit. There was an exit! Now what do we d—oh!" He suddenly falls through the landpit.

"Ah, landpit!" Rapunzel exclaims in alarm.

* * *

Eugene groans as he crawls out of it. "Stupid landpits!" He stands up and realizes that he's all alone. "Wait! Where'd everyone go? Rapunzel! Cass! Lance! Anybody! Huh! Alright, how does Adira read this stupid thing?"

He tries to use the map, and finally rests on something for once. "I think it's pointing me toward a black blobby thing?" He comes to a stop at a black door that looks like flames. "Yep, there it is."

He hesitantly steps up to the door, looking up at it. "No, not a blobby thing. A magical wall of black fire. Ha—that was my next guess..."

The trees behind him start to close in, and he cringes. He looks towards the map and then at the door. He didn't know if he could really trust Adira and this map of hers, but if it was the only way to help him get out of this and find his friends...

"Oh, come on! This can't be right, can it? I have to walk through a wall of magical black fire? This is crazy!" And while he may think that, there were no other ways out of it. "Okay, this map had better be right."

He steps back a bit and runs through the door. "Wowzas!"

Once he gets through the door, he rolls down a small hill, landing in front of a purple mushroom. "...Ow!"

He looks up to see Adira sitting on a rock, Harmony pacing nearby. She looks towards him and gasps, running up to him.

"Eugene!"

"Ah, Brownie," He says in relief, laughing at the woman. "Ah, Adira! Ha ha, this actually worked! Have you seen the others? Wait, why are you with her?"

"Oh, well, by the time I got to the other side, you and everyone else were gone, so Adira decided to lead me here to wait for you," She points at him. "You actually used the map?"

"I did! I really did," He stands up, pulling the girl into a relieved hug. Harmony giggles, hugging him back.

"Not since you jumped across the clearing like a delirious madman," Adira quips at Eugene.

"We've gotta find them before nightfall," He lets go of the teenager, walking towards her.

"Mm-hm," She slides down the rock, hands on her hips. "So what's your plan?"

"My plan...is for you to take the lead," He holds out the map to her, causing Harmony to blink in surprise. She looks between the two of them. "Please help us find our friends."

Adira takes the map into her hands, smiling softly at Eugene. "I know exactly where we are, but I'm not sure about the others. The map can only point its user to the exit," She points to the map, feeling a bit skeptical that they found it.

"Well, maybe they've made it out! Come on!" He waves them forward, but neither of them move.

"I'm not so sure that's what happened, Eugene," Harmony frowns uncertainly. "These woods are pretty vast..."

"I wish I could say they have made it out, but...you need the map or me to get to the exit, and as you can see, both of those things are right here," Adira tells him. Eugene lets out a deep sigh.

"Adira, Brownie, I'm sorry for the mess I've gotten us into. It's just—Before I met Rapunzel, being an adventurous, devil-may-care rogue was the one definite in my life," He takes a seat on a mushroom. "It just felt nice to be in charge like that again. Hey!"

He stands up as the pup-shroom moves away, barking at him.

"Pup-shroom," Adira points at it and the shroom pants, barking.

"Those things are everywhere," Harmony chuckles softly. Eugene takes a stick and throws it. The pup-shroom hops away to chase after it.

"But...I guess I'm not that guy anymore."

Harmony stares at him sympathetically.

"You're right. You're not who you used to be," Adira agrees with him. "As you may be aware, I've been observing you, Turquoise, and your friends. And it's clear that because of the princess...you've become much more than just a swashbuckler," She circles around him, rolling her eyes lightly. "You're also a friend. You bring laughter...and warmth. You're the fish skin that holds this group together."

"Hold up...did you just say-"

"It's the optimum compound for making glue," She interrupts him, going back to stand next to Harmony. "I used it to repair the soles of these boots. Not too bad, huh?"

"Oh! Fish Skin is a compliment?" Eugene smiles widely. The two glance at each other, unsure how to break it to him.

"Uh...sure," She shrugs lightly.

"Eugene, why were you so against me hanging out with Adira?" Harmony asks softly with slightly sad eyes. "I'm just trying to learn how to be like you guys..."

"I-I know, and I'm sorry, but...you two were getting along so well that...that you forgot about me! And it hurt...we've been through a lot, and you're like a little sister to me, kid. You're supposed to look up to me, not Adira. And I'm the one who's supposed to set an example, teach you how to sword fight, and master black rocks-"

"No offense, but neither of us know that much about them like Adira does," She interrupts him, pointing up at the woman.

"True," She places her hands behind her back.

"Of course we don't! But the point is...I just wanted to be the big brother you never had. To comfort you when you cry, to protect you, and to hug you when you're sad. Kind of like when we thought Varian kidnapped you and you trusted me enough to tell me the truth first...I guess I just wanted that back."

"Aww, Eugene," She engulfs him into a hug and he returns it. "All of you guys are like big siblings to me...well, a big family. I wouldn't just forget about you. And I'm still learning, remember? I don't think I'll need Adira that much when I have all of you. But...you'll always be my big brother no matter what."

He smiles at her and she smiles back, Daisy chirping.

"Tell you what: Adira can teach me about the black rocks, and you can teach me _everything_ else," Harmony giggles slightly.

"Like the smolder?!" He smiles widely, pumping his fists.

"Oh my god, if you teach me that, Vari's never gonna look at me the same again," Harmony pinches her nose. Daisy rolls her eyes at him.

"Well, we can't just give up. Come on, girls, I-I don't care if we have to turn this forest inside out, we're gonna find our friends."

"Wait!" Adira suddenly realizes something. "Inside out! That's it!" She starts folding the map. "If I'm correct, the sections of this forest are moving from the inside out."

"L-Like a puzzle!" Harmony looks up at her.

"A-ha! I'm correct! We'll be able to find your friends right...here," Her excitement turns into worry immediately.

"What's wrong? Where are they?" Eugene asks in concern and Harmony flinches.

"Guys...I have a feeling they're in trouble," She frowns up at them.

"You can tell that all the way from here?" Adira stares at her, impressed at her senses.

"Call it a sister's intuition," Harmony sighs in slight fear.

* * *

The others are walking through barren sand, trees twisted. "These are the prettiest flowers I've ever seen," Cass looks up at them in awe.

"They're like medicine for my soul," Hook Foot comments in awe as they look around.

"I'd love to study these components..." Varian murmurs as he lightly touches a petal.

"They're beauti—wait." Rapunzel knows that something is wrong with them because a blue substance leaks from them. Varian sticks his tongue out in disgust, recoiling his hand back. "Don't mistake the beauty for what it truly is, pure evil. Guys, I don't think these are flowers!"

She moves back as they start shaking. Lance gasps at the one in front of him, whimpering. A spider's face reveals itself in front of Lance.

"Spiders! Why does it always have to be spiders?!" He runs away from it, but the spider quickly captures him and puts him in a web. "No, no, no, no, no!"

The spiders around them come to life, Cass backing up a bit. "And to think I was gonna pluck one for Mona!" Varian cringes at the thought.

"It's the Drexis!" Rapunzel glares up at them. Hook Foot shouts, trying to move around them, but is grabbed by a Drexi, which flies off.

"Rapunzel! Varian! Run!" Cass runs off, but is grabbed from behind by one of the spiders. Varian and Rapunzel rush over to try and help, a spider appearing behind both of them. Ruddiger jumps on its head, but that just makes it mad. The spider screeches at them, only to be stopped by Adira's sword. It immediately scatters away.

"Mona!" Varian says in relief.

"Vari!" She beams at him, Eugene laughing manically. He runs past spiders, knocking them down with his sword. He leaps into the air, landing in the middle of a group of Drexis. He fights them off with his weapon, Lance shouting as he's stuck to a tree. The spiders crawl up to him, Eugene smirking. He pulls out a dagger and cuts Lance free.

"Adira was right. Their fangs are as big as chubby toddlers!" Lance states as Shorty rolls him away, Cass hopping after them. "Why? Why?"

Cass falls in front of a tree. "I'm not gonna be eaten by some stupid flower-spider-bat-thing!" She grunts while trying to kick it away. Eugene steps in and knocks it away.

"I leave you guys alone for five minutes, and you get spun into a cocoon by giant spider-bats pretending to be flowers. Pfft, typical."

"Not the time," Harmony calls out to him. She creates a black rock which cuts through the web. Rapunzel and Varian drag Hook Foot away as Adira stands in front of the three as protection.

"This isn't looking good," Adira looks over her shoulder. Whinnying is heard, the three horses arriving to tackle the Drexis out of the way, but more appear.

"There's still too many of them! What do we do, Eugene?"

"I think that's a question for Adira!" He calls out while running behind Shorty and Lance with Cass and Harmony.

"Uh, not a great time to discover humility, Fish Skin!"

"Don't worry. That's a compliment," Eugene smirks towards Cass. They join the four, being surrounded by the Drexis. Adira looks towards the map, folding it over three times. She raises a brow at what it gives her, looking around. Up ahead is a landpit that is unguarded.

"The land pits! We've gotta jump in that hole!" She hits a spider in front of her.

"Jump in a hole? The same kinda hole that led us to this clusterjam?" Hook Foot shouts in disbelief.

"Uhh, how is that gonna help us?" Varian calls out.

"Do what she says, guys!" Eugene grabs Hook Foot and throws him over his shoulder.

"Like I have a choice! I'm a moth-man over here!"

"Nothing like compliance," Harmony shrugs lightly with an amused smile. Varian grabs Ruddiger and takes a hold of her hand, running towards the pit. Adira grabs Lance, who looks at her in awe.

"Real men love strong women."

She says nothing and runs for the landpit. The spiders chase after them, and they all jump in. Eugene, however, hesitates and looks at all the spiders.

"What are you waiting for? Jump in the hole!" And yet Hook Foot didn't want to earlier. He runs towards a tree and stabs it. This sends the plant flying as Eugene jumps in just in time. The tree covers the landpit, and Eugene cuts through the exit. They all cheer at seeing the path and the black rocks, and not that tree again.

Rapunzel sighs in relief. "I've never been so glad to see those black rocks."

"I'm so happy I could kiss someone!" Hook Foot holds up Shorty, who puckers his lips. The man drops him, regretting that statement. "Ehhh, never mind."

Varian grabs Harmony's waist and spins her around, both of them laughing.

"Well, this is where I leave you," Adira smiles a little.

"Aww," Harmony pouts at this. "But I didn't get the chance to learn much from you..."

"Well, here's one lesson, Turquoise," Adira smiles down at her. "Your rocks don't control you. You control them."

"Adira, thank you. For ev-"

"Everything?" She interrupts knowingly. "I know, I'm amazing. Once again, I have conquered the Forest of No Return, and singlehandedly pulled you out of a dire strait," She starts walking, Eugene just crossing his arms with a slightly annoyed look on his face. "And I still have bronchitis. Which, I didn't even tell you about, because, let's face it, I'm a champion."

"Oh! Champion of my heart," Lance smiles towards her.

"I don't think Adira's really interested," Varian smirks in amusement.

"Who told you that?!" Lance shouts in his face, and he looks at him wide-eyed.

Harmony whistles towards Adira, who turns around. The girl tosses her a blue bottle. "Varian made it. Said it's supposed to cure bronchitis. You know, since you've had it for the times you've passed the forest. Thought you could use it."

"...Thanks Turquoise," Adira smiles at her, walking away. "You're a good friend."

"Can you-"

"Look, if you wanna get on Adira's good side, you won't get answers from me!" Harmony interrupts Lance sharply, pointing up at him.

"I hate to admit it, but she's growin' on me," Cass states as they watch her leave.

"Well, that's no surprise. Look how long it took me to win you over," Eugene smiles towards her.

"Well..."

"Hey, look! Someone put a tent on wheels!" Shorty calls out, pointing to the caravans down below.

"It's our caravan!" Rapunzel walks up towards it in relief. "The land must have shifted it over here! Shorty! You have excellent vision."

"Because I eat a lot of vitamin butter."

* * *

Soon, they start up back on the path again. "You know, for the record, I'm pretty confident I could've gotten us out of there," Eugene clears his throat from up front, "Eventually, but I figured, let Adira have her moment in the sun, you know? Clearly she's got attention issues, and I thought I'd throw her a bone."

"Yeah, sure. That's what happened," Harmony snorts at him.

"That was very nice of you, Eugene. Uh, Eugene? That's the sunset ahead of us?"

"Yeah? And?" Eugene asks cluelessly.

"We're supposed to be heading east."

"Oh, come on!" He exclaims at this.

"Way to go, Fish Skin."

"Heh-heh, that's a compliment!"

"Whatever, let's just turn back around," Harmony rolls her eyes slightly, smiling. "Hey, Eugene, can you finally teach me how to sword fight?"

"Would I?!" He exclaims, giving Cass the reigns. "This is gonna be great, Brownie!"

"Just don't beat him too easily," Cass smirks as she watches Harmony follow Eugene into the caravan.


	32. Freebird

***record scratch***

**Whoa, hold UP! There is a Tangled the Series COMIC BOOK?! Aaaaaaaah, I need to buy that!**

**I'm writing Rapunzel's Return-Well, in this case, Princess' Return at this point. I'm already halfway through it because I had most of the special written already. With two more specials to write for the show, I have to be prepared XD**

**Also...there's a very pushy user who keeps asking me to rewrite the WHOLE current season that I just finished because of a certain lady-in-waiting and princess both associated with the moonstone. Let me say this, I am not rewriting any episodes from season 2. That is a tedious amount of work that I should not be asked to pull off. I can't just rewrite a whole season I just finished, even if I have the time. Which I don't XD I don't have 24/7 time dedicated to writing, I do have priorities. Online courses may seem easier, but with the type of schoolwork I have, I need time dedicated to do that during the day. Trust me, I have a lot of important assignments that I do between my writing every day.**

**When I said to give ideas, I did not mean that would guarantee a rewrite on anything I have released so far in this story ^^' I just-I don't have the time for that, and I would fall behind on not just schoolwork, but with my writing.**

Bluebirds are chirping as they fly through the clouds. The petals of dandelions fly away, right past Rapunzel. She takes a deep breath.

"Do you hear that...?" She opens her eyes, Pascal looking towards the others besides Cass. They're in a circle around the two as they all take a deep breath. The princesses are wearing their old dresses, with Harmony keeping her hairstyle from her newer outfit. "That is the sound of peaceful tranquility-"

"Rapunzel!" Cass suddenly interrupts, causing her to cringe. "This was supposed to be a quick bathroom break." Owl lands on her shoulder. "Not a meditation."

"I was multi-tasking," Shorty states to the disgust of everyone around him. The five quickly move away.

"Sorry, Cass, but look at this view!" Rapunzel gestures to the lake, trees, and mountains in front of them. "I mean, doesn't that just inspire you?"

"I kinda wanna paint it," Harmony smiles at the sight. She takes out her journal from her bag and also a paintbrush, opening up the book to a blank page.

"You know what I find inspiring? Progress," Cass narrows her eyes. "Getting from point A to B without stopping to marvel at every meadow, valley, pond, and knoll along the way," She walks back towards the caravan.

"Oh come on, Cass. We didn't come here _just _to follow the black rocks. Let's not forget, Rapunzel and I both spent over 10 years confined away from everyone else," Harmony deadpans at her while holding her journal and painting in it.

"Look, Cass, I know we have to get to—wherever Harmi's rocks are leading us, but...aren't you afraid that if you focus too much on the road ahead, you might miss the fun at your feet?" Rapunzel asks slowly. Cass is probably the only one against exploring, and she wants her friend to have that experience that she and her sister are having right now.

Cass chuckles as she turns to both of them. "Don't worry about me, girls. If I want fun, I know where to find it."

"Oh, yeah? And where would that be? Funeral home?" Lance asks, laughing at Cass' annoyed face. She walks up to him and hands him a tiny little bean. "Hey? What's this for?"

"Oh, you should probably drop that-"

Cass covers Harmony and Varian's mouths, whistling. Owl screeches as he starts to fly around Lance, who lets out a scream. Cass lets go of the teens, walking back up to Rapunzel.

"See? Fun."

"I get it, Cass, but live a little," Harmony smiles slightly. "We can't just let exploration go to waste. I mean, these are beautiful woods."

"Well, she's right about that," Varian grins, poking her shoulder. She turns around to see him holding a rose.

She blushes, brushing a bang behind her ear. "We talked about not letting our relationship being prioritized over our journey, Vari..."

"I know, but I couldn't let the opportunity pass," He chuckles, putting the flower into her hands. She smiles as she squeezes his hands slightly.

"Well, thank you...it's beautiful."

The three horses pull the caravan, Eugene and Lance up in front. "You know, that meditation was actually quite relaxing," Eugene comments, a hand behind his head.

"Yeah, I feel relaxed," Lance smiles a little. "Nothin' can rattle me." A wheel suddenly falls off from the caravan, causing him to scream as the horses skid to a stop. Rapunzel gasps as she, Cass, Harmony, and Varian peek their heads out from the door.

"Is everybody okay? I thought I heard a child scream."

Eugene peeks around the corner to look at them. "It was just Lance. The wheel's broken. Don't worry, I can fix it."

He rolls the wheel over, sweeping his hands. He attempts to lift up the caravan, but fails to do so, Lance laughing at him.

"Here, here. Let me," He pushes Eugene out of the way. "After all...I am the strong one."

Eugene laughs at him. "Wait a minute. Now don't let this sleek, sinewy, insanely attractive frame fool you._ I _am the strong one."

Hook Foot pushes the door open between them, jerking a thumb to himself. "I'm stronger than both of you clowns."

Lance snickers a little before it turns into laughter from both him and Eugene. "This guy!" He points to Hook Foot.

"Ha, ha, ha," He replies sarcastically, crossing his arms. The princesses, Cass, and Varian walk past them.

"Sounds like we got ourselves a good old-fashioned muscle challenge!"

The four glance at each other, rolling their eyes in unison. "You know, guys, I do have a jack for this kind of situation," Harmony calls out, holding it up with a hand on her hip.

"No gadgets!" Eugene points at her stubbornly. "Accepting help from a lady means we're not strong enough to do it ourselves!"

She raises a brow at them slowly, her expression saying 'really?'

"Pa-pow! Pa-pow!" Lance flexes his muscles, the others trying to beat him.

"I'm not even flexing, really, just standing in weird ways. Ahhhhhhhh!"

"Oooooooh!"

"Oh, brother," Cass deadpans towards them, facepalming. "This could be a while."

"It's like they have stupidity marked on their foreheads," Harmony rolls her eyes.

"I'd rather do anything else than to watch this," Varian sighs at them.

"That's great!" Rapunzel exclaims at the trio. "It means we have time for a little adventure. And, seeing as this is the most beautiful forest I have ever seen, I say we take a hike."

"Take a hike?!" Shorty shouts nearby, who was chasing after a frog. "Fine! I know when I'm not wanted!" He slowly backs away into the bushes, slightly creeping them out.

"Ugh-Pascal, Daisy, Ruddiger, keep an eye on him," Rapunzel tells the three animals.

"Something tells me that Lance, Eugene, and Hook Foot aren't going to do anything else for the next hour or so," Harmony glances at them. They hop off from their owners' shoulders, disappearing into the bushes.

"I guess it's just you and me, Caspal, Donald, and Meeko."

"Where does he get those names from?" Varian murmurs to himself.

"Come on, guys!" Rapunzel grips Cass' arms, and she stares at the princess wide-eyed. "Who knows what we might find with a little exploring?"

"I don't know," She replies hesitantly, moving her arms away.

"Or, we could just hang out here," She gestures to the three men, who are still trying to show each other up.

"Look at my triceps. Anybody wanna play horseshoes? Come on!"

"Explore it is..." Cass states reluctantly, dragging a hand down her face.

"Yes! Ha!"

"I'm just gonna leave this here in case," Harmony places the jack near the wheel.

"You really think they're gonna choose to use it?" Varian asks her and she stares at the three still flexing.

"Nope."

Rapunzel grabs everyone and they run down a small hill. "Let's go!" She jumps into the lake, Harmony smiling at her sister. "Come on, Harmi!" She grabs her sister's hand, pulling her into the water.

"Whoa!"

She lands in it and sits up, laughing as her hair is now wet. Varian looks on with a smile as he watches the girl attempting to put all her hair away from her face. He's just glad that she's happy to be out of Corona for a change.

Cass kicks a tree in front of the lake to walk through. The princesses walk back onto the grass, where Rapunzel swings her sister and Varian around the trees.

"This is actually kind of fun, Cassie," Varian calls out. "You sure you don't wanna give it a shot?"

"No thanks, I'm fine walking."

"I feel like I'm walking on air!" Harmony cheers near Varian.

The four approach a tree where inside a hole is a bunch of mushrooms. She takes some paint into her hands and puts them over her eyes. She paints the other's face to make Cass look like a cat, Harmony a dog, and Varian a raccoon. She giggles at the three of them, Harmony looking over to the alchemist.

"You look like Ruddiger," She points at his face.

"And you look like a beagle," He pokes her nose to give her a dog nose, causing her to laugh. The four walk away back out into the open.

"Well, I've seen a lot of trees in my life, but these...are...some of them," Cass looks around in awe, Rapunzel giving her a flower crown. Harmony and Varian are wearing some too as she guides them to a waterfall, gasping.

"Guys, look!"

"A deer!" Harmony points across from them.

"And the Cliffs of Koto," Varian points up ahead. Harmony looks up and gasps at the sight in front of them.

"Oh! I have always wanted to go there! I saw a picture of them in Harmi's travel books!" Rapunzel looks at them fondly as Cass plucks off the flower crown.

"Nope! No can do," Cass denies immediately. "We don't have that kind of time."

"Says who?" Rapunzel grabs her arm, pulling her forward.

"With the guys in their strength contest, we have probably the whole day," Harmony snorts as the two run after them.

"They would let it get their heads that long," Varian rolls his eyes.

A teapot whistles as a hand picks up the object. "Soon, Father," She pours a cup of tea for four people, which have empty seats. The teapot looks like a bird...

The four walk through a foggy forest, Cass a little skeptical. "Uh, guys? Something's telling me we should turn back," Harmony jerks a thumb behind her. "I don't like it..."

"Oh, sis, relax!" Rapunzel calls out, hollering as she slides down a branch. "Everything's fine."

A rabbit looks over a rock, hopping away. "Ugh, do you even know where you're going?" Cass calls out as she stands on the cliff. Rapunzel had jumped down to a pile of leaves between some branches.

"Yeah, it seems like we're getting further away from the caravan," Varian tells her, a hand to the side of his mouth.

"No, but that's what makes exploring—whoa-ooooh!" They fall through the pile of leaves, sliding down a log. They roll onto the ground in a heap. "Fun!"

"Yeah! Real fun," Cass rolls her eyes, groaning slightly.

"It was something. I'm just not sure fun is the right word to describe it," Harmony stands up, dusting herself off. The others get onto their feet, rubbing their heads. Varian looks around the area.

"...Uh, does anyone know where we are?"

"What a positively..." A female voice speaks up, alarming Cass.

"Guys! Get down!"

"Brilliant afternoon it is!"

They lay down in front of a log to see two people in front of a cottage. A basket of blue eggs is behind the woman as a large toadstool acts as their table. And just like before, there are four seats with four teacups in front of them.

"Wouldn't you say, Father?"

"Your assertion, Mother, is undeniable," Father agrees with her, holding a plate full of fruit.

"Ohh-kay, we should probably..." Cass watches Rapunzel stand up. "Visit with the weird people drinking tea on toadstools in the middle of nowhere."

"We'll just ask for directions and take a way back to the caravan," Varian shrugs lightly at her, following after the woman.

"It'll only take a minute," Harmony sighs lightly, walking after Varian. "But I'm telling you, something's not right about those two."

"Hi there!" Rapunzel greets the two, getting their attention. "My name is Rapunzel. This is my little sister Harmony, and our friends Varian and Cassandra."

Varian smiles up at her for referring to him as such. "And what has brought Ladies Rapunzel, Harmony, and Cassandra and Sir Varian to our most humblest of abodes?" Mother clasps her hands together.

"She dragged us," Cass jerks a thumb to the blonde.

"We weren't dragged, we went willingly," Harmony points out.

"Uh, we took a little detour out in this beautiful countryside to see what kind of adventure we might find," Rapunzel explains to the two.

"Oh! Well...how positively serendipitous!"

"Please! Sit!" Father offers them, gesturing to the seats. Harmony shakes her head, waving a hand.

"Oh, no, we're not staying, we just came here to ask you-"

"Harmi, we can't just say no to their hospitality," Rapunzel whispers to her.

"They might be kind, but this is weird! _What _kind of people live out here drinking tea and on toadstools?!" Harmony whispers back, glancing to them.

"It might be a little...out there, but they seem to be nice people. And don't forget, I am in charge of you, so ha," Rapunzel smirks, crossing her arms. Harmony grunts in defeat, sitting next to her sister. Varian sits to her right, while Cass sits at Rapunzel's right. "What do you mean, serendipitous?"

"Well, you seek adventure, and you might say Mother and I are somewhat aficionados of fanciful merriment," He holds up the teapot, pouring them all some tea.

"I love fanciful merriment!" Rapunzel exclaims in excitement, noticing the teapot. "Wow, what a beautiful teapot."

"It's definitely unique," Varian eyes it.

"Yes, it is quite beautiful. And yet, its beauty is a minor benefit next to its magical properties," Mother tells them.

"Magical?" Cass asks, eyeing them.

"Okay, wait," Varian holds up a hand. "You're telling us that this teapot...is magical?"

"Indeed, all of what you see here—the cottage, the toadstools, and even the birds all exist because of this teapot," Father explains to the four, pointing to the birds behind them.

"Uh, I-I don't understand," Rapunzel stares at them in confusion.

"That's not possible," Varian shakes his head. "There has to be a better explanation for all this. Magic can't create all of this."

"And I _really _think it's time to leave," Harmony whispers to all of them after taking a sip of the tea. "Before something happens."

"How would you like to enjoy our very modest forest as...a bird?" Mother asks, flapping her hands. Rapunzel just laughs, the others staring at them baffled.

"Hmm...Oh-Oh wait-oh, you're serious."

"How can anyone say that with a straight face?" Varian murmurs as he sips some tea, Cass doing the same.

"Okay, now we're outta here," Cass stands up, starting to lead the others away.

"Thank you!" Harmony exclaims, but a bird flies around them, stopping the four in their tracks. Rapunzel gasps sharply as they turn around in shock to see Father as a cockatoo.

"Please, don't be alarmed!"

"It-it—it—it can't be," Rapunzel stammers in disbelief.

"Oh, but it is. And it is most wondrously sublime!" He flies over their heads, spinning around.

"Tell me that he didn't just turn into a bird," Varian whispers to them.

"Ahh, I wish I could..." Harmony stares at him wide-eyed.

"For, lest you forget, birds are the very embodiment of the term freedom," He flies between Cass and Rapunzel. "You owe it to yourselves to enjoy this. Isn't that right, Mother?"

"Unequivocally," She holds up a finger. "Seize this opportunity."

"You...you want us to be birds?" Varian blinks at her, unsure of what to begin with. That she's crazy, or that they should leave.

"Uh, look, um, I—I'm—I'm usually up for anything, but this is, um-"

"Insane?" Cass asks her.

"This is why I said we should've turned back around," Harmony gestures to the duo. "We can't consider this!"

"I mean, even if we wanted to, how—how would we even do that?" Rapunzel questions, truly baffled.

"_Why_ would we even do that?" Varian turns to the three. Suddenly, the blonde's reflection starts to shrink.

"Well, that's the beauty, dear, you already have done it," Mother smiles, looking over the table. "You've drunk the tea."

Rapunzel looks at her wings. Her long hair is out of the braid as she's a yellow bird with purple wings. "Oh! Uh, uh—I d—I don't believe this!"

"Are you kidding me?!" Cass exclaims as she's a brown robin, it looks to be like. (A/N: I don't know at first glance what type of birds Cass and Rapunzel are, so if you know, please correct me XD)

"W-What?!" Harmony looks at her blue wings and teal bird body as she's a hummingbird. Her hair is out like Rapunzel's, but she doesn't have her moonstone symbol anywhere on her. Varian is a brown robin with matching colored wings.

"We're...we're birds?!"

"Yup, we're birds!" Rapunzel confirms, looking at herself. "What do we do?"

Cass stumbles onto the toadstool. "What-" She jumps off, about to land on the grass, but she manages to fly a bit. "Ooh-What did you do to us?" She lightly hits Father, demanding an answer.

"Change us back!" Varian points at them. He looks to Harmony and his beak drops open at her appearance.

"Oh, no, please." He takes a hold of Cass. "Please, my crumpets. There's no need for distress, I assure you."

Mother laughs, turning to the covered basket of eggs. "Forgive our chicanerous ruse, dears, it's often the only way to demonstrate that this gift is harmless and most temporary," She plucks an egg and opens it in front of Father. With a flash, he's turned back to normal.

"Oh...so you tricked us!" Harmony points up at him, turning to her sister. "Let's turn around, I said. I had a bad feeling, I said. But noooo. You get us turned into birds!"

"I-I didn't know!" She stammers nervously.

"Our only caveat...you must return within one hour, so as to avoid the affliction we call 'avarian totails'," Father waves his hands.

"What does that mean?" Rapunzel tilts her head in confusion.

"We'll basically become actual birds if we don't come back to reverse this," Harmony turns to her.

"Correct. You'd not only look like a bird," He pats Cass on the head. "You'd think like a bird. Your desire to be the person you once were would dissolve, and you'd remain a bird...forever."

"Oh! Oh, wow, since you put it that way...give us those eggs now!" Cass growls up at them. Mother holds out the eggs, placing one each in front of the birds. Rapunzel suddenly takes flight.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa, guys, guys!" Rapunzel gasps sharply. "Did you see that? I-I just flew! Ohh!" She takes flight again, flying around. "I'm flying!"

"Indeed, we only meant to share our wonderful elixir with you," Father calls out to her.

"Harmi, you've got to try this with me!"

She flies in front of her sister, who glances back at the two skeptically. They may say that, but something still felt off about those two. "I dunno..."

"You have to!" Rapunzel chirps a little, grabbing her sister and flying above into the sky.

"Eep!" Harmony flaps her wings on instinct, gasping at the toadstools down below. "Oh wow...this is actually kind of cool!"

"Come, now...let us return you to your original, beautiful state," Mother holds up two eggs. The two fly back down onto the table.

"Uh, just a second. Guys? Can we talk?" She moves them away into a huddle. "I know this is weird."

"No no no no. Having 70 feet of magical hair is weird."

"Having the moonstone powers is also weird," Varian continues for her.

"_This_? This is full-blown wacko!"

"Okay, yes! It's wacko. But when are we gonna get this chance again?"

"Rapunzel, what about my dad? Your sister's rocks?" Varian gestures to Harmony. "W-We can't really do this, can we?" He looks to the princess for help, who darts her eyes around.

"Um..."

"Oh no, don't tell me," He facepalms at her.

"Didn't you hear them?" Harmony gestures to the two.

"They can turn us back whenever we want. And Cass...Varian...we can fly!" She flaps her wings, flying above the two and landing across from them again.

"I know you wanna find the answer to helping your dad, but have some fun too while doing it. Yeah, I know, we're birds. Doesn't describe the normal definition of fun. But can you just at least try?" Harmony looks at her boyfriend pleading.

"You're the one who wanted to leave," He eyes her skeptically.

"I did...but now I wanna fly," She rubs the back of her neck. "I know they tricked us, but come on! I have to admit, I have always wanted to know what it's like from Daisy's side of things..."

Cass sighs reluctantly, Varian sighing as well. "We are so going to regret this..."

"YES!" The two cheer, flapping their wings together. "Thank you! Okay, we will all be back in one hour." She flies away quickly, Harmony following after her. Varian and Cass stumble a bit, but manage to get the basics of it.

"Mm-hm...we're counting on it," Mother smiles evilly as they watch the four fly away.

"Woo-hoo!" Rapunzel cheers as they fly past the trees.

(Harmony and Varian are in bold, Cass and Rapunzel are in italic)

_Life's been so unsatisfying_

Rapunzel looks up to the clouds, Harmony beaming.

**Look, suddenly now we're flying**

They end up in the clouds, Harmony spinning around and opening up her wings. She lets herself fall head-first.

_**Freewheeling from cloud to cloud to cloud**_

The two sisters fall through the clouds together. This leaves them with faces full of cloud.

**Wings spread, and the sky below us**

_There's no one to stop or slow us_

The two dive towards the fields, Harmony chirping a little at the flowers. Maybe because of the fact that she's a hummingbird.

_**Pure freedom and everything's allowed**_

Dandelion petals fly once they pass over them.

_Down there, I know there's tons of burdens we must bear..._

Harmony frowns a little as they fly past her black rocks, but Rapunzel flies around her, and she smiles.

**Somewhere**

_**But from up here**_

Side-by-side together, they soar back up towards the skies.

_**The world looks so small**_

They end up at a lake with some black rocks in it, seeing the sun up ahead.

_**And suddenly life seems so clear**_

The two bird sisters fly past the sunlight and the red leaves from a tree.

_**And from up here, you coast past it all**_

Harmony chirps in greeting as they fly over the same deer that they saw earlier.

_**The obstacles just disappear**_

They spin around as they fly with butterflies.

_You never feel heavy or earthbound_

After getting out of a monument, they fly over some rocks.

**No worries or doubts interfere**

The two birds twirl around.

_**There's nothing but you**_

_**Looking down at the view from up here**_

They arrive at a tree, flying around Cass and Varian. Both of them are hesitant on flying. "You've _got _to try this!"

"What's the point of being a bird if you don't fly?" Harmony asks him, cringing a little. "Oof. Now I know how Daisy felt not being able to do it before."

"I don't know," Cass looks away.

"This...this is a whole different thing," Varian looks over the edge.

"Oh come on, guys! Just watch, it's easy! Harmi, grab Varian, I'll take Cass!"

They wrap their wings around the two, flying off the tree.

_**Stretch out with the wind behind you**_

_Here we go_

The two birds fly the hesitant two over some rocks.

_Float up_

**Let the current find you**

Then they go higher up into the skies.

**V: Look out below**

**Keep climbing**

_And sail from breeze to breeze_

They position the two to stay still and watch them.

_**Stay close, don't leave us, please!**_

They flap their wings as hard as they can to stay afloat.

**Head up to the stratospheres**

_With only the stars to steer us_

While trying to balance themselves, Varian and Cass look up at the princesses, who peek their heads out from the clouds.

_**Just think of the possibilities**_

_**I think we've got it!**_

The two suddenly find themselves actually flying instead of flapping around wildly.

_Below_

Rapunzel and Harmony pretend to be swimming in the cloud.

**We spend our whole life trudging to and fro**

They pop in and out of the clouds.

_Now-_

_**Whoa!**_

They watch the two sisters soar into the sky above.

_**And from up here, the world is all yours**_

The two swoop down, Cass and Varian flying after them.

_**Each mountain and meadow and mere**_

They flap their wings past some horses eating.

_**And from up here, life's duties and chores**_

The horses start trotting next to the birds.

_**Are barely worth shedding a tear**_

Rapunzel touches her wing against the water, Harmony creating a small wave with her feathers.

_**And all of the sky lies before us**_

Rapunzel does a little spin as Varian and Cass spin around some branches.

_**Straight up to the far stratosphere**_

The four soar back up to the skies, now all together.

_**So head for the blue**_

Cass and Varian then take the lead as they fly past some mountains.

_**And let's take in the view from up here**_

Varian smiles towards the monuments nearby.

_**It's just me and you **_

The four fly around in a circle.

_**Looking down at the view from up here**_

"This is amazing!" Harmony hollers as they fly into the purple skies.

"Okay, I was wrong. This experience is—is spellbinding!" Varian exclaims at the hummingbird. Even as a hummingbird, she's still very beautiful. Looking at her suddenly makes him spellbound as he listens to her chirp. Now that he thinks about it...

It is that time for birds.

"Even as a bird, he can't help himself," Cass jerks a wing to Varian, Rapunzel giggling.

He takes off after the hummingbird in a fast speed. The two fly after them to see what would happen. Harmony flies through past a cloud with a smile. When she prepared for their journey, she didn't think of doing anything like this. She stops chirping as she sees Varian flying after her. Harmony giggles and lands on a high branch of a tree. Varian lands on the one below her and starts chirping a mating song.

The hummingbird chuckles, moving over to hide behind a bushel of leaves nearby from a branch. She peeks over it to look at Varian, teasing him.

"Aww, cute," Rapunzel smiles at them.

"Lovebirds. I get it now," Cass smirks in amusement.

Harmony jumps up and flies over to Varian. She starts chirping along to his song and they join together in harmony (A/N: See what I did there? XD Haha!). Once they finish singing, she snuggles her head into his neck. He smiles warmly, nuzzling back. Rapunzel squeals at the two.

"I ship it," Cass looks up towards them.

* * *

Eugene does push-ups near the wheel one-handed. "Hey, Blondie. Look at this! One-armed push-ups! Varian should learn some too!" He stops and suddenly looks around, seeing the other four nowhere in sight. "Blondie? Brownie? Cass? Varian? Wait a minute, guys. Where are Harmony, Cass, Varian, and Rapunzel?" He gets onto his feet, slightly worried and wondering how long they had been gone.

"Let me look for them. Could they be under this big, heavy tree truck?" Lance lifts up a large log, holding it over his head. Hook Foot suddenly lands on it. "No!"

"Maybe they're not under a tree, maybe they're up one!" He uses the height Lance 'gave' him to climb the tree. He starts doing pull-ups. "I didn't see 'em, but I'll check again! Nope, not up there! No!"

Lance drops the log, the horses shaking their heads. "Guys! Can we stop showing off just for a minute, and focus on finding our friends?" Eugene stops the competition, starting to walk past the tree. Hook Foot lands on the grass.

They eventually end up at the same spot where the four fell through the log, which has been brought back to normal.

"Come on, guys!"

They fall through, shouting as Eugene slides to a stop, Lance and Hook Foot landing on top of him.

"Oh! How lovely. Look, Father! Unforeseen guests," Mother notices the trio, Father already pouring some tea.

"What a delightful transpiration! Join us...for a spot of tea?"

* * *

The four birds have taken a break to stop and look at the view. Cass sighs a little. "Okay, Raps, are we done yet?"

"Just a little longer," She pleads with her friend. "This is the most amazing-" She lets out a small chirp, alarming the three. "Wait! Did I just-" She chirps again, gasping.

"Yeah," Cass lets out a squawk. "You did!" She gasps at what she just did.

"So did-" Rapunzel lets out another chirp. "You!"

"Wait, so why were we able to chirp earlier?" Varian looks to Harmony.

"Hummingbirds and some types of robins chirp regularly, so it's natural for them. But for Cass and Rapunzel...not really," She stares at them in concern.

"Oh no!" Another squawk escapes from Cass, Rapunzel frowning. "We're getting birdbrained! We need to-" Another squawk, "Head back!" And then another one. "NOW!"

Cass takes flight, the three following after them. "Oh, I hope it's not too late-" Harmony lets out a chirp...and it didn't feel natural. "Oh no."

They land in front of Mother and Father. "That was amazing! Thank you so much!" Rapunzel smiles up at them. "But now-" She chirps uncontrollably. "We'd like to be changed back," She chirps again.

"Please!" Varian lets out an unnatural chirp.

"I'm sure you would, dear..." Mother says slowly, Father trapping them in a cage. "But it pains me to say, we have different designs." She puts the four eggs back in the basket, covering it with the glass.

"We-" Cass squawks in anger. "Need those to change back!"

"I'm afraid we shan't oblige, my little chickadees. For you see...we don't want you to change back."

"What?!" Harmony chirps angrily at them.

"No, no. You said you would!" Varian points up at them, Harmony gripping the bars with her wings. She tries to use her moonlight powers, or her black rocks, but nothing happens.

"Oh no," She looks at her left wing where her moonstone symbol would normally be on that hand. "I can't use the powers of the moonstone!"

"It's because you have wings and no symbol..." Rapunzel looks at her sister's wings.

"That symbol must be the only way you can use your powers..." Varian gasps at Harmony, who nods sadly.

"We want you to become the newest addition to our aviary menagerie," Father reveals, gesturing behind them. They look at all the birds in horror. "Think of all this as an avian art collection, to which we're always adding...new pieces."

Rapunzel gasps in fear, seeing the ties to the bird's legs. "Wait! Those are all...people!"

"That's sick!" Harmony recoils back in shock. "I knew I felt off about you two! You liars!"

"All of those people...as birds," Varian frowns towards them, glaring up at the two for what they've done.

"Indeed, for people make the most beautiful, one-of-a-kind birds," He opens up the top of the cage. He then traps them in a sack. "Come now, darlings. Off to your new home."

They struggle to get out, to no avail.

Rapunzel sighs, sagging as she notices the glare on Cass' face. "Cass, I should have listened to you. I just wanted to show you-"

"Show me how to seize the moment?" She interrupts angrily, "Here's what the moment got us!"

"Cass," Varian murmurs softly at her.

"We didn't mean for it to get this far..." Harmony glances at her sister.

"I know you two take a lot of pride in your irrepressible, carefree spirits. It's what makes you, you. And why you two get along so well. But did you ever stop to think that maybe those attitudes can be a bit selfish sometimes?"

Harmony's eyes widen slowly, closing them. Varian snuggles into her and she returns it.

"I'm sorry..." Rapunzel whispers quietly.

"This trail of black rocks is your destinies, but I dropped everything to make sure you get to the end of it. I'm taking this seriously. Why aren't you?!"

Harmony flinches at the tone. "...Because I'm scared," Rapunzel admits to everyone. "You're right, Cass. These rocks are our destinies, and that's terrifying. What if they lead to...somewhere I'm never supposed to come back from?"

"And what if it costs me something that...that I can't imagine losing?" Harmony asks slowly. "Like my sister, or all my friends, or...my humanity? I don't know where these rocks want us to go, but...it's really scary thinking about what I'll find or what it'll mean for me. I mean...these are black rocks that have destroyed homes, almost got people hurt..."

She blinks back tears, surprising everyone. "I-I can't..." She starts sobbing, Cass staring at her with sad eyes. Sometimes it's hard to remember that the embodiment of the Moonstone...

Is just a teenage girl...

"Harmi, I..."

"We're home!"

They look up at Father, who snatches them up and puts them in a golden cage. "Our friends are gonna come looking for us, and when they do, you-" Rapunzel lets out a chirp as they try to break free. "Are in trouble!"

He plants them inside and locks them in. "I don't think your friends are gonna be much help, Blondie," Eugene states behind them, as the three are birds as well. Rapunzel gasps at the sight of them.

"You're all birds?"

"Well, I'm the strongest bird-" Lance brags, doing a flex.

"Not the time, Lance," Eugene warns him.

"How did you even get here?!" Harmony screeches in disbelief.

"Well, we went looking for you, and then we stumbled onto those two freaks," Hook Foot glares to outside the cage. "And then they turned into birds with that tea and put us in here!"

"We're doomed..." Varian sighs at this.

"You know, I like to think that I'm the prepared kind of guy. Type of guy who's ready for anything this crazy world throws my way," Eugene grips the bars. "But this bird thing, I can't say I saw it comin'," He hops towards a bowl of bird seed.

"No one did," Harmony shakes her head.

"Ugh, this is-" Rapunzel chirps again, "All my fault."

"Her squawks are getting more frequent," Eugene whispers to the others.

"Probably because she drank the tea first…" Harmony looks at her sister in worry.

"If we don't break one of those eggs over her soon, she's gonna go full bird. We all are," Cass looks to everyone.

"I got a plan!" Lance declares, looking outside. "We should go over there, get the eggs and turn us back into people."

"Good thinking. And how are we gonna get over there?" Eugene asks him.

Rapunzel looks to the eggs and then to the key above the cage. "That's...where the plan falls apart."

"I guess if we can't bring the-" Rapunzel chirps, turning to them, "Eggs to the cage, we have to bring the cage to the eggs!"

Harmony glances between the two objects, gasping at her sister at her plan. They both fly into the air, slamming into the side of the cage.

"Do it with us!"

"Alright! Let's go!" Eugene calls out and they all ram the side together. "Flap like you've never flapped before!"

"I have never flapped before," Hook Foot points out.

"Just do it!" Harmony tells him and they tilt the stand that holds up the cage.

"Okay, now...!" The cage flies off the stand and hits the eggs, breaking through it and sending them onto the ground. "We did it!"

This also broke the cage slightly, Rapunzel rubbing her head. "Maybe we can get out!" Eugene tries to pull the cage apart, Lance and Hook Foot grabbing hold.

"Yes! We can totally do this!"

"Um, guys?"

They turn to the hummingbird, who hops up to the bars. "There's a reason _why _I built this," She digs into her feathers and holds up a miniature version of the jack she had built.

"Ohh, so that's why it was sitting near the wheel!" Eugene exclaims as she plants it between the bars. She turns the crank and with some help from the other three birds, they manage to pull it apart. Eugene lets out a laugh as they smile. "Oh, you see that? Together, we're unstoppable!"

"That's right!" Lance exclaims with a boastful smile.

"You know it!" Hook Foot agrees with him.

"And it doesn't matter who's strongest."

"It totally matters!" Hook Foot looks to Lance.

"Oh, it most definitely does."

"Yeah, you're right, come on, who are we kidding?"

"Mmm," Harmony glares at them and they recoil back in fear.

"It doesn't matter!"

"Totally doesn't!"

"Yup, thank you, blueberry for showing us the error of our ways!"

"If anything, you should be thanking me and my invention," She points to the jack, taking it with her wings. Father sees the mess, growling.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"Don't worry, Father. Allow me," Mother takes the teapot and drinks the whole thing. She wipes it off her mouth, the birds from the collection squawking in alarm. Her hand turns white and feathery and she leans over the table, knocking down a teapot. She then takes flight as she's a large hawk, squawking towards the cage. Father is holding the eggs as she dives for them, standing on the cage. "Anyone planning on a premature egress will be most disappointed!"

"I'll draw the hawk away, you guys get those eggs!" Cass whispers to everyone.

"Be careful, Cass," Harmony warns softly as she flies towards the end of the cage. Mother appears in front of her, causing her to fly back into the others. Mother squawks and Rapunzel looks around, seeing her feathers above her head.

"Come on, guys," She whispers to Varian and Harmony. The three fly up and rip some feathers off, and she squawks in slight pain.

"Ha! I've been wanting to do that all day!" Harmony smirks at her. "Well, maybe not plucking the feathers, but it felt good!"

Cass flies away past Father. "Oh, my dear girl, you haven't a chance," Mother flies after Cass and they take to the skies.

They're about to leave the cage as an egg rolls past them, Father taking it and putting it into the basket. "That's quite far enough, you—you guttersnipes! And you..." He points to Harmony. "You're the worst of them all! And you sing terribly!"

Harmony frowns, sinking a little.

"Guttersnipe? You just crossed a line, Dad," Hook Foot points up at him, Varian glaring furiously.

"Ha ha ha, come on, guys! Let's get him!"

"No," Varian holds a wing in front of them. "I got this."

With a yell, he soars towards Father, pecking away at him. Harmony gasps at him, watching as the basket falls out of his hands.

"The horror! Aah! Aaah!" He runs away screaming.

"You better run!" Varian shouts after him. "No one insults Mona and gets away with it!"

Harmony smiles softly towards the robin, touched. "Harmi and I will go get those eggs! You guys free the other birds!" Rapunzel tells the three, and they dive for the eggs, putting them into the basket as quickly as they can.

"Here you go, Eugene!" Lance cracks an egg above Eugene, turning him back to normal. "Eugene?" He flies in front of his friend, who grabs an egg. "Thank you!" Once he's human again, he laughs, hugging his friend. Hook Foot clears his throat, tapping a foot. Eugene frees him and Lance helps him up. Hook foot cracks an egg over Varian, who pats himself in relief.

"Good to be back."

They start untying the other birds. Cass and Mother fly past, the hawk squawking at her. Cass flies away from the eggs and birds.

Hook Foot places a bird down, ducking his head as the two birds fly past. Rapunzel cracks an egg over the bird to reveal him as a little boy.

"You're-" She chirps at him, "Free!"

He tips his hat to the two, running off. The other birds stand in line to be free again. Harmi and Rapunzel each take an egg, freeing two birds at the same time.

Cass swoops past mushrooms, avoiding Mother's sharp beaks. She soars over the grass, flying up to the branches in a tree, where Mother gets stuck in one of them.

"This bird stuff isn't half bad!" Cass smirks in amusement, flying to the skies. Mother somehow gets free, flipping into the air and diving head-first into Cass. She sends her into the toadstool table, claw to Cass' neck. She raises the other one.

"Cass!" Harmony exclaims at her, flying towards the two. "No, get away from her!" She flaps her wings into Mother's face, giving Cass enough time to grab a green bean and throw it. Mother slaps Harmony away, taking the bean.

"Ahh, is that all you've got?"

Cass lets out a whistle and Owl comes flying in, grabbing the bean from Mother. She squawks at his beak, Cass flying over to Harmony.

"I'm okay," She holds up a wing, both of them taking flight. Together with Owl, they fly into Mother, knocking her into the grass. "That'll teach you to turn people into birds!" She points her wing at the hawk.

"Ha ha, we did it!" Cass flies up to Owl on a branch. "We beat her! Woo-hoo-hoo!" She high-wings Owl, flying away. Harmony stares at Cass' enthusiasm all of a sudden, grinning towards Owl.

"I gotta go help my sister!" She flies back towards Rapunzel.

"Lance, would you hurry it up?" Eugene calls out as they're holding Mother, who struggles.

"I'm trying!"

Hook Foot and Varian tie up Father, Rapunzel gasping. Harmony glares towards Mother and Father, glad that they got out of this unscathed. "There's only two eggs left..."

She looks back to Cass, who looks like she's actually having fun. This was all her fault...she convinced them to be birds, she got them captured...and all because she was scared. Then she remembers Harmony crying and realized...

That they deserve to have the last two eggs.

"Raps, I take it all back. That was-"

Rapunzel cracks the two eggs, turning the two into humans again. "Oh-okay—okay, okay, that was abrupt. But let's turn you back now. Alright, where's an egg?"

"...No..." Harmony shakes her head slowly at the empty basket.

"Heh-There's another egg, right?" Cass asks Rapunzel, who shakes her head no sadly. "You used the last eggs on us?"

She nods in confirmation.

"Punzie...?" Harmony's eyes widen slowly, trying not to cry.

"No, but that means you can't-No." Cass frantically starts searching for an egg, but they're all broken.

"No...NOOOOOOO!" Harmony screeches in sadness, her heart breaking. She rushes up towards Father, wanting to punch him, but Varian and Eugene hold her back. "No, no, no! You did this! You give us an egg, you sick freak!"

He just stares at her as she starts to cry, turning around to the two, hugging them close. "Waaah..."

Cass throws the basket in frustration, the two hugging her back. She holds out her hands to Rapunzel, who lands on them. "Oh, Raps? You're my best friend..." Her lip quivers, "Oh-Please, don't leave me..." She nuzzles Rapunzel, who returns the gesture. She watches as Rapunzel blinks, her eyes turning black.

She's now fully a bird...

Cass shuts her eyes, shedding a few tears. She then looks furious as she wipes herself off. With each step, she was angrier than she's ever been. Harmony sniffles and Cass places a hand on her shoulder.

"Harmi? Take care of your sister for me."

She looks up at Cass behind a messy bang, taking the bird into her hands. "But why? What are you doing?"

"Don't ask, I'll handle this."

"Rapunzel..." The boys look at her sadly as Harmony kneels, shedding fresh tears. Lance and Hook Foot tie up Mother with all their might, the woman pointing her sword at Father.

"Where are the other eggs?! GIVE ME ANOTHER EGG!" She holds the sword over him, threatening to hurt him if he didn't comply.

"But there are no more! Please! Have mercy!"

She swings her sword, but instead of touching him, she broke the teapot. "No! I'll never be able to make my tea again!"

"Good!" Varian glares at him, the man suddenly disappearing.

"That's what I was counting on..." Cass hisses, Mother disappearing as well. Cass walks away as the whole house disappears behind him, the toadstool gone too. Cass sits in front of the teenage girl, opening up her hands.

Harmony slowly gives Rapunzel to her, the three watching as Rapunzel just looks around, clueless to everything.

"Why so glum, chum?" Shorty suddenly asks, a peacock. He opens up his feathers, laying a blue egg.

"Shorty?"

"You laid a blue egg!" Varian gasps at it. "...Wish you showed up earlier."

Cass holds it over Rapunzel, Harmony looking at the bird in anticipation. "Oh, please, please work." She cracks it and this turns the bird back into the blonde princess. Rapunzel gets onto her feet, a feather in her hair. The three gasp, Cass running up to Rapunzel and spinning her around. "Raps!"

"Big sister...?" Harmony runs up to Rapunzel, who opens up her arms and hugs the girl tightly. Her sister returns it, crying into the dress happily.

"Oh come on, no tears," Rapunzel cups her cheeks, wiping them away with her thumbs. "I can't have that from my little sister."

Harmony giggles slightly, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. Both Cass and Varian smile at the family moment. "Oh! Ugh! Am I the only one craving worms?"

"I know I am," The four look to Shorty, who lays another egg.

"I am _so _done with birds today," Harmony murmurs, Daisy chirping up at her in protest. "Well, most of them." Shorty walks around aimlessly, Pascal holding up the egg. Rapunzel takes it and turns Shorty back to himself.

"That's weird, I'm a person," Yet he still walks around like a bird anyway. The three pets walk up to their owners, who smile and walk up to the others.

"Well, I guess if we learned anything, it's that we are stronger together, huh?" Eugene asks proudly, as the three men stare at the place where the wheel was.

"You know it."

"Agreed."

* * *

Cass walks up to a tree with Varian, where the two sisters sit on a branch above. Harmony jumps down first, followed by her sister. She hands a few pieces to the two to help her carry her hair back, Cass letting out a sigh.

"Listen, girls? What you two said before about being afraid? It's okay. I'd be afraid, too. But I want you to remember that no matter what you two have to face at the end of this road, you're not going to face it alone. And Harmi...I'm really sorry that I made you upset."

"It's okay," She shrugs with a small smile. "It still takes getting some used to..."

"Thanks, Cass. Hmm, really," Rapunzel places a hand on Cass' shoulder.

"And besides...I know that I'll always have someone by my side," Harmony smiles towards Varian. "Thank you for defending me back there, Vari."

"Oh, uh, I-it was nothing, Mona."

"That was pretty brave what you did," She leans forward and kisses his cheek softly. Varian freezes up, letting out a goofy laugh. She giggles, walking back to the caravan.

"Alright, let's lift this thing. And I should probably-" The caravan is lifted for them by Rapunzel's hair.

"Guys, sorry, but, we really gotta get going," She states, the other three rolling the wheel back into place.

"Oh, yeah, I mean—you know, of course," Eugene stammers as they walk around.

"Uh-huh, yeah. I—I—I think we should probably hit the road," Lance agrees as they step into the caravan.

"No offense to the scenery, but I wanna get out of this forest as soon as possible," Harmony comments as she gets inside.

"Yeah, I'm ready to put the whole being a bird thing behind us," Varian agrees with her, watching as she takes Daisy into her hands.

"Oh! I can't wait to tell you all about it, Daisy! But I dunno, it was kind of...different," She looks towards Varian, both of them smiling bashfully. If there was one thing they wouldn't regret as being birds, it was singing together.

They don't even move 5 feet as the wheel breaks off again, Lance letting out a scream. "Alright! I'll get it!"

"No, Eugene, we got it!" Rapunzel tells him before they could get into another strength competition.

"And I have something that'll keep it in place. I am NOT dealing with another competition again," Harmony runs over to the other caravan to go get the solution, the same blue birds flying over them...


	33. Vigor the Visonary

**Angel: Get ready for Harmarian cuteness all around in this chapter (Is that a good ship name for them? I dunno, I'll figure it out XD). Aaand they closed down my work for the outbreak...they said they're gonna reopen at the same they said it's permanent, so I dunno -_- I don't know how I'm gonna earn money for the time being, but at least it gives me extra time for writing and homework...**

**So I'm basically at home for like 5 months from school and unemployed. I'm honestly so baffled that two places I go through frequently throughout a week are closed XD And I still have finals to take at the end of the semester. But maybe the extra time will benefit me in some ways. And I registered for fall classes, and I don't have to be there until 1:25 in the afternoon in August! YAS! That is, if the COVID19 has died down by then.**

**And all the carpet in my house is being ripped out...hate wooden floors...**

**One last thing, Redbat142 from Wattpad is not the person who is doing Harmony's design. She only has Amy from TMNT on her art book. Speaking of Harmony's art, I don't know where my friend is on that, and I'm not going to pressure her every single day to finish it. Both of us have a lot of our plates because of this virus. Literally right now, I'm continuing to write a paper that has to be at least 10 pages.**

**Hope everyone is staying healthy!**

Blue birds fly around in the forest as the three horses are walking down a path. Fidella has Rapunzel, Max has Eugene, and Silver has Harmony and Varian. The two are sitting side-by-side as they're holding the scroll pieces, trying to decipher it.

"I am so excited to see what you have planned for our double date," Rapunzel speaks, smiling. This time, all four of them are wearing their original clothing.

"Oh, it's not a double date," Harmony shakes her head, looking up. "Trying to decipher a scroll we know almost nothing about isn't exactly date activity."

"Oh come on, you guys!" Rapunzel stares at them. "You have lots of time to look over that scroll. It's a beautiful day! Don't you wanna have at least one date before Varian has to go back to Corona? It'd be so romantic!"

"Um, we're fine with the scroll," Varian rubs his neck nervously. "Besides, we both agreed to put the journey first, remember?"

"Then can you at least answer me this: What do you two like best about each other? Something that stood out to you when you first met."

"You're not gonna stop until we answer the question, right?" Harmony deadpans with a raised brow. Rapunzel has her fists to her cheeks with a smile, expecting an answer. The younger princess lets out a small amused sigh, slightly ducking her head as she feels a little embarrassed. Not that she hated questions like this, but the scroll is just one major step closer to finding out more about the Moonstone.

"Well, to get you to stop giving us that look...his eyes. Blue is my favorite color, and when I looked up at him after he saved me...I just knew that he was the one."

Varian smiles bashfully, clearing his throat. "I, uh...don't really have a preference." Harmony blinks as she slowly turns to him. "Mona's perfect the way she is."

Her heart beats as she smiles softly, rubbing her arm.

"Aww~ That's sweet," Rapunzel squeals at them. "Okay, then would you still love each other if you had no skin?"

"You said one question," Harmony narrows her eyes slightly.

"No, you didn't say I had to ask just one question," She smiles smugly, to their slight ire. The two give each other a look, turning their heads back to Rapunzel.

"Well...it would depend on the situation...like is Mona just lying there in bed with her eyes still intact? Or does she have bandages all over her? Is she suffering not able to feel anything?"

"Yes or no?" Harmony rolls her eyes, wanting to be done with this question already. Was he really just gonna ask about every scenario there is about this?

"Of course, Mona! I love you for inside reasons."

"Aww," Both Rapunzel _and _Eugene say in unison.

"That's also sweet," Harmony beams at him, kissing his cheek. "I'd still love you too if you had no skin."

"Don't you worry, your royal blondeness," Eugene smiles at his girlfriend, gesturing to himself. "Eugene's got it covered. "I've entrusted Max here to seek out and deliver us to the most primo romantic spot around that's bound to get a few romantic bones in their bodies," He nudges the two teens, who look up at him slightly annoyed.

"Hey! I can be romantic," Varian protests to him, Max wiggling his eyebrows.

"You'll see," Eugene spins Rapunzel around. "We're talking dinner for four, the stars twinkling above, the works. Now, I'm not saying it'll top our crown-stealing, lantern-watching first date, but...I kinda am. Isn't that right, buddy?" He looks to Max, who winks at him. Butterflies fly around, one of them landing on the white lily in Harmony's hair.

"Yeah, but you also were on death row after the fact," Harmony murmurs to herself, but he heard it anyway.

"Oh, that's not fair," Eugene frowns towards her. "I was framed!"

She giggles in amusement. "Oh, you got something in your hair," Varian leans forward and gently holds out his finger. The butterfly instead flies onto his nose and he blinks at it.

"I hope that this will encourage them to have an official first date," Rapunzel whispers to Eugene. "The one with Andrew technically didn't count."

"What about her birthday?" Eugene raises a brow and she shakes her head. "Buying sweets from Attila?" Another shake of the head. "C-Come on, the flu I gave her? You're telling me that two teenagers who fell in love at first sight have _never _been on a first date? But we've been traveling for weeks!"

"Varian prefers his solitude, and she's been exploring every stop we've made like I have," Rapunzel shrugs at him. "And they've never really seemed to made an effort on planning one...but we have to help them have a date! I know that they want to."

Probably anyone couldn't fathom just how that's possible. They like sweets, science, animals...sure, their personalities may vary, but they still deserved to be together.

He thinks about it before shrugging. "Alright, but only because it's them."

She giggles happily.

* * *

Eugene is helping Rapunzel stand on his shoulders at an apple tree. "An apple tree? Seriously? That's the best you got?" Eugene hisses to the horse, sighing. "Should've asked the frog to come along. Even he'd come up with something better than this."

"It's okay, Eugene," Rapunzel plucks an apple, crawling to get back on her feet. "Planning a date is hard when you're in the middle of nowhere. No wonder why they haven't done it," She glances at the two teens nearby, who are still studying the scroll.

"Well, these obviously depict the Sundrop and the Moonstone..." Varian points between the two pictures. "But without the rest, it's hard to tell what exactly it says...I'd have to translate it back in Corona."

"Hopefully we find the rest of the pieces soon before you have to go back..." She murmurs, running a hand through her hair.

"We can just play it by ear," Rapunzel smiles up at him. "For both us and them."

"Well, anything is better than the horse plan," He smiles back. Max nickers, rolling his eyes in amusement. Eugene sees some blueberries nearby and remembers that the girl loves anything blueberry. He picks them and hands them to Varian. "Pst, kid. Give these to Brownie."

"Blue-"

"Aw, blueberries!" Harmony exclaims, taking one and eating it. "My favorite."

"W-Well, anything for you, Mona..." He blushes a bit and she smiles.

"Nice one," Rapunzel smirks up at Eugene. Distant chimes can be heard, causing them to look up. "Did you hear that?"

"You mean those out of place, mystical chimes in the middle of the forest? Yeah," Eugene replies back.

"Where are those coming from?" Harmony murmurs as the two stand up. They follow the noise, Rapunzel glancing around as they get closer and closer. Once they push away some bushes, they stumble upon a red, small caravan with a sign outside.

"Vigor the Visionary. See-er and know-er of all," Rapunzel reads it. "Wow! A real psychic!"

"That hack Fernanda should've been one," Harmony snorts at the sign.

"You don't like them?" Varian raises a brow.

"Oh, well...I've actually never met one," She glances away.

"Psychics are fun," The boy smiles a little. "I mean, it's interesting to hear about your future."

"Excuse me? A real psychic?" Eugene asks skeptically. He laughs as a woman suddenly appears behind them. "Oh no, no, no. There's no such-"

"Ahem!" The woman clears her throat, startling them.

"GAH! Holy quiet shoes!" Eugene recoils back from the woman.

"Greetings, travelers," She walks past them to the caravan. "My name is Madame Canardist. And inside this wagon is the world famous clairvoyant, Vigor the Visionary!" She rolls her r's. "He has predicted the fates of emperors, the future of pharaohs, the destinies of dynasties even! And he is offering a once-in-a-lifetime special...One fortune for a mere five silver pieces."

"Eugene, did you hear that?" Rapunzel asks excitedly while gripping her boyfriend's arm. "Emperors and pharaohs!?" She laughs as she stands behind him. "Okay! Well, uh, add princess to that list."

"Make that two!" Harmony smiles a little as Varian takes her hand and they step towards the entrance.

"Uh, guys, you don't actually believe in this psychic business, do you?" Eugene questions in disbelief. "I thought smart people like you two would walk all over this kind of stuff."

"We were turned into birds not too long ago. _Nothing _phases me anymore," Harmony closes her eyes, shaking her head.

"And we're just trying to 'have fun' like you wanted us to," Varian points out, crossing his arms.

"Well, I don't know if it's real, but what if it is? It's kinda fun to believe in stuff like this," Rapunzel looks around.

"Guys, when we said to have fun, we didn't mean-"

The door slams behind the four, interrupting Eugene. Madame Canardist appears behind them again out of nowhere. She holds up a brown sack. "Silver. His omniscience requires five pieces of silver. But, for the young couple, three."

"Three?!" Eugene screeches as Harmony beams, Varian paying for her. Rapunzel puts in five, the former thief grunting. She pushes past them, the man looking more and more annoyed by the second. Rapunzel leads him to the bead wall, Varian leading the girl over.

"Prepare to be astonished. He's telekinetic, he's telepathic, and he'll...tele-you-the-future!"

"Oh, man..." Eugene facepalms at the joke. Rapunzel elbows him and he reluctantly goes along with it.

"Please welcome the world's most prophetic prognosticator...Vigor the Visionary!" She moves away the bead curtain as a large shadow looms over a crystal ball. They slowly step up to the table, Madame Canardist ringing a gong. Candles from the table and the ceiling light up on their own, shocking them. Because the psychic...

Is a monkey wearing a turban and a diaper. He picks his ear and Rapunzel coos at it.

"Aw!"

"He's a monkey..." Eugene says slowly.

"A monkey psychic?" Harmony raises a brow.

"Well, weirder things have happened..." Varian glances at her. "This I gotta see."

"And he's adorable!" Rapunzel watches Vigor sniff his finger.

"Vigor..." The four take a seat across the monkey. "These people have come in search of your infinite guidance. If you are willing, blink twice."

He turns around to the four, blinking twice. Rapunzel gasps at him. "Did you see that?"

"Please! Vigor requires total silence as he contacts the regions beyond," Madame Canardist closes her eyes as the monkey places his hands on the orb. It hums and glows green as he chatters. The table starts shaking and he howls slightly. It gets more frequent, the windows flapping open and shut repeatedly. He then suddenly opens his eyes and everything stops. He chatters and Madame Canardist starts writing on slips of paper. "Uh huh. Got it. Vigor the Visionary has spoken!"

She hands the princesses the slips, and they open them.

"If you see someone fall, pick them up."

"Listen to your heart when it's calling for you," Harmony stares at her paper.

"Are you serious, monkey?" Eugene asks in disbelief as the two start to think. Vigor just growls, chewing at the orb. "Those are the most generic fortunes I have ever heard. Technically, they're not even fortunes. It's more like advice!" Rapunzel smiles awkwardly, dragging him away. Varian sighs at him, pinching his nose. "Or mottos. Or edicts."

"Okay! Thanks for the fortune, Vigor," Rapunzel calls out.

"It was nice meeting you," Varian waves sheepishly.

"Oo, oo, oo! Or credos! Stop me when you finally understand what I'm trying to tell you!"

"Eugene, let it go," Harmony warns him quietly.

* * *

"If you see someone fall, pick them up..." Rapunzel reads her fortune again.

"Listen to your heart when it's calling for you..." Varian eyes his girlfriend's paper.

"What do you think those mean?" Rapunzel looks up at Eugene as they're riding the horses back.

"Oh, I know what they mean. It means we just paid 8 silver pieces in total for a pilfering primate to hand you two phony fortunes!" Eugene exclaims, glaring.

"Well, so what?" Rapunzel shrugs at him. "Maybe it was all just a trick, but what if, what if, it wasn't?"

He rolls his eyes. "And, I'm surprised at you, Eugene. We have seen some really strange things together."

"And experienced strange things together," Harmony holds up a finger.

"Why are you being so cynical?"

Varian and Harmony start laughing towards him.

"Cynical? _Cynical_? Look, Blondie, I believe in some crazy stuff. You know that I do, right? Life-saving hair? Believe it. Magical rocks? Sure! Sword-fighting horses? Why not? Being the embodiment of the Moonstone that we know almost nothing about? Yes! Hermano caballo, you sign me up." Max nickers at him with an amused look. "But if there's one thing I do not believe in, it's fortune tellers. And if there's a second thing I do not believe in, it's fortune tellers that also happen to be monkeys."

"So you basically believe in everything but anything to do with these," Varian smirks, holding up the fortunes.

"Yes! They're all sleazy, underhanded, fly-by-night, dubious hucksters, and you know what? I'm gonna prove it."

"Eugene?" Harmony speaks up.

"Yeah Brownie?" He turns to her.

"You basically just described your old life."

His eyes widen as Silver turns back around. "...Good point...Max? Back to the wagon." Max neighs loudly, running past the others. Rapunzel sighs, knowing that there's no talking him out of this. Fidella slowly walks after them, Silver walking next to her. Rapunzel notices some lilies and unties her hair. She snatches some flowers with it and tosses them into the air. They land in Varian's hands, confusing him.

"Huh?"

"Oh, Vari...these are for me?" Harmony looks at them with a shocked expression. He smiles sheepishly, looking away.

"I...I guess I thought you would like them?" In truth, he had no idea what was going on. She takes them into her hands, sniffing them.

"They're lovely! Thank you." She leans forward and hugs the boy, causing him to smile down at her.

* * *

Madame Canardist bursts out of her caravan, crying. She continues to sob as she kneels, the four stumbling upon her state.

"Madame Canardist?" Rapunzel questions in concern. She rushes over to the woman. "Are you okay?"

"I never okay again! My Vigor has been taken. Thieves snatched him right out of his wagon." She cries into her hands.

"What?" Varian's eyes pop out of his head.

"But we were only gone for a few minutes! How could that happen?" Harmony looks to the others.

"It's gonna be alright. Don't worry," Rapunzel assures her. "The others and I will find the thieves that took Vigor, and we will bring him back."

"What?" Eugene calls out in protest immediately. "Oh, no, no, no. Come on! The last thing I wanna do is spend the one night we have to ourselves, chasing some monkey..." He looks towards the ground, seeing something. "Okay, we'll track down the monkey."

"I knew you would come around," Rapunzel smiles towards him.

"What made you change your mind?" Harmony tilts her head at the man.

"I wouldn't go that far, but I have a pretty good idea of who took him..." Eugene holds up the comb that he gave to a certain duo. Varian sighs upon seeing it.

"Man..."

* * *

Vigor is being led away by a swinging banana being held by a stick. "Lift it higher!" Angry tells Red. "If he gets this one, we're all out of bananas!"

They bump into four people, looking up to see Harmony, Eugene, Rapunzel, and Varian, three out of four not looking happy with them.

"Eugene! Princess Rapunzel! Varian! Princess Harmony! Uh, hi! Hey," She notices Varian and Harmony holding hands. "So you finally made a move, V? Majorly impressed."

"Don't change the subject," Harmony deadpans at her.

"Alright, Angry. Gimme the monkey," Eugene orders the girl.

Angry quickly pushes Vigor away. "What monkey?" The two smile innocently.

"Angry? Red?" Rapunzel hugs the two. "Oh! We've missed you!"

"We missed you, too! Especially Red," She nudges the red-haired girl. "She won't shut up about you or Harmony."

"You are so sweet!" Rapunzel clasps her hands with a big smile.

"Uh, have you forgotten what they did?" Varian gestures to the two, and she sees the looks from the others.

"Oh! Um...yeah, and so, so in trouble."

"Now, I thought the two of you saw the error of your ways," Eugene kneels to them. "And if you're going to steal, why steal this monkey?"

Vigor appears out of a bush with a small shriek. "And while I'm thinking about it, how could you leave my comb behind, yet you're still wearing the flowers that Brownie gave you? It's the first thing I ever stole-"

"And it's a shameful reminder of your criminal past," Angry snatches the comb from him. "We know. We haven't stolen anything since we left Corona."

Eugene raises a brow. "Honest!"

Red puts a hand to her heart, nodding. "But, we had no choice. This monkey holds a very important secret..." Vigor turns around and belches. "Red and me are walking through the forest, and this weird lady comes out of nowhere and says, 'Have you heard of this psychic? He can tell you your future and your past for one silver piece! It's a special one-time-only offer'."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, hang on. One silver piece? She charged us five, and Brownie and Goggles three!" Eugene suddenly exclaims. "She's a crook! And I'm oddly impressed."

"Eugene, let them continue," Harmony rolls her eyes.

"So then, this monkey comes out, and does a weird future-predicting dance. Then he gets this funny look on his face and grabs my necklace. The weird lady says, 'The necklace you're wearing has been in your family for a long time.' And I think, how does he know that this is the only thing I have left from my family? Then, she reads our fortune. 'Follow the leaf to find your tree.' Tree? Like, a family tree? Are you saying I have a family somewhere? I didn't even know my family existed. Then, she tells us, 'If it is your family you seek, Vigor can show you, but you gotta give the monkey more money.' When she finds out we're broke, she says, 'No money? No monkey.' So...we decided to borrow the monkey."

A butterfly flies past the animal. "Alright, look, I understand why you did what you did," Eugene kneels in front of them again. "But no matter what you call it, borrowing without permission is stealing. You have to bring him back."

"I get that this is important to you, but you did what you were trying to avoid," Harmony sighs slowly.

"No, no, no!" Angry rushes up to the monkey. "I can't bring him back now."

"Eugene, I know you want them to do the right thing. I do, too," Rapunzel whispers to everyone. "But, Angry and Red have been on their own for a long time. And if there's even the slightest chance that Vigor can lead them to a home, shouldn't we take it?"

"I was just like them when I was stuck in the castle. Alone, and having to take care of myself in my own room. How do you think I learned how to invent or do archery? I learned that all by myself. And they really want this," Harmony looks to the girls.

"And who knows? Maybe Vigor's help would change things around for them," Varian shrugs a little. Eugene turns around to see a glaring Red, meaning that she won't back down from this.

"There isn't a chance, but fine."

Angry gasps once she hears the sentence. She lifts her head up from the bush. "That said, you have to promise on Maximus' life that you will give Vigor back once the search is done, and he proves to be a phony. Oh, and one more thing," He leans in and whispers to the girls. "We're trying to get Brownie and Goggles to have an official first date, and with your stealth, we could use your help."

The two girls smile. "Is that clear, you two?" Rapunzel asks them.

They look to each other and smile in agreement. "Deal," Angry holds out her hand, but Vigor just sniffs Eugene's hand instead, causing him to recoil back in disgust.

"Monkey germs..."

"Okay, so now, all we've gotta do is figure out how to get Vigor to do his thing," Rapunzel smiles a little.

"Oh, that won't be too hard to figure out," Eugene digs into his pocket, tossing a coin into the air. "Hey, li'l fella," He holds out the coin to the monkey. "Where can we find Angry's family?"

The monkey jumps into the air, causing Rapunzel to gasp. "Look!"

"This should be good," Harmony smirks in amusement as he lands on a stump, laying out all of his cards. Eugene tosses him the coin and he catches it. He flips the cards around and holds up a card with a wheel on it.

"The Wheel of Fortune?" Angry stares at him in confusion.

"Not...the most helpful card," Varian looks at the other cards. And then Vigor eats the card.

"Why would he eat it?" Rapunzel cringes a bit.

"Well, it probably means his diet is deficient in fiber," Eugene states as Red opens up a map. Her eyes go wide as she tugs on Rapunzel's dress. She looks over to Red, who points to a city named Fortuna.

Rapunzel gasps as she kneels. "Red is right! There's a city named Fortuna not too far from here. That's what Wheel of Fortune meant! Fortune, Fortuna?"

"Come on!" Eugene comments derisively. "You got "Fortuna" out of "Wheel of Fortune?" That's a coincidence?"

"Is it a coincidence, Vigor?" Rapunzel runs up to the monkey. "Blink twice for yes, and once for no."

The five stare at him as he blinks once, and they all gasp. "Oh! Oh! What was that?" Rapunzel points at him. "Why, it looks like a single eye-blink. Is that a coincidence? Hmm?"

Eugene just sighs, rolling his eyes.

* * *

The three horses walk down the path. Eugene rides Max with Angry, while Rapunzel rides Fidella with Red, and Harmony and Varian continue to ride Silver.

"Hey, you two must be hungry," Rapunzel pokes her head between the two teenagers, startling them a little.

"What are you doing?" Harmony whispers to her, but she ignores it and holds up two cupcakes.

"Have some cupcakes!"

"Um, okay...?" Varian takes it into his hands, Harmony doing the same. Rapunzel ducks back down, the younger princess rolling her eyes. "Is she okay?"

"I don't know what she's up to," Harmony shakes her head, about to take a bite. Angry shoves her hand and the cupcake into her face. The teenage girl gasps sharply at Angry, who runs away laughing. "ANGRY! You got it all over..."

She wipes it off her face, Varian laughing a little. She looks at him and blushes slightly in embarrassment. Though she decides to not be embarrassed in favor of his laughter. She even laughs with him as she finds his laugh adorable.

"Here, have mine," Varian holds out his cupcake to her.

She shakes her head no. "No thanks, I feel like we might lose this one again," She sends a tiny glare to the black-haired girl.

He unwraps the cupcake quickly and took a small bite as she wipes her face with a cloth. Or, at least, he makes her think he took a bite because he actually cut it in half instead. He hands one half to her, causing her to smile warmly and take it in into her hands.

Rapunzel watches them enjoy the cupcake, smiling. "Nice one," She nudges Angry.

* * *

Rapunzel holds up a basket of flower petals to Angry and Red. "Pour these over Harmony and Varian."

"Are you sure that while taking this trip, we can set the mood?" Eugene raises a brow.

"Of course we can! They just need a little push. Wish we had Daisy or Owl, but we can handle this."

Harmony and Varian walk right underneath Angry and Red, who are being held up by Rapunzel's hair. They dump it over the two.

"Whoa!" Harmony exclaims as she watches the petals fall around them. "Did you do this, Vari?"

He shakes his head no. "No...you know, now that I think about it, weird stuff has been happening on this trip. And that tree doesn't have flower petals..." He looks up to see the girls. "Aha!"

"Alright, what's going on here?" Harmony places her hands on her hips towards her sister, who's smiling sheepishly. She should've picked a tree with flowers in it! "Why are you acting so weird, and why are the girls helping you?"

"Well...we just wanted to help you guys have a proper date," Eugene rubs the back of his neck.

"So you did all that stuff?" Harmony raises a brow.

"Well, yes and no. We just pushed him," Rapunzel gestures to Varian. "We just kind of helped him, but the rest was on his own."

Varian smiles bashfully, but then it turns into a small frown. "You guys, we were fine not doing that kind of stuff."

"I mean...I kind of liked it," Harmony murmurs to him and he blushes. "But you guys have to understand that whenever we _want _to have a first date, we'll do it on our own terms."

"But you two were only focusing on your own individual goals and not your relationship. It's okay to do something romantic," Eugene tells them. "I mean, you two are teenagers, live like teenagers!"

They glance to each other and smile. They started to see their points. The journey shouldn't just be spent on their missions. "Okay, we'll try on doing more romantic things if you guys try to not meddle in it, _Rapunzel_," Harmony gives her sister a look when she says the name, knowing fully well that she was the mastermind.

"Fair enough," She chuckles at the girl.

* * *

They finally arrive at Fortuna, which is foggy and basically quiet. It's almost as if something happened to the town. As they walk by, the people close their windows.

"This place gives me the creeps," Rapunzel whispers as she looks around.

"Eh, it's nothing to worry about. It's just a quiet, little town," Eugene replies with Vigor on his shoulder. Crying can be heard not too far away. "With sad, foreboding crying."

"Something happened here," Harmony looks around and the horses come to a stop, looking to a barrel, the lid shaking.

"Uhh...you guys see the shaking barrel too, right?" Varian glances at them. The crying continues and finally, an octopus lifts up the lid.

"Beware!"

They all scream at it, Vigor crawling up to a weathervane. "Okay. Psychic monkeys, and now we've got a talking octopus, I presume? Yeah, sure. That's—That's normal. Why not?"

"Ye scared the whole town, ye did!" A man lifts himself to reveal that he was the one talking, and not the octopus. "We thought you were...The Daylights!"

Rapunzel, Eugene, Harmony, and Varian get down from their horses. "What are the Daylights?" Rapunzel peeks behind Eugene's shoulders.

"The Daylight Thieves," A minstrel lifts his head up from a cart.

"Nasty crooks of the worst kind they be!" The man from the barrel exclaims.

"They stole my one-of-a-kind mahogany piccolo. And now, I have no instrument!" He starts crying, the man glancing away in sympathy.

"Twas a fine piccolo as piccolos be."

"It really was. It really was." The minstrel continues crying. "Alack! Alas! What is a minstrel without his trusty piccolo?" The four glance at each other. "Just a lonely man in fancy, ragged pantaloons."

"Beware the Daylight Thieves!"

"Beware! Beware!" They exclaim while sinking back into their hiding places.

"And, scene!" Eugene closes the lid on the barrel. Vigor starts hooting, getting their attention. They look up at the monkey, who swings around the weathervane a bit.

"Vigor says we need to go this way," Angry leads the way, the other two horses following Max. Eugene stares after them.

"Eugene, what is it?" Rapunzel places a hand on his shoulder.

"Look, Blondie, I'm just worried, that's all. I mean, what if we've come all this way, and she finds nothing?"

Rapunzel stands in front of him, smiling. "Don't worry." She pecks his lips. "Whatever happens, we'll be there for them."

"In the best way possible," Harmony adds in with a small grin. He smiles back, holding Rapunzel's hand. Vigor suddenly lands on top of him, causing the man to sigh wearily.

"Monkey..."

* * *

"I don't get it," Angry says in confusion once they've gotten past the town. "It should be here."

"It might be. I..." Rapunzel sighs, trying to let her vision see something, which was next to impossible. "Can't see a thing through this mist."

"Well, the end of the line is Snake Canyon, and that's kind of-"

Max whinnies, stopping everyone in their tracks. Up ahead is the aforementioned canyon, and seemingly not way to get across it.

"Hard to miss."

"Vigor, this is a dead end. What do we do now?" Rapunzel looks to the monkey.

He picks his ear, jumping towards Harmony's bag. "Hey!"

"Eugene, do you have another coin?" Rapunzel asks him.

"Oh no. I say we go back, return the monkey to the weird old lady, and call it a day. You hear that, Viggy? You're not getting one more shiny outta this guy, you got it?" He holds the silver coin in front of the monkey's face, who looks up from Harmony's bag.

"Why would he do that...? Wait a minute, I forgot! I have this!" She holds up a tiny fan, extending it with her hands to make it longer.

"What is it, sis?" Rapunzel looks at the object.

"Oh wait!" Angry opens up the fan. "It's a fan!"

Harmony waves it in front of them, moving away the mist to reveal a bridge. "A bridge!"

Eugene stammers in disbelief. "Anybody could've known that Brownie had a fan to get rid of the mist! Monkey see, monkey point!"

"But we didn't know. Vigor, however, did," Varian smirks, pointing to the monkey.

"Oh, Eugene. Remind me again," Rapunzel steps up to her boyfriend while holding Vigor's hand. " 'If there's one thing I don't believe in, it's fortune tellers'. But, what, ugh, what was that second thing that you don't believe in? Fortune tellers that are also, ugh, what again?" She points towards Vigor.

"Oh, whatever, I give up. Lead the way, monkey boy," Eugene sags his shoulders, Rapunzel clapping happily. Vigor holds out a coin, to which he groans at. He reluctantly hands the monkey another silver coin. "But let the record show that I follow only out of a sense of obligation to the group as a whole!"

"Yeah, sure, keep telling yourself that," Harmony snorts a little.

Harmony shudders as they walk onto the bridge. "Guys, I'm getting my bad feeling again. Something's wrong."

"You can do that?" Angry looks up at her.

"Ever since that whole craziness at Janis Point, yeah," She looks up ahead. "I don't know if you will find your family in there, but...are you sure you wanna do this?"

"...Are you sure you're not wrong?" She stares up at Harmony, a bit doubtful.

"She's never been wrong before," Rapunzel places a hand on her back.

"Every time she's sensed stuff like this, it ends up coming true," Eugene tells her.

"Because of the Moonstone...she can detect evil or wrong intentions," Varian glances at the girl. "And if something's telling her that evil is up ahead...then we believe her."

"...I still wanna go in. I need to see them," Angry declares, getting hesitant looks from the four.

"Okay...but if you want to, you two can hold my hands."

The two nod, holding the girl's hands in slight fear.

They reach the end of the bridge, where a house rests in front of a big tree. A sign creaks as it swings back and forth. Angry runs up to the sign, gasping. She sees a woman walking around inside. "Look! There's people inside!"

"Look, I know you're excited, but let's play it cool. Okay? Remember Brownie's warning. And seeing you will probably be a shock to them, so we should do the talking first," He gestures to himself and the other three.

Rapunzel opens up the door, beaming. "Mom! It's me!" Angry runs up to the woman, hugging her. "Your daughter!"

She stares down at the little girl in surprise. "I know you weren't expecting this, but Vigor told us to follow this leaf symbol on the necklace you left me with to the tree, and we weren't sure if we would find anything, but we did and now we can be together forever!" The woman looks up in shock to the others.

"Uh, this is Vigor, and what she's saying here is, you are her long-lost family and she's come to live with you," Eugene chuckles a bit awkwardly. "So...congrats!"

The woman looks down at Angry, seeing her soft smile. She bends down to the girl. "Finally! After all these years!" She holds Angry's cheeks, the girl beaming. "William, our...our little girl has come home!"

A man peeks into the room. "What was that, Petunia?"

He sees the girl, smiling. "I thought we would never see you again. Thank goodness you're home." He pulls them into a group hug, the four smiling. However...Harmony still thinks that something's wrong, and it has to do with something in the house. This is where it's most strongest, after all...

"Wait. You gotta take Red, too," Angry looks over her shoulder to the girl. "We're a package deal."

"Oh, of course she's welcome," William holds out an arm and Red smiles. She comes out of hiding behind Eugene and Angry holds out a hand. Red runs up to them and joins in on the family hug. Eugene has a worried look on his face as the black-haired girl looks over to them.

"Thank you," She whispers to the five. Eugene takes Vigor into his hands, Harmony and Varian waving to them. Eugene slowly closes the door, still concerned about the whole thing.

"I understand you had your doubts about Vigor, Eugene," Rapunzel speaks up as they start going down the bridge. "But, he did lead us all the way here. And just look how happy the girls are."

"I, uh...I-I dunno, Rapunzel. I just can't help but feel that your sister is right," He looks up ahead to Harmony, who's frowning with crossed arms.

"But what if her feelings were wrong?" Rapunzel asks him. "What if this one time, it sensed nothing? What if for once, it was because of a good thing?"

"I'm not sure..." Varian looks over to the two. "Why would her sixth sense steer her wrong? It doesn't just pick and choose, it _only_ senses real bad intentions or evil."

"Every time I sensed this, I was never wrong," Harmony shakes her head slowly, turning around to stop them. "I'm not making this up, _something _is wrong...Those two aren't what they seem." She points towards the house. "Don't you remember my fortune? Listen to your heart when it's calling for you. And my heart is telling me that they're_ not_ Angry's family."

"Maybe we should go back," Eugene agrees with them. A toot startles them and they look downwards to see Vigor playing a piccolo, and not just any ordinary one.

"Where'd you get that, huh?" Harmony asks him, hands on her knees.

"Vigor, did you take that whistle from their house?" Rapunzel questions slowly.

"Blondie...that's no whistle. That's...a piccolo," Eugene cringes towards her and they remember what the minstrel said back in Fortuna.

"A _mahogany_ piccolo," Rapunzel murmurs slowly.

"Oh no..." Harmony whispers in slight fear.

"Step on it, guys!" Varian tells the horses as they run back down the bridge.

"Faster, everyone! The girls are in big trouble!" Eugene urges, and then they see William at the end of the bridge. Harmony squints and sees an ax in his hands. Her mouth drops open in a sharp gasp and she waves a hand, trying to knock the ax out of his hands. He keeps a tight grip on it and cuts off a rope, sending all of them flying towards the ground below. "Whoa! RAPUNZEEEEL!"

"Eugene!" She cries out as they disappear into the fog.

"Mona!" Varian screams as they fall.

"Vari!"

* * *

Angry and Red smile towards each other, holding hands. Petunia approaches them slowly, no longer having a kind expression on her face.

"Making yourselves at home?" She laughs a little, confusing them. "I wouldn't."

William opens up the door, having returned from what he's done. "They won't be coming back."

"Good. Now that we're alone, we can be completely honest. We aren't your family, and this isn't our house. It's our hideout. We're..."

"The Daylight Thieves," Angry narrows her eyes at them. "I don't get it," She gets onto her feet. "Why take us in if you don't want us?"

"And turn away our long lost child?" Petunia gestures to herself. "Coulda given us away. Not worth losing our hideout. Was better safe than sorry."

William laughs evilly, stepping forward. "Yeah! And now that we're safe, you're gonna be real sorry. Just like your friends..." The two surround the girls.

* * *

Varian and Rapunzel are laying down on top of rock, eyes closed. The fall had knocked them unconscious. Max, Fidella, and Silver look over the edge. Max whinnies to them, getting their attention. The two slowly open their eyes.

"Eugene!"

"Mona!" Varian quickly gets onto his feet, looking over the edge. "They're over here!"

"Don't worry, we're coming!" Rapunzel hollers to the two. Eugene is hanging onto a swinging rope, hugging the girl with one arm.

"No! No, no, stay where you are. We'll find a way up."

"Mona, you guys okay?" Varian shouts, looking a bit worried.

"Yeah, we're okay!" She calls out, Vigor landing on Eugene's head, causing Eugene to lose his grip. They scream as they stumble down the wall, Harmony creating some moonlight orbs below them. They suddenly catch the two in place, leaving them floating over the ground slightly.

"Nice," Eugene smiles a little. "Of course, this would be a bit easier if I could see my hand in front of my face," Harmony stops the orbs and leaves them landing safely. Eugene stands up, the girl dusting herself off, giggling towards her brother figure. Vigor is hugging his head. "Or without a monkey on my head!"

He moves away Vigor's legs and arms.

"Brownie, can you get us back up there?" He asks curiously and she looks up at the significant amount of height between them and the cliff.

"Judging by only eyeballing it, this wall is at least 2,000 feet tall. That's too high for me to create a black rock or for me to float up there without getting exhausted. It'll drain me before we even get halfway up there."

Vigor shrieks as hissing is heard, and they look to see black snakes. Eugene steps back slowly. "Snak-snakes! Oh boy...This place is called Snake Canyon. Of course because snakes! That's why you're afraid right now, got it?"

"A frying pan would've been useful right about now...man, we just had to leave our weapons and gear behind," Harmony pouts a little, cringing as she hops backwards a bit, kind of doing a little dance. "And be careful, because these snakes are poisonous!"

"Guys! Guys!" Rapunzel calls out for them.

"What do we do?" Varian frowns towards her. "I don't have any of my equipment."

"I don't know…but I promise I'll get them back."

He clamps his mouth shut at her words. She broke her last promise to him… but this was their lives at stake down there. He had no choice but to trust her for the time being.

"So! How do we get outta here?"

Vigor looks around and sees the vines on the wall. He hoots as he starts climbing. "Right! Smart! Be a monkey," Eugene climbs after him, Harmony following closeby. "Alright, ignore the snakes, Fitzherbert. Ignore the snakes."

He can still hear the hissing down below. "They're just really long, gross turtles without shells or legs! That's all!"

They crawl after the two, Harmony sweating a little. "I really hate this right now..."

Eugene accidentally grabs a snake, which hisses at him. He lets go and Harmony turns back to him in horror.

"Eugene!"

He screams as he's nearing the ground, bracing himself. He's suddenly stopped in mid-air, seeing Rapunzel hanging onto him. Harmony is holding onto her hair from above their hands. Max is being used as a pulley, Fidella and Varian walking backwards with hair in hold.

"I thought I told you to stay up there."

"Yes, but if you see someone fall..."

"Pick 'em up. Yeah, yeah, I know," Eugene finishes for her.

"I guess both of our fortunes really did come true today," Harmony smiles at the two. Vigor chatters as they get to the edge. Harmony steps off first, Varian rushing over and hugging her.

"Mona!"

"Vari," She smiles, hugging him back. Varian smiles gratefully to Rapunzel and she returns it. Then Harmony ooks up towards Rapunzel and Eugene.

"We gotta hurry back."

* * *

They rush back into the house, Eugene kicking the door open. "You let those little girls..." They're surprised to see Petunia and William tied up on the floor. "Go?"

Red sits on top of them. "Oh, man, I love those girls!"

"Red!" Harmony hugs her in relief. "Oh, are you okay? These lying jerks didn't hurt you, did they?"

She shakes her head no, and they notice that someone isn't with them. "Where's Angry?" Rapunzel asks next.

The girl gives a sad look, looking towards the window. They follow her direction to see Angry standing outside alone. The four walk up to the window in sympathy. The girls and Varian rush outside to comfort her, pulling her into a hug. Eugene gives a sad look.

He wishes that for once, him and Harmony were both wrong...

"I-I shoulda known better," Angry releases the trio. "I don't know why I believed that stupid monkey. Guess I just wanted to believe I had a family so bad, that I fooled myself."

Eugene bends down to the ripped fortune that Angry teared out of anger. Rapunzel takes them into her hands, handing them to Eugene.

"Follow the leaf to find your tree. Hey...did you know that when I found Rapunzel, I was looking for a crown? And when Rapunzel found me, she was chasing lights in the sky," He chuckles at her as she smiles. "That's what we thought would bring us happiness. That's weird, right?"

"Or the fact that I just wanted to help Vari with his father...that he turned to anger and revenge?" Harmony lightly touches the element necklace he gave her at the science expo. "Despite that I have these evil powers and that he did regrettable things..." Varian takes a hold of her hand. "We wanted to just focus on those because we thought that was more important."

"So? Why are you telling me this?" Angry turns around, frowning towards the ground.

"Well, because you thought finding your tree would bring you to your family. But, who's by your side right now, when you're feeling your lowest?" Eugene takes Rapunzel's hand and she glances at the four. She looks up towards Red. "You have a family in Red." The girl slowly smiles. "And if the journey helps you realize that, then following the leaf helped you find your tree."

"Anyone would be lucky to have you two as family," Harmony smiles at them.

Angry tears up, placing her leaf necklace over Red's neck. "So I don't forget who my family is." She hugs Red, who gasps and returns it, humming slightly. The others look on with a smile. "Princess Harmony?"

"Hm?" Harmony blinks at being addressed.

"Did you mean what you said?"

"Of course," The girl smiles brightly. "Not really something I'd make up."

"Then...will you be our mom?"

The four's mouths go wide open as Harmony looks to the two. "Oh wow, um..."

"We really like you," Angry steps forward. "You comfort us, you make us laugh, and show us that we can be more as thieves. And you're really nice too. Don't you like us back?"

"Girls...of course I do, and I'm flattered," Harmony places a bang behind her ear. "And honestly shocked that you would pick me. But...I-I'm on a journey to figure out where my black rocks are taking us, and what exactly my powers mean for me. It's dangerous, and...I'm not sure I'm old enough right now to take care of you."

"It doesn't have to be right now," Angry gives her a pleading look. "What about after you come back home? Please? We won't be too much trouble."

Red nods in agreement, grasping Harmony's hand. The girl notices their hopeful looks and sighs a bit.

"Well...I...I'll think about it. How about by the time I come back, and that you two have fully turned around...we'll see what happens?"

"Really?" Angry beams a bit towards her. "You'll really consider it?"

"Yes," She chuckles, getting hugs from the girls.

* * *

Madame Canardist sits outside the caravan sadly, when suddenly Vigor lands on her head. "Vigor!" She laughs happily as the six return.

"We're real sorry we took your monkey," Red tells the woman.

"Did he show you what you needed to find?"

"Yeah, he did," Angry smiles towards Red and Harmony.

"Then...that'll be five silver pieces!"

The four just laugh as she's holding out her hand. "That's a good one."

However, by the look of her face, she's not joking. "Oh, you're serious. Yes, you are. Alright, you heard the lady, girls. Looks like you're gonna have to figure out some way to pay." Both girls have disappeared from view, Silver holding a note towards Harmony. She takes it into her hands, opening up the scroll to see a drawing of Angry and Red holding hands with the girl, all of them smiling.

"Man, I hate it when they do that." Eugene reluctantly hands over the five coins, Vigor grunting towards him.

"I can't believe they look up to you as a mom, that's really sweet," Rapunzel smiles at her sister.

"Well, they need someone to look up to," Harmony states, Varian helping her sit on Silver's saddle. He jumps on behind her, kissing her cheek. "Maybe when we get back home, I'll have a proper answer for them..."

Eugene looks behind him as they start to leave. "So, Vigor made a believer out of you?" Rapunzel smiles teasingly.

"Well, I wouldn't go that far," Eugene states smugly, looking back to Vigor. The monkey turns around and stares at him weirdly.

"Ha!"

Max comes to a stop, the other horses coming back. "What are you looking at?"

"What is it?" Varian raises a brow.

Vigor continues to stare until he lands on the lady's shoulders. "Just looking forward to getting back to our double date."

"And, what do you predict we'll do?"

"Hmm...the spirits tell me...whatever it is, it'll be free!"

"Free?" Rapunzel asks in confusion.

"Yes because that lady and her cheeky monkey took all our cash."

"Relax, we'll pay," Harmony rolls her eyes in amusement. "…So, you and my sister, huh?"

"Yeah…she actually kept a promise for me," He smiles softly and then stays silent.

"Vari… I know that you and Rapunzel had been strained, but it wasn't her fault for what happened. She had to make a lot of difficult choices…I did too the day you kidnapped my mother…"

He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. "… I know…but I'm just glad that I can be trusted again…one step at a time."

"We also have to pay for dinner…I'm starving," Harmony looks at her growling stomach.

"Oh, looks like you're not denying it's a date anymore, are you?" Rapunzel smirks at the two as she rides up to them.

"If you mean we're going to stop looking at the scroll pieces for today, then yes," Varian hugs Harmony from behind.

"But we're not doing any more of your meddling," Harmony gives the other couple a look.

"Will you at least answer some of my questions?" Rapunzel smiles widely. "You two are just so cute together!"

They both sigh at the same time slowly. They were never going to escape this, were they...?

**Angel: Before I get a mob, let me just say that I know Lance adopts the girls in Plus est en Vous at this point. I watched the entire special literally an hour after it aired on TV March 1****st**** from Youtube. But I didn't know that fact until after the show ended. And this episode was written/proofread long before I saw the special. By the time it came out, I already had Harmony taking in the girls when she gets back set up...^^' But then again, this is a different universe... **


	34. Keeper of the Spire

**Angel: Well...still out of a job, but I did get some money out of this stupid virus. Because I paid for campus services in my tuition, and the school closed, they gave me a refund! I haven't gotten that far along into the last season, only because I've been trying to do all my schoolwork before my Spring Break next week. Hopefully I'll catch up during that time.**

It's a late night as Shorty is leaning against the caravan, snoring. "They've been at it for a while," Eugene whispers to Lance, Cass, and Varian. "What could they be talking about?"

"Shh!" Cass shushes him out of annoyance. "I'm trying to eavesdrop!"

"You know I can read lips, right?" Lance asks from the window. "Follow your dust to me."

"Um, no, I don't think that's what Adira said," Varian looks up at him. They're watching the princesses talk to Adira as the princesses, Eugene, and Varian are back in their new outfits.

"Follow our destinies?" Rapunzel stares at one scroll piece, with the Sundrop Flower, and Harmony has the other one with the black rocks depicted. "How is this supposed to tell us our destinies if I can't read it?"

"Not to mention, it's hard to translate, and we don't even have all the pieces," Harmony waves the second paper.

"Find your next scroll piece at the Spire," She points up ahead. "And the Keeper will take you to it."

"The Spire?" Harmony gasps sharply at the name. "I've heard of the Spire! They keep a lot of magical objects, scrolls, and weapons, I've read all about it. You really think the piece will be there, Adira?"

"I know so," She nods with a small smile towards the girl.

* * *

The next morning, they're walking up the path.

"Hey, Harmony, can you ask Varian this?" Lance leans in and whispers the question into Harmony's ear.

"Why?" She raises a brow.

"Because it's a prank! Kids love pranks!"

"We're not kids, but I'll do it if you keep out of my silver coins and stop using them in the markets that we visit," She crosses her arms.

"Deal!"

"Hey Vari," She steps up to him. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

"No...?" He raises a brow in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"You know," She stares at him with a foreboding look, to test him.

"No? What's wrong?" He's getting a little worried now as it looks like from his perspective, he's in trouble.

"Just tell me, Vari."

"Tell you what?!" He asks incredibly. There is literally nothing he's hiding from her.

"...I'm sorry, Lance made me do it," She tells him and he sighs in relief. The girl hugs him gently.

"You just gave my boyfriend a heart attack!" Harmony frowns deeply towards Lance. "Shame on you."

"We made it!" Rapunzel announces and they stop in front of a house.

"Is this it?" Eugene whispers to her. "The Keeper's place?"

"Let's find out," She smiles, stepping forward.

"Stay together," Cass tells the others, following after the blonde.

"Well, we are on a narrow, elevated road, so I'm not seeing too many other options," Eugene retorts back.

"Psh. I got this," Harmony cracks her fingers, slowly waving her hands in the air. A straight, balanced path appears in front of them.

"Yup. This is way better," Eugene smiles and they reach the door a few minutes later. A crow lands nearby.

"It's too quiet. I don't like it," Cass grits her teeth. A loud roar is suddenly heard, but they can't tell where it's coming from.

"What is that?!" Lance screeches as they look up.

"Hang in there, buddy," Rapunzel assures Pascal, who hides in her hair.

"I don't know what that was, but whatever it is, it's gone now. I sensed it only for a few seconds," Harmony tells the others and Rapunzel slowly walks up to the door. She knocks twice and to her surprised, they're not even locked.

"Uh, hello?" Moths fly out of the doors, causing her to shriek.

Lance yelps as he recoils back. "Bugs! Moths!"

Rapunzel gets back onto her feet, about to storm in when a dust cloud seeps outside. A small woman steps out, covering her eyes with her sleeve.

"H-Hi," Rapunzel stammers, gesturing to herself. "Um, my name is Rapunzel."

"Um, and I'm Lance," Lance stutters next, getting shushed by Cass.

"This is my little sister Harmony. And we are looking for the-"

"Keeper of the Spire?" The woman interrupts dramatically. "Look no further! _I _am the Keeper-" She suddenly starts choking as she coughs, a moth flying out of her mouth. "Swallowed a moth. Again." She clears her throat once she's finished. "Let me start over." She walks down the steps and shuffles over to them. "_I_ am the Keeper of the Spire! But you can call me...Calliope."

They all stare at her, not sure what to think. They thought the Keeper would be...

Taller, for one. And not so off-putting like a few seconds ago. "Not what I expected, but okay," Eugene shrugs lightly, still a bit surprised.

* * *

Rapunzel stares at a small iron statue of Zhan Tiri kept underneath glass. "So, what can the Keeper do for you?" Calliope asks them.

"Actually, you see, we heard you might be able to help us," Rapunzel starts off.

"As Keeper of the Spire, I have been entrusted wardship over the Spire's artifacts." Lance holds a pair of goggles in his hands. She notices him holding the pair and snatches them back, putting them back on the mantle. "It is my sworn duty to prevent these items from falling into the wrong hands. And to protect them from the outside world." She caresses a purple orb. "Or in some cases, protect the outside world from them!"

"Good thing I left Ruddiger with Hook Foot, then," Varian whispers to Harmony. "He's always trying to get his hands on something. And I'd hate to damage any of these amazing artifacts!"

"So I'm kinda prestigious," Calliope wiggles a brow, smiling widely.

"Oh! Wow," Rapunzel replies awkwardly. "That is impressive. So we heard you could help us get the third piece of a scroll."

Calliope clears her throat as the sisters dig through their bags. "Which scroll? There's the Scroll of Danbury, uh, the Pavel Scroll, the Scroll of Tannengier—which isn't technically a scroll, more of a brochure."

"So cool!" Varian pumps his fists and Harmony smiles at him in amusement.

"Oh! This one," Rapunzel holds up the first piece while her sister holds up the second piece.

"We don't actually know the name of it," Harmony cringes a little.

"Oh, ho, ho, ho! That scroll. That's in the Spire's Vault."

"Great!" Rapunzel beams a little. "So where is the Spire's vault?"

"Spire," Calliope repeats slowly.

"Excuse me?"

"It's pronounced 'spire.' It comes from Spyra. It's Latin, which is another language that I actually speak," Calliope laughs at her supposed knowledge.

"Actually, that's where you're wrong," Harmony speaks up, getting Calliope's attention. "It comes from the German word 'Spier,' and Spyra is not even Latin."

"The word Spyra doesn't exist," Varian crosses his arms at her.

"No, it does! You don't know what you're talking about," She huffs towards them.

"They're the smartest people we know," Rapunzel gestures to the two. "They wouldn't lie about that kind of inconsistency."

"I don't know if that was a slip-up, or if you're not really who you say you are," Harmony narrows her eyes. "A real Keeper would know where the word comes from in actuality."

"It...was a slip-up! Slip-up...of course I knew about it, that's why I noticed it and you didn't. And why I don't have an ugly duckling like you do."

Harmony gasps sharply, Daisy turning red as she dives straight for Calliope, but Varian catches her before she'd do anything she might regret. All of them glare towards her.

"Well, got it on the word pronunciation," Rapunzel points at Calliope. "Where is the 'Spire's' Vault?"

"No, no, no. Spy-err! Do you hear the difference?"

"Spy-your," Rapunzel stares at her, a bit annoyed now. Did it really matter?

"Spy-err," Calliope elaborates on the r.

"Spy-your," The blonde tries again.

"Like this!" She takes a hold of Rapunzel's cheeks. "Spy-your! Spy-your!"

"That's what she said," Harmony stares at her as Cass pushes them away, fed up with the word now.

"Do you have the scroll or not?" She grips Calliope's collar.

"Cass! Please!" Rapunzel holds her back.

"We told you that you shouldn't do that to people who are trying to help!" Harmony hisses, gesturing to Calliope.

"Don't be alarmed, she did it to me too when I first met them," Varian jerks a thumb to Cass.

"No, I get it," Calliope dusts herself off. "Moms can be impatient."

"Mom?!" Cass exclaims in disbelief, Eugene snickering a little. "I'm four years older than Rapunzel and 8 years older than her!" She points to Harmony.

"Oh. I saw the crow's feet, and I just assumed."

Lance laughs out loud, Harmony pointing her arrow at him. He turns it into a cough instead and she places her equipment back in the quiver. "S-Swallowed a moth."

"At least your head isn't as weird as his. Or your hair as moppy as his," She points to Varian, getting wide-eyed looks from both of them as she starts walking. "Hey, slowpokes, let's go!" She chokes, coughing again. "Another moth! I'm fine! Nobody worry!"

"Oh, we weren't worried that time," Varian deadpans towards her.

"Oh, come on. I know she's a bit...out there, but your hair isn't moppy. Besides, she knows where the scroll piece is," Harmony touches a strand of his hair. "I like your hair."

"Thanks, Mona," He smiles at her.

Calliope clears her throat as she steps into a room full of books. "This is the library! And yes, I've read all these books, if you're wondering. I just have to grab the Vault's map. The Spire's Vault holds hundreds of the rarest, most abstruse artifacts from all over the globe."

"Amazing..." Varian murmurs at the information. Calliope gasps as she jumps over the table.

"I noticed you were eyeing my linking rings," She walks up to two rings linked together. "I am something of a master illusionist!" She holds up the rings over her head, spinning them around. She slams them onto the ground, and they disappear. "Ta-da!" However, they can clearly see a ring sticking out from her left sleeve.

Rapunzel slowly claps, feeling a bit awkward.

"Uh, no," Eugene shakes his head.

"Thank you! Did I hear someone say encore?" She pulls out handkerchiefs from her outfit.

"You most certainly did not," Cass retorts to her.

"Cass! It's just one more trick," Rapunzel cringes a little. "What's the harm?" Rapunzel nods at Calliope for encouragement.

The candle wax slowly disappears and birds fly away from Calliope. Lance, Harmony, and Varian have fallen asleep at this point. The girl is nuzzling her shoulder with her cheek as his chin is on top of her hair, holding her hand.

"Behold! The magic of flight! Yes! And now, for my next trick-"

"NO! No more tricks!" Eugene exclaims at her, waking up the couple nearby. Harmony rubs her eyes as Calliope frowns towards the man. "Uh...no more tricks, because these tricks blew my mind." He laughs, going over to Lance. "We need some time to process all the spectacle and wonderment." He grabs Rapunzel's left arm.

"Yes! Yes, in fact, Rapunzel, would you care to join us in processing?" Both she and Eugene are smiling widely to hide their ire. "Outside? Now!"

She looks between the two, frowning a little.

"Make her give us the scroll, and let's get out of here," Cass states angrily once they're outside. "She's the most annoying person I've ever met, and look who I am friends with!" She jerks a thumb to Lance, who stole the goggles from the room.

"Wait, we're friends?"

"Go put that back. I don't care how annoying Calliope is, but I'm not earning a lecture from her because of you!" Harmony points up at him and he reluctantly goes back inside.

"I don't know how she's the Keeper of the Spire," Varian pinches his nose. "I mean, she pulled a quarter out of my ear five times already, and she didn't even pull it off correctly!"

"Cassandra, relax. Now, I know Calliope is insanely irritating, but we're talking about Rapunzel here. She doesn't even know how to get annoyed with people. I mean, look at that—Oh, no, she's annoying you, isn't she?" Eugene asks this because Rapunzel is twitching an eye.

"No!"

She looks to Pascal, who looks at her skeptically. She then turns to Daisy, who crosses her wings. "No, she's not annoying, she's just different. Besides, doesn't matter what I think, she's gonna give us the scroll soon and we will be on our way."

"I hope so, because we don't have time to waste on getting back on the black rocks' path," Harmony places her hands on her hips.

"Okay! We're all set!" Calliope calls out from her window. "I can get you that third piece."

"Great!" They watch her eat an apple. "So, where's the-"

"Well, bonsoir!" She waves to the six, confusing them.

"Wait, what?"

"It's French," She elaborates, looking back out the window. "It means, I'm off to bed."

"Yeah, we know what French is," Varian calls out. "And that's not entirely accurate on the translation!"

"But I thought we were gonna get the scroll from the vault."

"You know, like we came here to do?" Harmony gestures to everyone. "We walked all the way up here in early morning!"

"Oh, no, silly girls! It's all the way on top of a mountain, in a vault called the Spire."

"Why didn't you tell us that earlier?!" The younger princess screeches at her.

"But then, we'll-"

"It's a full day climb. I'll need a good night's rest before I take that on. Hence, bonsoir," She reaches out a hand to the door.

"No, we really weren't expecting to-" She shuts the door instead of listening.

"...We just spent an entire day wasted on watching her tricks when we could've been heading to the Spire," Varian blinks slowly. He takes a deep breath to calm himself down.

"Hmm, okay! So I guess we'll just camp out here! Without a caravan or a tent," Rapunzel replies slowly.

"Maybe she has extra room to spare..." Harmony jiggles at the handle, narrowing her eyes. "Annnd It's locked."

"Still don't think she's annoying?" Eugene asks Rapunzel and then thunder claps, rain pouring down on them. "How 'bout now?"

"Don't worry, I have a portable rain-proof tent in my bag," Harmony digs into her satchel. "It's my new Port-a-tent!"

"And I can make us some food," Varian smiles at everyone. "Cooking's just like science."

"We're saved!" Lance hugs the two into a bear hug. Harmony flicks the tent into the open and it pops out, big enough to fit all of them as it lands on the straight path she made earlier. Lance rushes inside first to see several sleeping bags, and a fire pit. The others follow soon after to avoid the rain.

"Oh, thank you, guys," Rapunzel tells the two gratefully. "It's really nice of you to share your tent and cook us dinner."

"Well, you guys are always taking care of us," Varian starts off as Harmony bends down to the fire pit.

"We figured we'd return the favor," She turns around to her sister, holding up a magnifying glass. "Hair."

Rapunzel unties her wet hair, squeezing it dry. Varian gets some spare ingredients from the corner to cook with as Harmony holds Rapunzel's hair in front of the magnifying glass. She then holds it up to the fire pit, with firewood already set up. The hair glows and from the glow, it shines onto the glass, igniting a small, but effective fire.

"Impressive! How'd you do that?" Rapunzel asks in awe.

"Sunlight, with the right amount of light, can make a fire with a magnifying glass," Harmony holds it up. "Eugene taught it to me."

"That's my girl!" Eugene points to her.

"Okay, in just a few minutes, dinner will be served," Varian states while cooking over the fire.

"It's better than sleeping in the rain with no support," Cass glares towards the house.

"Sleep it over, Cass. I'm sure we'll be enduring a lot more Calliope than we'd like to in the morning..." Harmony rolls her eyes.

* * *

"Come on, come on, come on, come on!" Calliope urges the group early next morning. "Like this! Left, right, left, right! Left, right! If we're gonna get to the top of that Spire, we have to pick up the pace!" She claps her hands towards them, pointing up the steps. "Let's go!"

They're already exhausted because they have to walk up a lot of steps. "We're burning daylight, people!"

Eugene and Lance groan towards her, Cass annoyed. "You guys go ahead. I'm-I'm gonna stay here for a while," Lance drags his hands down his face.

"Come on, guys!" Rapunzel encourages them. "It's a new day! Let's give Calliope a chance."

"Let's go, maggots!" She calls out towards them. The blonde chuckles awkwardly, waving them forward. She grumbles under her breath.

"You know, it's ironic that we came to her for the scroll, and yet she's treating us like dirt," Varian whispers to Harmony, who nods towards her sister.

"I've never seen Rapunzel so annoyed in the year I've known her."

"I'll go talk to her," Eugene catches up to his girlfriend. "Listen, Blondie, why don't you hang in the back of the group? Let Cass and me be your irritation buffer. We've got more experience being annoyed with people."

"I have experience being annoyed with you," She quips back, walking past the two. Eugene glares towards her as Varian and Harmony join them.

"I'm kind of worried you might not be able to handle her," Harmony stares up at her in concern. "I mean, you've never met anyone like her before."

"For the last time, I'm not annoyed with her! I'm just...getting to know her. 'Cause I'm sure behind her eccentric, somewhat pretentious, clearly inconsiderate know-it-all, and thinks she's so much better than everybody else exterior, there has to be some shred of human decency, right?" She grits her teeth as she walks past everyone. "But I am not annoyed with her," She smiles towards everyone, but it's strained.

"Hold up, hold up. Hold up, princess," Lance calls out, getting her attention. "I think I got something that just might help. This is Socky," He holds up a hacky sack with a smiley face on it. "My stress reliever. Whenever I feel pressure, I just squeeze old Socky, and woop! Cool as a cucumber."

"Does it really work?" She asks skeptically while holding it in her hands.

"It's why you see this free and easy spirit standing before you today," He gestures to himself.

"Well, thank you, Lance, but, uh, I don't think I'm gonna need this."

"Where's my hustle, people?!" Calliope shouts rather rudely towards them. Cass and Lance reluctantly continue walking.

"I think you might need it," Eugene pats her shoulder in sympathy.

"Don't worry, we'll stay with you," Harmony pats her back. "Luckily for us, distractions help us relieve our stress...and we're gonna need that..."

"Oh yeah..." Varian murmurs in agreement. Rapunzel squeezes Socky as she walks behind the group, a glare on her face.

* * *

"You'll notice this path of—Keep up, people!"

Harmony grunts, but continues to pet Daisy, feeding her some food. "Of indigneous rocks was created by the..."

A low growl comes from the bushes, causing Harmony to whip around. "Huh?!"

"What is it, Brownie?" Eugene raises a brow towards her, everyone stopping to look at her.

"It's that feeling again. The same one I had when we heard that growl yesterday," She's looking right at the bushes, where the creature disappeared.

"You probably just sensed another moth," Calliope snorts, clapping her hands. "Alright, let's keep-"

"Hold on," Cass interrupts her, looking towards Harmony in the eye. "Are you sure it's the same creature?"

She turns around and nods sharply. "I know we have to keep going, but keep a look-out, everyone."

"It's nothing to worry about!" Calliope waves it off, walking forward. "I'm sure she gets stuff like this wrong all the time, while I never do."

Harmony growls towards the woman, taking a deep breath.

_Remember, Harmony...she's the only person who can lead you all to the Spire's Vault. Just be patient...very patient._

Rapunzel hacks away some leaves with Cass' sword. Calliope groans, pushing past Cass. "Here. You're doing it wrong," She accidentally tosses the weapon over the edge.

"My sword!" Cass calls out, hearing the thud. She growls towards Calliope, the teens tensing up. Like with her other weapons, she's very protective of her sword.

"Rapunzel's palm sweat made it slippery," Calliope accuses the princess.

"That's ridiculous," Varian crosses his arms.

"Nice job, Rapunzel," She waves it off. Rapunzel squeezes her eyes shut, squeezing Socky again.

* * *

Then they climb up a wall with Rapunzel's hair, who has to be in the back to help everyone up. Eugene slips a bit.

"HEY! Watch it up there, you ding dongs!" Calliope shouts towards the others. Varian looks at her in annoyance.

"Please tell me we're near the top of the spire," Rapunzel pleads towards the woman.

"Spy-err."

"Who cares? Let's just keep climbing," Harmony turns her head towards Calliope. It's hard to be distracted when this woman is playing hardball with being annoying. Pascal chirps angrily, squeezing Socky for Rapunzel since her hands are occupied.

Lance runs up front as Calliope is holding the map. Rapunzel looks at the orange leaves, cringing. "Wait! Wait, wait, wait! That looks like Poison Elm. We should probably go around."

"I'm sure if there was Poison Elm on this spire, I'd know," Calliope gestures to herself.

"Oh, that's Poison Elm, alright," Harmony confirms, Varian taking out a plant book. He flips a few pages before showing the picture, which is an exact match to the plants in front of them.

"You really should listen to the princess," Varian darts his eyes to Rapunzel.

"Psh. That could be anything," Calliope takes the book and tosses it over her shoulder. And sure enough, Lance is scratching himself, since he was in front of everyone and didn't hear the warning.

"Itchy! Why?! Why? Why!"

"And there it is," Cass stares at him.

"Now, can we just go around? Like I suggested before 'Palm Sweat' got involved?"

Harmony glares at her, leaping, but Varian holds her back. "Keep your ground," He tells her slowly. "You'll have all the time in the world to be mad at her once we get to the Spire."

"Fine..." She mutters, standing up slowly. "I so wanna punch her in the face right now, though."

Rapunzel holds out her hand, and Pascal gives her Socky, just as irritated as her. She squeezes it until it breaks.

"...Wow," Harmony blinks at her.

"Socky! No!" Lance cries out, causing her to cringe.

"Sorry..."

"Come on, Lance," Varian holds out his hand. "We'll give you the anti-cream."

"You guys are pretty prepared, huh?" Rapunzel places her hands on her hips.

"After what happened in the Forest of No Return, we packed up for every situation...well, except for the guide," Harmony glares towards Calliope. "There's no solution for that..."

* * *

"Oh come on! There had to be a safer way up this thing!" Lance shouts from the end of the line.

"I wish," Harmony places a hand in front of her eyes to look towards the top. "I can't even use my powers up to that height." If she was able to, they wouldn't have to deal with Calliope this long...

A roar is heard behind them, Lance turning around in fear. He backs up a bit and his foot slips. Before he could fall, the teens and Rapunzel catch him. He looks towards the black rocks below, some regular rocks falling from where he slipped.

"I don't know what that was, but I don't wanna run into it."

"You really wouldn't like it, because it's the same bad feeling again..." Harmony stares at the path behind her, wondering just what is over there making those sounds.

"Almost there! Um...Calliope?" Rapunzel notices that Calliope has stopped moving. She looks up towards the path they're on and then the map. "Is something wrong?"

"No! No! I just, um...went the wrong way," She mumbles the last four words to herself.

"What? What? I—I can't hear you," Rapunzel steps forward, wondering if she really wanted to hear this.

"I said this is the wrong way." She recoils back a bit as Cass stands over her, enraged.

"You took us the wrong way?" The lady-in-waiting asks in a tense voice.

"No! No! It wasn't my fault! There were-"

The same roar appears again, causing them to tense up. "What is that?" Eugene glances behind him, Calliope gasping.

"It's real! The Protector of the Spire!" She steps back in fear, confusing everyone. A red foot steps forward. "The Kurlock."

"...This is what you sensed, isn't it?" Eugene glances to Harmony.

"Oh yeah. Definitely."

"Uh, Calliope? What do we do?" Rapunzel asks as the others slowly back up.

Calliope is shuddering in fright, unable to move. "Kurlock..."

The Kurlock is a large red bear with horns and sharp teeth. It roars and Lance runs off first. "I'm gonna go with RUN!"

"Calliope, come on!" Rapunzel grabs the small woman. She screams her head off as the Kurlock chases after them. "Harmony, Varian, any ideas?"

"Uh, on a creature we know nothing about?" Varian looks over his shoulder.

"Gonna go with no!" Harmony calls out. The Kurlock sprints after them.

"Go away!" Calliope shouts, her eyes squeezed shut.

"I don't think he's listening," Rapunzel cringes a little.

"This way!" Eugene points to a small crack, all of them running inside. The Kurlock snarls towards them from outside, drool seeping from his mouth. They all sigh in relief since he can't get through.

"That was a close one! Huh, guys?" Calliope states, and they all glare towards her.

"What the heck was that thing?" Cass screams, pointing towards outside.

"The Kurlock," Calliope enunciates, pointing towards her mouth. "You have to pay attention."

Cass blinks at her, all of them except her baffled. She clears her throat as if nothing happened. "Well, then. The Keeper of the Spire needs to, uh...recollect her thoughts, and strategize our next move." She spins her rings around, one of them hitting her on the head. "Ow."

She looks in embarrassment as she messages around with the rings. Cass brings them together in a huddle. "We have to get rid of her. She has no idea what she's doing."

"Cass, we can't. We need her to get into the vault!" Rapunzel insists to her friend.

"She just endangered our lives by not telling us about the Kurlock!" Varian gestures to Calliope. "It would've been useful info when we were being chased by that thing."

"Your call, girls," Eugene looks to Harmony and Rapunzel. The two look towards the woman as Lance is scratching his cheek with a rock.

"Oh yeah! That's the spot! Whoo! Sweet relief!" He then uses his back on one of the rocks to scratch. He was told not to scratch, as the cream takes several hours to sink in fully, but he couldn't help himself. The rock behind him crumbles, and he looks at a beam of sunlight in front of him. A tiny rock lands on the ground, and his mouth opens, looking up.

"Calliope _has _gotten us this far."

"_Shorty_ could've gotten us this far," Cass mutters, looking away.

"As much as I hate to admit this...Rapunzel's right," Harmony gestures to her sister. "No matter how annoying, inconsiderate, disrespectful, and irresponsible she is...we wouldn't be here without her."

A crash interrupts their conversation, and they turn around, hearing Lance laugh in triumph. He's made an opening in the ceiling, coughing.

"Lance! You've done it again!"

"Good job, buddy!" Eugene cheers for him, Calliope looking over her shoulder. She smiles as she follows after them.

"Well, you know, I just put my back into it, and it just magically appeared," Lance boasts as Rapunzel climbs up first.

"Oh-ho! Great! Looks like_ I_ found a way out of here."

Pascal growls towards her, Daisy about to peck at the woman when Harmony stops her. "Later," She whispers to the duckling. Rapunzel sighs wearily, climbing upwards.

"Wait a minute. We made it!" She beams as she looks around. "This is the top of the spire!"

"It is?!" Calliope grins widely as she joins Rapunzel's side. "I mean, of course it is. And _I _got us here."

"Yeah. You sure did," Rapunzel looks towards her angrily.

"Please, let's just get this over with," Varian closes his eyes pleadingly.

They approach the large blue doors, Calliope digging into her shirt and pulling out a bunch of keys attached to a ring. "Let me just find that key, and we'll get that scroll." She tries the first one, but with no success, groaning. "It's never the first one you try!" She tries the second one and still nothing. "Or second...or third...oh, these must've gotten rearranged when I was fending off Kurlock."

"Oh, I can't wait to get that piece and get away from here as quick as possible," Harmony mutters to herself, rubbing a temple. Rapunzel looks behind her and sees a giant footprint.

"Uh, speaking of the Kurlock..." She steps towards the footprint.

Eugene moves away some bushes. "I don't like the looks of that!"

Lance joins the others as they see the sight. "Oh, that's bad."

Ahead of them is a bunch of footprints, which lead to a nest with bones inside... "Uh, guys? I think this is its home."

Varian sweats nervously, chuckling in slight fear. "Oh, we're in trouble..."

The roar is heard closeby. "Uh, you think?" Cass calls out. Up ahead is the monster of the hour.

"Uh, Calliope!" They run to the woman. "Now would be a great time to get that door open!"

"I'm trying! Oh, come on! Come on, key. I'm trying!" She states, still trying keys. The Kurlock steps on a bone, breaking it in half. Calliope tries another, but still nothing. The creature snarls towards them, racing forward.

"Socky! I need you!" Lance cries out in fear. Calliope whimpers as she moves the keys, trying to find one that she hasn't tried.

"Open the door! Now!" Cass growls at Calliope, lifting her up by the collar.

"I don't know which is the right key!" Calliope shouts as the Kurlock is heading right for them.

"Watch out!" Rapunzel pushes them out of the way, the Kurlock hitting the door. The girls roll to a stop while the boys land safely, having jumped out of the way. The Kurlock has one of its horns stuck in the door. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!" She screams at Calliope. "You're the Keeper of the Spire! How could you not know which is the right key?!"

Both Harmony and Cass cringe at her anger, which finally decided to show.

"Because I—I'm not the real Keeper of the Spire," Calliope reveals slowly, shocking and angering the princesses.

"Are. You. Kidding me?!" Rapunzel this time is holding her by the collar. "What do you mean you're not the Keeper?"

"If you had _any _idea of what you put us through the past two days-"

The Kurlock turns its attention on the trio. "Uh, Rapunzel, Harmony, you might want to-"

"Stay out of this, Eugene!" Rapunzel snarls at him.

"Guys, watch out!" Cass grabs the two and leaps. The Kurlock roars as it chases after the three boys.

"You know, for a 2,000 pound flesh eater, he is quite nimble!" Eugene shouts as they're running.

"Guys! The trees," Rapunzel guides them over and they start to climb. Harmony grabs a branch, but it breaks. She gasps sharply before a gloved hand grabs her own. She looks up at Varian, who smiles at her reassuringly.

"I got you, Mona."

She smiles weakly as he pulls her up to safety. Rapunzel grips a branch with her hair, swinging around just as the Kurlock slides to a stop in front of the tree. Calliope laughs, Harmony sighing in relief above them.

"We made it!" Calliope notices the upset and angered look from both Rapunzel and her sister. And Harmony is sitting _above _them. "Oh, right. Uh, I lied to you." The Kurlock crashes into the tree, and they all gasp, gripping the tree. "Now, I can explain."

"Yeah, I'm sure you can..." The Kurlock crashes into the tree again. "In 12 languages, no doubt."

"And taking credit while doing it," Harmony glares towards Calliope. "You put us through all of this, and for what?! What do you have to gain from it, Calliope?"

"Listen, we don't know who you are, but my sister and I trusted you! And we had to endure your condescension, and—and your insults, and I went against _my_ better judgement, all because you said that you were the Keeper of the Spire!"

"If we hadn't, we wouldn't even be stuck up here!" Harmony points to her angrily. "And we're the ones who asked for your help, but instead, we earned your arrogance, selfishness, and your berating! I knew something was off. A real Keeper would never act like that to people seeking help!"

"...It's Spy-err, Rapunzel."

Harmony clenches her shaking fists, her face turning red. "NOBODY FREAKING CARES ON HOW YOU PRONOUNCE THE STUPID WORD, CALLIOPE! Arrgh," She screams at the top of her lungs towards the sky, causing everyone except Rapunzel to recoil back in slight fear. They never thought they'd see the day where Harmony gets angry at someone other than herself. But with just being lied to, and having to put up with this woman for two days, it's not reasonable that she would react like that. Her older sister growls at Calliope, just as furious as Harmony is.

"Sorry," She whispers sheepishly and Harmony takes a deep breath. Varian rubs her back, sensing that she needed to get that out.

"Who _are_ you?" Rapunzel demands to Calliope.

"I'm the Keeper's assistant..." She gestures to herself. "Or at least, I used to be. Before that, I was just an incredibly talented...street magician. I would perform my tricks in front of hundreds of people. Not really...It wasn't always appreciated. Then one day, the Keeper, the real Keeper came up to me, out of the blue, and asked me to be his apprentice. I had purpose, and I didn't wanna mess it up. I wanted to learn everything I could about the Spire. I had to. It was going well, or at least, I thought it was. But a few months ago, the Keeper just...disappeared. And once again, I had no purpose. That is, until you came along. Seeing you two, people with such clear purposes, inspired me."

The two sisters look to each other, unsure of what to say now. "Maybe I _could _be the Keeper. Maybe I _could _help you get that scroll."

"Why didn't you just tell us you weren't the Keeper?" Rapunzel asks curiously.

"Why all the lies? And why so confident anyway if you were just gonna yell at us and annoy us _so much_?" Harmony hugs the tree, looking towards Calliope. At the back of her mind, she wondered if the Keeper was aware of Calliope's personality before he hired her.

"Would _either _of you have accepted help from an apprentice? Especially if you knew she was abandoned by her own master? And I was only really trying to help!" She plants her face into the tree.

"We don't know, but we probably wouldn't be up this tree right now," Rapunzel looks at the grass below.

"And we wouldn't have had to endure your tricks, sleep outside with no hospitality, climb up all those steps, watch you take credit and blame us for literally _everything_, take us the wrong way, or have been chased by the Kurlock twice," Varian points out.

"That's actually really good points."

Harmony sighs a bit, nodding towards Rapunzel. "Calliope..." She smiles towards the woman. "Harmi and I still need that scroll piece."

"We can't do that without you, Keeper or no Keeper," Harmony states softly.

Calliope smiles softly. "And I still have one key I haven't tried," She pulls out a silver key from her collar.

"Great! That's great news!" Eugene calls out from the grass, as the others have already climbed down. "Why don't you use it to unlock the door before that thing comes back?"

"He's not gonna stay hidden for long," Harmony shakes her head. "But Eugene has a point. Let's go!"

* * *

They run towards the doors, where they're blocked by the Kurlock again...He roars as he stands guard. "I specifically said 'before the thing comes back'!" Eugene cringes as they back away slowly.

"Gotta give it points for persistence," Cass comments, both the teens trying to figure out what to do with it.

"I'll give it more points for letting us go nice and easy."

He roars again, meaning no, and they all separate in different directions. "That's a lot of points you just lost!"

"We have to distract it from the door somehow long enough to for Calliope to open it!" Harmony calls out.

"Which is already hard to do because he's focused on us!" Varian shouts as they come to a stop.

"They're right, the only way is to get it away from the door," Rapunzel states as they look up ahead. "Ideas, anybody?"

"Don't look at me," Calliope shakes her head. "I'm just a failed magician. If it doesn't involve flash, panache and sleight of hand, then I'm pretty much..."

"Wait," Harmony grins a little. "You said flash, right?"

"By the looks of it, he gets distracted easily," Varian looks up at the Kurlock.

"Wait a second, I think you're coming onto something! Guys? I think I have an idea," She smiles while holding the rope of tied handkerchiefs.

"I really hope it involves some human decency," Harmony murmurs to her.

Smoke surrounds the Kurlock and it distracts him slightly. "Kurlock, Protector of the Spire!" Calliope announces dramatically from the smoke. "It is I, Calliope! U-Uh, Apprentice of the Keeper of the Spire, and legerdemain artiste extraordinaire."

The smoke is being caused by a fire that's being kept lit by Pascal and Lance. Calliope is slightly doubtful of her plan, but the princesses encourage her to go on, running off.

"And do you know what time it is?"

The Kurlock steps forward a bit as Calliope reveals herself. "Time for wonder!" She snaps her fingers, some twinkle coming from it. She looks at her hand as the creature steps forward. She yelps, cards flying out of her sleeve. She then places a stick in its mouth, and it explodes into a bouquet of flowers. She chuckles in amusement, and he spits it out.

She then throws down some smoke, distracting it for a second as she waves behind him. "Yoo hoo!" She holds up a blue cloth, waving it. "Et voila! That's French for there it is!"

He goes charging towards her, but she tosses the cloth into his eyes, and he bumps into the door instead. He turns around and she pulls a coin out of his ear, wiggling her eyebrows. She pokes him on the nose. "Boop."

He lets out a large roar and chases after her. She leads him away from the Spire. "Come on! Almost there!" She pants as she runs past the two sisters in a tree above them.

"Now!" The two swing forward, capturing Calliope. The Kurlock looks up wide-eyed as the others pull the hair to trip him. He falls over the cliff, landing down below with a heavy thud. It had landed right into the Poison Elm, scratching itself.

"Try not to scratch!" Lance calls out to it. "You'll regret it!"

"Nice job facing the Kurlock, Calliope," Rapunzel smiles towards the woman. "And those tricks weren't so bad either." She winks at the woman.

"Oh, there's more where that came from. Just an ordinary coin, right?" She holds up a coin, giggling.

"Yeah, hmm, maybe later," Rapunzel states, not wanting to sit through hours of tricks again.

* * *

Calliope lightly touches the lock once they've returned to the door. She looks to the sisters, who smile at her. She places the key inside and finally unlocks the door. They push the double doors open, slowly walking into the vault. Calliope gasps as there's a whole tower full of artifacts and objects.

"Wow..." Harmony murmurs at it. They walk up the steps, Rapunzel lightly touching the wall. Varian tilts his head at a blue sorcerer's hat that has three stars and a crescent moon symbol on it.

"What's this for?"

"Let's just keep going," His girlfriend rolls her eyes in amusement, walking behind her sister. Calliope guides them to a glass panel where a compartment rests inside. She smiles at the sisters and once Rapunzel has it in her hands, she stares at it happily.

"The third scroll piece, and you got us here. You did it!" Rapunzel bends down to her with a smile.

"And I couldn't be more proud."

Calliope's eyes and mouth drop open at the voice. The doors open behind them and they look to see the Keeper, the real one. Calliope gasps sharply, running towards him.

"Keeper!"

Once they meet, they share a hug. She giggles in relief to see him again. "Calliope, you are now the Keeper of the Spire," He places her onto the floor. "You passed my test." He then noogies her on the head. "Congratulations!"

The others smile as they approach. "Wha-what?" Calliope asks in confusion, her hair slightly messy. "I don't understand."

"I'm sorry for leaving you," He adjusts her hair. "But I had to remind you why I chose you in the first place."

"...Why did you choose me?" She closes her eyes.

"Your perseverance." She gasps at the compliment. "This is the skill a Keeper of such great artifacts must call upon in the face of adversity. And you did it! Not only with the Kurlock, but when you performed in front of a...aggressively indifferent crowd."

"Mm, their minds were too blown to clap," Calliope gives the three a look. "That's all."

"Calliope?" Harmony calls out, arms crossed. "Might wanna cool it down with the bragging."

"Right," Calliope cringes, remembering their anger with her earlier.

"You persevered, Calliope."

"Wait," Rapunzel waves her hands rapidly. "There had to be an easier way to teach her that lesson. That beat thing almost killed us."

"The Kurlock?" He laughs, standing up. "He's actually a loyal pet. As you will see, when you train your own."

He gestures to a tiny door, where a baby Kurlock emerges, crawling up to Calliope. She coos at it as it crawls onto her head, the others smiling in amusement.

"Do keep him away from the furniture," The Keeper warns her.

"It's such an honor to meet you, Keeper," Varian bounces a bit. "I have so many questions!"

"I do too," Harmony beams up at the Keeper and he chuckles.

"Well then, let me show you around while I answer your questions..."

"Thank you, Rapunzel and Harmony," Calliope says gratefully, releasing them from a hug. "Thank you for everything."

"We're glad you found what you were looking for."

"Too bad you couldn't find my sword," Cass mutters bitterly.

"Cass," Harmony gives her a warning look.

"Oh, didn't I?"

Cass looks at her sheath, where there's still no sword. Calliope laughs at her. "Made you look! Oh, you should see the expression of your face right now!"

Cass simply steps up to her with a frozen look on her face. Eugene and Rapunzel pull her back. "And when she's making that expression, it means we should go."

"Change that attitude," Harmony warns Calliope.

"Oh, okay, then! Goodbye, and good luck with the scroll!"

* * *

Once they've returned to the caravan, the sisters stand in front of the burning fire, Max sleeping nearby. Rapunzel takes the scroll piece from her bag.

"We went through a lot of trouble for this."

The others surround the two, smiling. They smile back, Lance still itching. "It better be one _amazing _scroll. That's all I gotta say."

"Alright...moment of truth," Harmony takes a deep breath, not sure what picture it'll be this time.

"Let's see what we got," Rapunzel slowly opens it up to see a man wearing a hood.

"A guy in a hood?" Eugene asks slowly. "All this for a guy in a hood?!"

"Who do you think he is?" Cass questions curiously.

"I'm not sure. But I have a feeling we're going to find out..."

Adira is watching nearby behind a tree. She looks away and smiles, walking away.


	35. King Pascal

It's a sunny day out on the water as a seagull flies by. It soars past the caravan, which is on a large purple raft, held by sails. Rapunzel sits up front with her sister and Varian, painting them. Daisy is resting on Harmony's head.

"Pascal, is there anything better than the sun on your face and the wind blowing through your hair?" She closes her eyes and Pascal looks up at his head. "Well, blowing through your scales?" She nuzzles his head with her finger. "I'm almost done, you two. And then I'll make you two copies for you to keep!"

"Thanks, Punz, but you really didn't need to," Harmony smiles slightly.

"But I had to! Varian's gonna need it when he has to go back to Corona to serve the rest of his jail time," She looks up at them. "What's the point of adventure if you don't have anything to remember it by?"

"She makes a good point," Varian smiles at the girl. "It is a nice day out."

"You know, I gotta admit, when I saw the Black Rock trail was leading us across the water, I had my doubts about converting the caravan into a boat. And it's all thanks to Brownie and Goggles," Eugene looks to the two, who give him a thumbs up. A storm begins behind them, thunder crashing over their heads. "And...as it turns out, those doubts were not completely unfounded." He cringes up at the giant rain cloud.

"Oh no..." Harmony stands up as it starts to rain. Rapunzel quickly puts her book in her bag, Pascal running up to the bell. Before he can clang it, Cass does it for him with her sword.

"Storm!"

Pascal falls onto the wood, his ears hurting. He grunts up at her, rubbing his head. Everyone tries to keep their balance on the wobbling ship.

"Don't worry! According to my calculations, we should just miss it," Lance states, a wave washing over them. "When will you people learn to ignore the things I say?"

Thunder strikes again, Max whinnying.

"Listen up!" Rapunzel calls out from the roof of the caravan, holding her hair. "The most important thing is to remain calm."

"Really? I would've thought the most important thing to do would be to not drown!" Hook Foot starts freaking out, yelling as he runs around.

"Eugene, Lance, grab the helm. We need to hit those waves at a 45-degree angle. Cass, Foot, empty the bilge. Max, Silver, and Fidella, help the rest of us get everything on deck tied down. And Pascal?" He squeaks as he salutes to her. "Um, you'd better get below deck and ride this out."

He whimpers sadly as thunder crashes once again. He crawls up to the window, a rope and hook falling near him. He smirks and grabs the rope, grabbing the hook with his tail. However, with the wind, he loses his grip, falling into the room down below. Everyone screams as they ride a wave, which crashes down on them. A box full of coins falls towards Pascal, hitting him on the head.

When he opens his eyes, he sees the sun and the eye of a seagull looking down at him. He stares up at the bird, a coin stuck to his belly. The seagull flies away as he can see everyone up and awake...but their caravan/boat is destroyed, pieces laid out everywhere.

"Pascal!" Rapunzel runs up to him. "Oh, you're okay. You scared me," She bends down to him. "You should have never tried to fix that jib on your own," She pets him on the head. He sees the coin on his stomach and exhales. The coin pops off, leaving him with the Corona symbol on his belly. He beams, pointing to it.

Harmony runs up to Varian, who has a starfish stuck on his face. She giggles and pulls it off. "You okay?"

"Other than us crashing..." He spits out some water from his mouth. "I'll live."

"Well, gang, I've got bad news...and really bad news," Eugene announces, looking out to the water with his telescope. "We strayed from the Black Rock path and our caravan is now kaput. Brownie, I'm wondering, can you sense other black rocks?"

"Black rocks and bad intentions don't necessarily match up with my senses," She shakes her head. "I mean, maybe if I had more training..."

"Wait. So we're stuck here?" Hook Foot sits up, taking an octopus off him. "I don't wanna be stuck here! No one wants to be stuck here. Where is here?"

"Tirapai Island, an agricultural port known for its bountiful fruit. The waning of the moon sharpens the sweetness of the crop, making the new moon an optimal time to harvest. A cargo ferry arrives to bring the island's fruit to the mainland each new moon."

Everyone stares at Lance, shocked. Harmony and Varian blink in unison. "How do you possibly know all that?"

"I know things," Lance defends, gesturing to himself. "Plus, it says it on that plaque over there," He points to a plaque nearby.

"Ah, plaque, yes," They walk up to the stone.

"I've read about this island," Harmony rubs her chin. "Lots of native fruits and people different from any others."

"Sounds like all we gotta do is wait to catch the ferry at the next new moon," Rapunzel states after reading it.

"Ugh. This is horrible," Cass takes off a boot. "We could be here for days or months...or even-"

"Look, I know it's not ideal," Rapunzel interrupts as the lady-in-waiting dumps the sand. "But if we have to be stranded, at least it's in a beautiful place like this."

A fly goes over Pascal's head, which he eats. "And if we are stuck here, we're gonna need to make shelter...What do you say we have a little, uh, shelter building contest, right? Cass, Harmi, and I versus you guys?"

"Oh, no," Varian shakes his head, gesturing to himself, Harmony, Daisy, Ruddiger, and Silver. "We'll just build our own shelter to beat you."

"Aren't you two a little young to be moving in together?" Eugene smirks teasingly, both of them blushing in embarrassment.

"I-It's not like that! And besides we're not gonna be totally alone," Harmony gestures to the three animals. "Are we building or what?"

"Oh, it's on!" Lance challenges them.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. There's four of us, two of you girls, and then five on another team. I mean, is that really fair?" Eugene asks with an amused smile.

"For the record, it is not two against four against five." Pascal squeaks, placing his hands on his hips in a pose. "We've also got Max." His eyes widen as he turns to them. "And he's as strong as a...a horse." The chameleon grumbles, kicking away some sand.

The three groups separate to go find supplies.

"Alright, boys, first rule of shelter building: location, location, location!" Eugene announces to his group, a tiny hand moving away a leaf to watch them.

"Oh...!"

* * *

Rapunzel plants a flower in her hair as her leafy green outfit is finished. "There. Now we're beach ready," She smiles towards Pascal, chuckling. "You look so cute in your teeny-tiny, adorable little grass skirt." Pascal is not amused by this at all. "Yes, you do!" She pokes his belly. "Oh, wait, wait, wait..." She hands him a little guitar. "Yes!" She laughs to Cass, who is wearing a dark beige shoulderless shirt. "Doesn't he look so cute?"

She gives him one look. "Mm, cute's not really my thing. But I gotta admit that's insanely cute!"

Pascal listens to Max neighing in laughter, glaring towards him. "Alright, guys, let's build us a shelter!"

Rapunzel breaks a stick in half, drawing out a plan. They look at the treehouse drawing in the sand. Pascal hacks away at a tree using a seashell, getting a bit tired afterwards. Cass cuts the rest off with her sword. He looks at his seashell and tosses it away, looking away sadly.

Together, they start building the base at a tree, Pascal struggling to lift up a tree branch. Cass and Rapunzel lift it up with ease, walking away as they've almost formed the house. Pascal throws down some grass, but Max tosses a bunch onto him, annoying the chameleon. Rapunzel lifts up a bundle of grass with her hair, giving the rope to Pascal. He goes flying into the water as a result. Once he washes up on shore, the skirt is gone. He smiles...but then it comes back on him, to his dismay.

"So, what do you think?" Rapunzel asks the others as they look at their finished product: a two-story tree house.

"Huh. It'll be perfect when we add a door to protect us from all these insects."

A mosquito flies by, which Pascal eats. "No matter how big your appetite is, little guy, you can't eat all these bugs. Come on. Let's go collect some bamboo," They walk off to go find some.

* * *

Varian is gathering sticks for their shelter, already dressed in his teal shirt from his previous outfit, but with no apron. His pants are slightly tattered at the ends as a bag is over his shoulder, and he has his gloves off for a change. But he still keeps his goggles on, of course. Ruddiger hands him a stick, which he takes. He suggested for them to be a group because he knows that the raccoon will do anything to annoy Max...

A rustle is heard behind a wall of leaves that they set up for changing clothes, and it's portable. They're going to use it in their shelter, once they find a place. He looks over his shoulder towards the wall.

"You done, Mona? We need to find a spot for our shelter. I'm thinking somewhere near the water for fishing when we run out of food."

"Yes, I'm finished," She adjusts herself.

"Okay, so what spot do you think is best-" He looks up, mouth dropping in shock as he drops the sticks. Everything sparkles around his girlfriend in his eyes as she slowly moves away the leaves, running a hand through her hair. She's wearing a crop top made out of green leaves with a layered style accessorized with lei flowers along the perimeter. A white sash wraps around her skirt made out of Tapa cloth she found from the caravan, but she's decorated the end with hibiscus flowers. Her hair is completely out, cascading down her back with her ends curled. A pink hibiscus flower rests to the left side of her hair and she's barefoot. Daisy's changed her flower accessory to a hibiscus flower to match Harmony.

"Vari?" She blinks, waving a hand in front of his face. "Vari?"

"Ah..." He continues staring at her, not even blinking. She claps her hands in front of his face. "Oh!" He blinks, recoiling back a bit and being brought back down to Earth. "Sorry...you just look...really pretty, Mona."

She blushes, rubbing her arm. "Well, when I sewed all of this, I didn't think you'd actually freeze once you saw me...I really look pretty?"

"Glowing!" He stands up, holding her hand. "Well, that's you every day, though."

Harmony giggles, noticing his hands. "You're not wearing gloves?"

"I don't wanna get 'em all dirty with the sand," He rubs the back of his neck. "You don't like it?"

"No, I like it," She smiles towards the boy, "Doesn't matter what I like, anyway. I don't care what you look like, I love you for who you are."

He smiles at her and waves her forward. "Come on, let's go to the beach and find a spot."

The two walk in front of the three animals, holding some sticks. Of course they're gonna go back and bring some more, but they still need a designated spot.

"Oh!" Varian groans once they reach the water, because he sees the treehouse. "The girls must've beaten us to it...Impressive shelter, I must say."

"No one ever said we couldn't build in the same area," She smirks in amusement and he smirks back. Together they draw out a plan, checking off all consistencies for both themselves and their roommates. Soon, they stand in front of a base built for a two-story hut. Varian grins towards Harmony, who waves a few more sticks in her hand with a big smile. He smirks, rolling up his sleeves, and with everyone's help, they finish their shelter. The hut is nicely built with a few stepping stones in front of the door which they have yet to build. And the windows are still empty.

"Now we just need wood for the windows and doors, so that we can close the insects out," Harmony places her hands on her hips proudly.

"Oh really? What happened to fresh air?" Varian teases her as they walk away into the bushes.

"I may like fresh air, but one thing I do NOT like is bugs!" She retorts back, the three animals following after them. "No offense to Pascal."

* * *

Cass and Rapunzel watch Max carry dozens of bamboo on his back, carrying some in their hands. Rapunzel sighs a bit. "We'll catch up, Max."

He grabs another piece and continues walking. Pascal drags one piece of bamboo across the sand.

"Don't worry, Pascal," Rapunzel takes him into her hand, grabbing the stick. "We'll find something for you to do. Oh, gosh. I still can't get over how cute that skirt is. I just wanna boop your little belly all day! Boop, boop, boop!"

He takes it off in annoyance, tossing it onto the ground. A tiny hand takes the skirt. Leaves rustling as the girls hear growling. Cass drops her bamboo pieces in alarm. "Hold on. I think we've got company."

Nearby, Harmony and Varian hear it too.

"You heard that too, right?" Varian asks nervously.

"I'd have to be deaf not to hear it," She states as she looks around in alarm.

Pascal hides behind Rapunzel's neck, a bunch of eyes in front of them. They separate to reveal tiny leaf people.

"Attack!"

Rapunzel gasps as they take off. "Run!"

"Punz?" Harmony runs off, Varian and the others following after her. The tiny leaves chase after the girls, growling at them. Max hears the commotion, the teens and three animals stumbling upon him. "Max! What's going on?"

He whinnies for them to follow and the two jump on Silver. Max drops the sticks, which form into a horse.

The two girls jump off a rock, landing in front of an opening. "Quick! In here!" Cass whispers, but a tiny leaf sees them enter. They press their backs against the wall, waiting for something to happen. Cass peeks through the exit, sighing in relief.

"It looks like we lost them."

"What is this place?" Rapunzel steps forward into the cave, which has a few pieces of furniture and carvings. "Huh." She looks up at the painting on the wall, seeing a chameleon on them. "These drawings look a little bit like..." She looks to another one of a chameleon. "You, Pascal."

Suddenly, they hear growling as the tiny leaves approach the cave, courtesy of an informant. The girls hide as Pascal turns purple like some idols nearby. The two cringe as their attacks come inside, seeing them hide behind the table.

"You know we can still see you, right?"

"Ha! You found us," Rapunzel states as they stand up, holding up their hands in surrender. "You guys must be really good at hide-and-seek."

Pascal comes out of hiding as well, the leaf people gasping. One of them holds up a stick on fire as Pascal is posing in the exact same way that a drawing behind him is. "It's Lizardus!" They all bow to him, Rapunzel glancing at Cass. The three are just confused by the whole thing.

Max finally arrives with Harmony's group in tow. They all manage to squeeze through. "Guys, finally!" Varian exclaims in relief.

"We heard you in trouble and—what is happening?" They see the tiny leaf people, Pascal's shadow, and the two girls standing next to him.

"Lizardus, it is you," Their leader, who has a droplet mark on his head unlike his people, gets onto the table with the help of his people. He bows to the chameleon, who glances up to the others.

"Lizardus?" Rapunzel asks in confusion, the leader getting up to her height with a leaf stack. "Indeed, we Lorbs have been awaiting the sacred Lizardus Rex for centuries! For he is our Kloopenhogun! Our king!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what?" Harmony waves her hands, as both teens are just baffled.

"But that's just Pascal," Rapunzel gestures to her friend.

"No. He is Lizardus, we are the Lorbs, and you are the freinfloofers," The leader smiles, holding Cass' cheeks. "But you are so cute! I just want to pinch you two on your schmoovenvizens!"

"What did any of that mean?" Varian whispers to Harmony.

"Oh. This island is their home," Harmony gestures to the Lorbs. "Because of the mark that Pascal accidentally got, they think he's their king who's fated to come and save them from evil. They've been waiting for decades."

"Oh, I like this freinfloofer," The leader points up to the girl. "She is well versed in our history!"

"I used to read a lot in my room to pass the time," She rubs her arm awkwardly.

The leader lands in front of Pascal. "Lizardus, you must return with us to Lorbwalla, so that the others can honor you."

Pascal beams at the thought. "That sounds terrific! Oh, show us the way!" Rapunzel smiles at them.

"Uh-uh. We were not talking to you," The leader replies rudely to her.

"We were talking to Lizardus," A Lorb gestures to Pascal, the people surrounding him and carrying him away.

"Lizardus! Lizardus!"

"Yeah, as long as it's just for a little while. Right, Pascal?" Rapunzel stares after him, and he doesn't look back.

"Yes, come, freinfloofers. Come! Come, come! Come now!"

Rapunzel turns towards the others. "What does 'freinfloofer' mean?" She asks them in confusion.

"I'm pretty sure it means we're pets," Cass states as they go through the exit.

"Oh, I don't think..."

Max manages to get his butt in after a few wiggles, Silver doing the same. The first time has no effect, but he second time makes the rocks above the exit clatter. They fall to reveal a depiction of Lizardus fighting a giant fly...

"No, that's what it means," Harmony shakes her head towards them. "Lorbs are _very _misanthropic towards humans. Probably because they've never had visitors before."

"That explains their rudeness, then..." Varian sighs a bit.

"Hopefully, they can get used to us long enough before a ferry comes to get us."

* * *

The boys and Fidella stare at the shelter they just finished. "I think we did a pretty good job," Hook Foot smiles proudly.

"Guys, I can't stress this enough: location is everything." In front of them is a small hut on top of logs acting as the floor. Suddenly it lifts up and is whisked away. "Unless that location is on an anthill..."

Fidella rolls her eyes, shaking her head.

* * *

"Lizardus! Lizardus! Lizardus!" The Lorbs chant as they carry Pascal on a leaf. "Lizardus! Lizardus!" His eyes are closed as he's enjoying the sun.

"Behold, Lizardus," Alfons, the leader, gestures to a wall of leaves. "Your kingdom of Lorbwalla!" He moves away the grass to reveal a bunch of little cottages and lanterns. Pascal gasps in shock at the place. The Lorbs see him and bow, a Lorb jumping off their waterfall. Lorbs from the water form Pascal's face. He looks on in awe at the village.

"This is amazing," Rapunzel inspects the area, seeing some sun and moon lanterns. At least ¼ of them have the sun symbol only. "Cass, oh, my lanterns! My birthday lanterns! Can you believe it?"

"Guess they had to land somewhere," Cass smirks a little.

"So all of those lanterns we send on your birthday end up here..." Harmony looks around at all of them. It seems they have most of them.

"No!" Alfons sticks his head out of a lantern. "These sacred symbols fell from the heavens! They are gifts from the Kloopenhogun himself! See?" He's gesturing to the sun/moon symbol Pascal has on his belly still.

Rapunzel laughs as she places down a lantern. "Kloopenhogun. But why don't all of these lanterns have the Corona symbol? Some of them only have the sun on it."

"Oh, you didn't know?" Varian raises a brow, gesturing to Harmony. "When your sister was born 4 years later after your...disappearance, your parents changed the symbol to signify the sister bond and the new princess."

"They couldn't bear to remove the sun symbol altogether, so they decided to combine them," Harmony smiles slightly.

A mosquito flies right past them.

"Blood-hungry sky beasts!" A Lorb points to the bug, the people screaming and running away. Some go into hiding while others run.

"Really?" Varian deadpans at them. Pascal captures the bug and eats it, causing the people to cheer. They bow to him repeatedly, grateful to be saved by the 'danger.'

"Oh, Kloopenhogun, you are a master with the bug hunting!"

"You must tackle the Firefly!" A female Lorb states in awe.

"I bet your attack form is uncanny."

Pascal nods, squeaking as he takes the praise. "No wonder why your wife admires you so!" One of them points to Daisy, who glares at them for assuming such a thing. She is a single duckling, and if anyone did like her, they'd have to put a ring on her.

"Oh, no, they're just friends," Harmony waves her hands. Pascal winks towards the duckling out of confidence, clicking his teeth and pointing at her. Daisy turns red out of anger, chirping profusely.

"Oh, great Lizardus! Perhaps you can help us with another problem," Alfons speaks up, earning a thumbs up in return. "Come with me."

He places down a fruit that has a bite taken out of it, and the object is burned badly. "Here is our most prized drop, the pompoen fruit."

"Doesn't look like any of the pictures I've seen of it," Harmony bends down to it, inspecting the fruit. "It looks like a fire started here, a bad one."

"You are correct, intelligent fleinfloofer. Unfortunately, we lost it all in the blaze started by the evil Firefly!" He gestures to the destroyed field of crops, trees burned to the trunk. "We face starvation! But the Kloopenhogun has arrived in the nick of time!" He bows to the proud chameleon. "Kloopenhogun!"

"They think a firefly did_ this_?" Cass whispers to the others as they inspect the area. She lightly touches a tree. "I don't think they know how fireflies work."

"_Something _did this kind of powerful damage," Harmony touches a tree, looking at the burn marks. "With everything that's happened with us on this journey, I'd be inclined to believe them," Harmony states, crossing her arms.

"Well, with how they view Pascal as their king, anything's possible. But that'd be _one _powerful firefly," Varian rubs his chin, staring at the tree. "Scorch marks. This has been going on for a while."

Bugs fly over the leaf people, who shriek in terror. Pascal eats them and they cheer for him, bowing. "Lizardus! Lizardus! Lizardus!"

"I'm starting to agree with you," Rapunzel glances to her sister.

"Master, with your power, we can rid our village of this crop-eating vermin! We shall mark the occasion with the Feast of Lizardus Rex!" Alfons waves his people forward, who bring a throne made of leaves, an octopus, seashells, a clam, and a starfish.

"Lizardus! Lizardus! Lizardus!" They holler as they provide stairs for him. He jumps on and leans back, everyone behind him giving the chameleon a look. He claps twice and they whisk him away. The Lorbs take him back to their village, where they give him a big crown and necklace, making banners in his image.

"Keep fanning! Ach! Harder," A female Lorb orders the girls, who are holding fans. "No, no, no, that's too much! And more bugs!"

Varian and Harmony step up to Pascal, offering him bowls of bugs for him to eat, both of them annoyed. "Freinfloofers are so hard to train!"

They then make a statue out of Pascal in his mighty, surrounded by the four humans. "What an accurate representation of the hairy freinfloofer, with the plow plopper, intelligent freinfloofer, and the male plow plopper!"

Harmony and Varian are laying down in exhaustion, as they had to make this statue exactly like Alfons ordered it...

15 times until they got it right.

"Excuse me, my nose does not look like that," Rapunzel gestures to her pointy nose from the statue.

"Why does my statue have fangs?" Cass jerks a thumb to her statue self.

"Sorry, guys, but there was no convincing them...we just wanted a break..." Varian pants slowly, looking like he's about to pass out.

"Please...no more...my arms can't take it..." Harmony coughs a bit.

Two female Lorbs give Pascal a facial and foot rub at the same time. The rest of them are collecting mud nearby, with the substance all over them.

"Can we be done collecting mud yet?" Cass calls out. "You've been giving him a facial for two hours."

* * *

Then they present him with a feast. "We waited, and we hoped," Alfons announces to the others. "And we waited some more. And then we waited a teeny bit more. But, finally, our Kloopenhogun is here."

Two females hug him. "And he will save us! But first, we feast!"

The Lorbs all cheer in celebration. Rapunzel walks back to the smaller table, where everyone else is. She takes a seat next to her sister.

Cass groans in annoyance. "Look, Raps, this has been fun, but in all honesty, no, it hasn't!"

"Granted, this is not the best-looking...I don't know, is this soup?" Rapunzel holds out a spoonful of slop to the girl.

"Nope. Trust me, you don't wanna eat that," She puts the spoon down slowly.

"Because it's slop. It's hog slop," Cass deadpans at them.

"A fun fact, at least half of their food is not made for human consumption," Varian narrows his eyes slightly.

"But if you'd stop looking at only the negative side of things, you would see that there's all this delicious exotic fruit right in front of us," She holds up the pompoen fruit in her hand, opening her mouth.

"Oh, wait, I should probably tell you that with the pompoen fruit-" Harmony tries to warn her, but she takes a huge bite. Rapunzel looks towards Pascal, who is being fed. She takes another bite.

"You know what? I'm gonna go talk to him," Rapunzel's eyes widen as her face starts to get red. "Oh. Oh, wow. Oh, this...fruit is kinda..." She fans her face, gesturing to herself.

"Kinda what, Raps?" Cass looks on in amusement. Rapunzel's eye twitches as sweat is dripping down her face.

"Nothin'. It's, um...it's just, uh...uh..."

"I'm sorry," Cass holds a hand to her ear. "Just, what?"

"It's, uh...it's delicious," She sticks out a tongue, Harmony glancing to Varian and shaking her head.

"Really?" Rapunzel nods to her. "Then, here," Cass holds out another fruit. "Maybe you'd like to try some more delicious, exotic fruit."

"I wouldn't recommend that," Harmony crosses her arms, both teens giving Cass a look of disapproval. Rapunzel finally screams as she stands up, taking the slop and throwing it over her mouth. It does nothing as she runs around screaming, her mouth on fire. She plants her face into a bowl of blue roots.

"Cass!" Harmony frowns towards the lady-in-waiting. "That's not amusing! Pompoen fruit is never to be consumed without the stink weeds to counteract its spice," She holds up the fruit, pointing to the blue vines underneath it. "Which is what I was trying to tell Punz before she ate it anyway."

"These are some _really_ silly fleinfloofers you adopted," Alfons looks to Pascal, who nods in agreement. He's too busy basking in the glory to really do anything about the situation, knowing fully well he's not their king.

Rapunzel lifts up her head in relief. "Ah, wow. These stinky weeds are refreshing." She wipes them away from her face. "Pascal, this has to stop. Tell them we're not your pets. Tell them we're your friends." She smiles towards him.

"Surely, Lizardus would never consider such boorish creatures friends?" Alfons asks arrogantly.

"Pascal, this isn't you," Rapunzel ignores the leaf, giving her friend a pleading look. "Huh? Where's my generous, kindhearted little buddy?"

He glances away at her words, since none of them have even noticed how he was feeling.

"Little?" Alfons stands in front of Pascal, laughing as they help him stand up. "Oh, funny joke! Lizardus Rex is anything but little! Lizardus possesses mighty power! These pets are the pits! Send these freinfloofers away, and come with us! We have prepared many giftings for you!" He gestures to five Lorbs, who kneel with pineapples, leis, and a coconut drink. "It is _he _who is large and you who are puny!"

Pascal claps and with that, leaves with them. "So that's why you've been acting-" Her eyes widen as she suddenly remembers everything before the Lorbs attacked them. "Oh, I've been treating him like he was—Wait, Pascal, I get it!"

He doesn't listen and she looks on sadly. Harmony walks up to her, patting her back in sympathy.

"...Have you ever made Daisy feel that way?" Rapunzel glances to Harmony, who sighs slowly.

"...No...because she had already felt that way when she couldn't fly," She nuzzles Daisy with her cheek. "But I helped her see that no matter what she could do, I would always love her. Now you just have to make Pascal see that."

* * *

"Looks good," Eugene comments as they've made a new shelter, a one-story hut with straw. "But I'm thinking, if we really wanted to avoid the anthills, we should've built a tree house."

"Oh, well, I'll be!" Shorty is holding an axe. He cuts off a tree with it.

"Oh, come on, guys! What have we discussed about Shorty and tools?" Eugene exclaims and the tree falls onto their shelter, destroying it.

"Tree, meet house."

Eugene looks on in annoyance, their first shelter moving past them. Fidella didn't know how she got stuck with them...

* * *

"And now, our hero, Lizardus Rex, will defeat our enemy, the Firefly," Alfons declares as Pascal has some armor made out of coconut. The Lorbs cheer as a female walks up to him with a staff. "We bestow upon you the Mighty Staff of Cupon. And decorate you with the stinky weeds of Lorbwalla," He places a cape on Pascal made out of blue weeds.

Pascal poses heroically with the cape and staff. "Lizardus! Lizardus! Lizardus!"

"I can't believe I couldn't see it before," Rapunzel states as they walk down a path. "We were making him feel left out. _I _was making him feel left out. I was treating him like he was this big," She pinches her fingers together.

"I'm sure he'll forgive you," Harmony smiles a little.

"He did when you abandoned him for your duties," Varian points out.

"And in your defense, he _is_ that big," Cass tells her.

"Not to me," Rapunzel sighs a little. "I have to go apologize." A large shadow flies past them. "Uh, guys? I think that's the Firefly," She points up to the sky, where the large firefly soars past the sun.

"No way!" Cass whispers at this.

"Wait," Harmony shakes her head rapidly. "That type of firefly, it couldn't possibly do all that damage on its own. It would need something to create the fire."

"But we have to warn Pascal!" Rapunzel tells her.

"They can't really expect him to fight that thing!" Varian points to the direction the Firefly left. "With the amount of damage it's done, it has a lot of firepower!"

A ladder falls near them from above the trees.

"You will warn him of nothing!" A tiny Lorb declares, as they were listening in. They throw a net over all of them.

* * *

Pascal stands bravely on his throne. "We will finally have a fruitful pompoen season without the Firefly ruining it!" A female Lorb Florina exclaims happily. Some of them allow him to jump off their backs, walking onto the sand. He looks back to his loyal subjects. "We have never been this close, but with you, Master, we have no fear."

Despite that, they hide behind the rocks.

Pascal walks up to the edge, awaiting for the firefly...only to see what kind of monster he's dealing with.

"Behold! The Firefly!" Alfons announces, Pascal's mouth opening wide open. He was expecting a small firefly, and definitely nothing like this... "It is time! Morph into your attack form!"

"Use your fearsome machtshovel!" Another one calls out, but the chameleon has none of that. He runs away from the firefly, who starts breathing fire at him. "Is he stretching?"

"What is this?"

The Lorbs yell as they surround the trapped group. "Is this a joke?" Cass wonders as the horses stand up, flinging off the net.

"Yeah! You really think this cute little net is gonna restrain us and 2 1,200 pound horses?" Rapunzel asks in disbelief. "Come on! We have to save Pascal before he gets hurt by the Firefly."

"If only we knew how to stop it..." Harmony murmurs as she and Varian run side-by-side. She turns back to the Lorbs. "And you guys need to learn how to respect privacy!"

"Look at this place!" Lance gestures to the tree house that belongs to Rapunzel and Cass. Hook Foot is laying down on a chair, relaxing. "High ceilings, open spaces, my favorite selling point, no terrifying insects. And the best part is, I just found this place! Just sitting here!"

Eugene picks up Rapunzel's journal. "Lance, this is the girls' place, isn't it?" He asks knowingly. "And that's Harmony and Varian's shelter nearby?"

"Yes, and I found them. Just sitting here. We can use the other place as a bar!"

"No," Eugene deadpans at him. "And have those two potentially killing us for using it like that? I can literally see their labs from where I'm standing...and I have to say, I'm impressed. Whoa, a mini-cooler and a fan!"

Pascal cringes as he runs away from flames. He jumps out of the clearing, the firefly flying after him. He rolls onto the sand, hitting some rocks. Luckily, the coconuts protect him. He hears the firefly roar and cringes, taking off into a run again. He hides in some grass, the giant bug resting on a scorched piece of tree.

The chameleon shrieks as he runs off, only to bump into Rapunzel. "Pascal! Oh, I'm so glad to see you! I am sorry if I made you feel small and unneeded."

He smiles for the apology and she smiles back. She picks him up and kisses him on the cheek. Then she takes off his armor, and he slips out of the final piece, still wearing the tall hat and cape.

"Uh, guys! Flying monster, remember?" Cass points up to the firefly, which is still wreaking havoc.

"Master, what is the problem?" Alfons and the other Lorbs come out of hiding, worried. Rapunzel looks to her friend, who jumps down from her hands and walks up to them regrettably. He takes off the hat.

"Pascal is not a warrior king. He doesn't have an attack form. He is a chameleon," Rapunzel steps up to them. "And he would've told you sooner, but he just—he got carried away with all of the attention. Which he wouldn't have needed, if his real friends had been giving him the credit that he deserves."

"Like all of you did," Harmony gestures to the Lorbs. "And I can tell you this, we're not his pets, and you can't treat people like that. Just because we're different than you all doesn't mean you should act like that towards others."

Pascal smiles softly at the two.

"Well, we can't say we fully understand, but we can definitely say, this is incredibly bad timing on your part, you crazy freinfloofer!"

They cringe as they turn around to see the firefly, who had returned. It breathes fire once again.

"So, uh, where are those guys, anyway?" Hook Foot wonders as the boys are still in the treehouse. The firefly breathes fire not too far away from them, getting their attention.

"I think I know where they are."

The firefly chases after the group and they dive out of the way from its fire. They stare at the direction its going, to Lorbwalla.

"Everyone! Let's lure him away from the village!" Rapunzel shouts, and they all nod to each other. The firefly starts burning the fruit. "Hey! Over here!" The older princess waves her arms and it takes the bait, attacking them instead of the crops.

The Lorbs scream as they run away out of fear from the firefly. Pascal is surrounded by fire. "Okay, let's take inventory. Giant bug monster, check. Little leafy people and Pascal in a cape. Double check," He chuckles, smiling widely. "I cannot wait to hear this story. Hey, whoa!" The firefly nearly hits them with flames.

The leaf people continue to run as the firefly lands in front of Eugene. He strikes the back with his sword, but it has no effect on the bug. "Hey, Blondie, Brownie!" He waves to the two. "Looks like you made some new friends!"

"You know us, never met a stranger," Rapunzel calls out as she undoes her hair.

"Yeah, except this guy?" Varian points to the firefly. "Not friendly!"

The bug turns around and fires, Eugene rolling out of the way. Hook Foot yells as he charges in holding a fruit. He throws it at the firefly's face, but that just makes it angry. He yelps and runs away, but the bug suddenly stops. He looks behind him to see Rapunzel trapping its wings with her hair, the other three hanging on. He growls at them and flings them into Lance. Everyone else joins them.

"Rapunzel!" Eugene runs up to her.

"What are we gonna do? There's no stopping this thing!" She looks up at the bug. Harmony and Varian look to each other, and then at the firefly. It flies up to the fruit...and then eats one. It breathes fire afterwards.

"Peppers. Mouth on fire," The two sisters murmur in unison.

"That's it! That's how it can breathe fire!" Harmony's eyes widen as Rapunzel gasps.

"Wait! She's right! It's not evil! It's just eating too many peppers!"

"That's some really bad indigestion," Lance shakes his head.

Rapunzel smiles at some weeds in front of them. "We just have to feed it these stinky weeds!"

"Those stinky weeds are the only way to get that thing to neutralize the effects of the pompoen fruit," Harmony explains to the boys.

"But without your arrows, Mona, we'd have to get it really close," Varian states to her.

"We'll just have to figure out a way to feed him without getting burned, then..." She cringes slightly, but she doesn't see a way of that happening.

"Okay! I don't know what any of that meant, but let's do it!" Eugene declares and Pascal suddenly remembers what his cape is made out of. Rapunzel and Harmony approach the firefly, which continues breathing fire onto the ground. Harmony steps back a bit as it flies over their heads.

Daisy flies towards Pascal behind a rock and he gestures for her to fly him over there. She lands in front of him and he hops in. She takes flight towards the firefly.

"Pascal!" Rapunzel screams in alarm upon seeing him.

"Daisy, no!" Harmony cries out as they rush over. Daisy continues flying anyway, getting the firefly's attention. It stares at the two just as the others arrive.

"No!" The sisters shout, Daisy flying over the firefly's mouth. Pascal jumps inside, eaten...Rapunzel starts to cry, Harmony and Eugene comforting her. Suddenly the firefly roars, the colors from it changing from red to blue. It spits out Pascal, who was in a ball.

"Pascal?"

He rolls out of the ball, squeaking as he's fine. Daisy chirps as she flies back to them. "Pascal!" Rapunzel takes him into her hands, Daisy flying in front of Harmony. She smiles, nuzzling her duckling on the cheek. "Oh! You are, by far, the bravest chameleon I have ever met, and I will never, ever, ever overlook your inner strength and courage."

"Or your quick thinking," Cass bends down to him. The Lorbs cheer as the firefly flies away.

"Yes! He is brilliant!" Alfons states as they walk up to the group. "The Firefly only had an upset tum-tum from the peppers! All we must do is supply him with those stinky weeds and our harvest is saved! We have lost a king, but we have gained a friend." He shakes Pascal's tail.

* * *

"Well, as far as the shelter building contest goes, I think it's a tie between you and Harmony's group," Eugene states once the two groups return.

"I think I can live with that," Cass smirks to the two.

"At least ours is still standing," Harmony gives the boys a look.

"Why do you say that? What's wrong with your shelter?"

"Well, let's just say that it...kinda got away from us," Lance explains, chuckling in embarrassment.

"They built their first one over an anthill," Varian smirks, crossing his arms. "We saw it earlier. And not to mention, it's outside right now."

The girls look outside to see the first shelter still moving, giggling. "Oh! I wanna see your shelter, you guys," Rapunzel turns to the duo. "With all the craziness, we didn't get to see it."

"Oh, well, we can show you," Harmony waves the others forward, leading the way as she gets down the steps. Once they reach the other shelter, they see that the two have put in their doors and windows by using sticks. Varian opens the door, and they stare in shock at what they see. The Lorbs are putting up a bunch of paintings of the couple to decorate the walls.

"Oh wow..." Varian steps forward. "What's all this, guys?"

"Well...after thinking about what the intelligent flein—Princess Harmony said...we realized that she was right. We were treating you horribly. And to show our gratitude and remorse, we have taken the liberty of decorating your cute little hut!" Alfons states to them.

"Aww, you guys," Rapunzel bends down to the Lorbs. "That's so sweet of you."

"Apology accepted," Harmony smiles softly.

"It looks great," Varian grins as he looks around. Alfons offers his hands to the two and they all shake for a truce.


	36. There's Something About Hook Foot

Thunder strikes on a stormy night. A large sea creature with barnacles on his face clashes weapons with Eugene. Another fights with Lance as Cass and Harmony battle two on two, Varian hiding behind a tree. A creature lands in front of Rapunzel, who holds a frying pan. He hits it against the pan and it creates a loud sound.

_Believe it or not, this is a love story._

The waves crash on an early morning.

_We should probably back up to the beginning...and our dreamy, romantic lead._

* * *

Hook Foot looks towards the water with a lovestruck look on his face. A fly goes by, which goes into his nostril when he breathes deeply. The fly goes back out of his nose, the others staring at the man from behind.

"Um...something's up with Hook Foot," Lance rubs his chin. "He hasn't moved in I don't know how long."

"I'm guessing since low tide," Eugene comments as Hook Foot is almost neck-deep into the water.

"Actually, he's been there since yesterday after he got back from a walk," Harmony calls out and they look around to see her peeking out from the hut she shares with Varian.

_Turns out, all of us had noticed Hook Foot acting strangely..._

_Cass was having a sword duel with Harmony to sharpen the girl's skills when a toenail went flying, hitting Cass' sword. They looked towards each other and followed the source. A toenail flew past as they saw Hook Foot...clipping his toenails...with a crab._

"_Ew," They both cringed in disgust. Hook Foot turned around and paused before fleeing._

"_...You saw that too, right?" Cass asked Harmony, who nodded slowly in shock. She never thought she'd see the day when a pub thug would clip toenails._

_Hook Foot stared at himself in the mirror as he was wearing seashells in his hair. Lance came into view of the mirror, staring at the man in confusion. Hook Foot slowly put down the mirror and made a run for it, the seashells falling onto the table._

_When Rapunzel was starting to paint a bird in her journal, a raspy scrape made her mess up. And not only that, the same bird flew away. She listened closely, cringing at the loud sound. She followed it to see Hook Foot scraping his teeth with a stick, and a particular piece was stuck in the upper row. The stick broke and he looked up to see Rapunzel, shrieking in alarm and taking off._

"Now I know why there's grease on my mirror handle," Eugene stares at Hook Foot.

"And why the seashells I was collecting for Mona went missing," Varian looks up from his lab on the second floor of the hut.

"Aww, those were for me?" Harmony beams towards him and he rubs his neck.

"I was gonna make a bracelet..."

"Now I know why my walnut-cracking stick smells like teeth," Shorty gives an accusing look towards a pile of sticks. He was building a duck made out of sand.

"Maybe he's just in a good mood?" Rapunzel suggests with a shrug.

"That's the problem! Hook Foot only has two moods: surly and—just the one mood actually."

_Since Eugene knew Hook Foot best, he volunteered to question him with his characteristic tact and diplomacy._

**H: Really, Punzie?**

_Okay, maybe just tact._

"What is wrong with you?" Eugene asks nicely to Hook Foot, who just stares out to the water with a smile, holding a sandwich in hand. "You're acting strange, and what is that weird thing you're doing with your mouth?"

He turns to Eugene, an eye twitching as his smile widens a bit. "Smiling."

"Oh! That's how you smile," Eugene stands up, slightly alarmed. "And a—And a—a beautiful smile it is."

"I met someone, Eugene..." He says happily.

"Okay, always nice to meet people," The former thief smiles a bit.

"No. A lady," Hook Foot stands up, slightly swooning.

"Half of us are."

"No. A 'lady' lady," Hook Foot faces his friend, looking away for a second. "You know..."

Eugene thinks about it for a second before finally realizing what he means. "You? WOW! Oh!"

"Keep your voice down," Hook Foot warns him quietly. He points behind Eugene towards the treehouse. Harmony and Varian are showing the others the three pieces of the scroll, trying to determine how they're all connected. "I don't want the others to know."

"Foot, my man, you have my word," Eugene gestures to himself. "And believe me, I'm a vault. After all, Brownie trusted me when the snowstorm ended."

He takes a bite out of his sandwich, a bit doubtful by the former thief's smile.

* * *

Rapunzel, Harmony, and Varian all gasp once they've heard the news. "Hook Foot met someone?"

"HEY!" Hook Foot calls out as he heard that.

"Yeah. I'm still really struggling with the whole 'this guy's a vault' thing," Eugene smiles sheepishly.

"If you didn't want us to know, then you shouldn't have told Eugene," Harmony smirks in amusement, crossing her arms. Hook Foot throws down his sandwich out of frustration.

"Hook Foot met somebody?" Both Lance and Cass ask in surprise.

"Aw, Hook Foot!" Rapunzel grasps his fist.

"That's great, buddy!" Lance congratulates him.

"It's so sweet!" Harmony places her hands on her cheeks.

"I'm so happy for you!" Rapunzel exclaims next.

"Couldn't happen to a nicer guy."

"You deserve it, Hook Foot," Varian smiles at him.

"Is she pretty? Oh, what's her name? What does she look like?" Hook Foot glares towards Eugene. This is exactly why he didn't want them to know. "I am just so happy for you."

"Ooh, and he's surly again," Eugene winces at the look. "Guys, he's back to normal!"

"Tell us how you met her, Hook Foot," Rapunzel clasps her hands. "We want all the details. I mean, it can't top the way Varian and Harmi met," She wraps her arms around their shoulders. "Their meet-cute was so adorable!"

"Ahh, no need to compare..." Varian rubs his neck sheepishly.

"Alright, fine," He grumbles in defeat. "I was collectin' firewood the other day..."

_Hook Foot spun a stick into the pile he was carrying, walking down the shore. He picked up a white one, a crab crawling away. He trotted further before a shine hit his eye._

"_Huh?" He turned in confusion, seeing a small blue crystal in the sand. He scooped it up into his hand, eyeing the object. He had definitely never seen it before. Maybe Princess Harmony could determine what it was once he brought it back for her._

"_That's sea glass, hon," A female voice spoke up. He looked towards the source and gasped at the beautiful black-haired woman in the water. "Fun fact: they're rarer than pearls." Hook Foot stared at her in awe, dropping the sea glass and the pile of sticks. "Heya, Butterfingers. Name's Seraphina."_

"_Oh, uh, this isn't butter," He looked to his hands. "It's crab grease," He wiped it off himself in embarrassment. "I'm-I'm Hook Foot."_

"_Ya don't say," She eyed his hook. "Why do they call ya that?"_

"_...I have a hook for a foot," He whispered, pointing to his left leg. She laughed at him._

"_You got more looks than brains, honey," And with that, she swam away. He chuckled at the woman as his heart beat fast._

"_Brains..."_

_Okay, so it wasn't the most romantic story I ever heard, but Hook Foot was happy and that's all that matters._

"She gave me this to remember me by and told me not to lose it," He holds up a dark pink seashell that's around his neck.

"Aww!" Everyone coos at how sweet that is.

Hook Foot sighs dreamily. "And I never will. Kind of like the Harmonium."

Harmony smiles softly, lightly touching it with her fingers. Hook Foot takes another bite out of his sandwich. "We're even gonna do dinner later."

"Hookie! You got a date!" Eugene elbows him slightly. Hook Foot swallows his bite.

"No, it's not a date," He denies in embarrassment, "We're just getting' together to eat and, you know, uh, talk, and uh..." Hook Foot notices everyone's smiles and realizes that it is a date. "Wait! I have a date!" His mouth opens in shock and stays like that.

Rapunzel walks up to him. "I think he's just a little anxious, that's all," Eugene states, though he really wasn't sure. "He-he's gonna be fine."

The blonde princess waves a hand in front of his face. "Uh, Hook Foot?"

Then he merely faints, tumbling down the sand and into the water. "You wanna grab a pulse?" Eugene glances at them.

"We'll go get the rope and pull him back in..." Varian sighs as he walks off, Harmony following after him.

"And yet Shorty's the one who keeps falling into the water," She rolls her eyes.

* * *

_Hook Foot had never been on a date before, so Eugene, Varian, Harmi, and I promised to help. Our first step: recon. We had to meet this special lady to see who we were dealing with._

"Uh, um, oh, uh," Hook Foot stammers as he points up ahead. "There she is."

Seraphina is swimming in water as he touches his necklace nervously. "Hey, hey, hey, hey, relax," Eugene places a hand on his shoulder. "You're in great hands here, Foot, okay? I am the dating master."

Harmony clears her throat as Varian jerks a thumb to Rapunzel, who doesn't look amused at him at all. The two teens don't look very happy with him either. "Former," He chuckles nervously. "Former dating master."

"Idiot," The young girl coughs into her fist, getting a glare from her brother figure.

"But I can still give you some pointers about love."

"Hook Foot doesn't need pointers," Rapunzel speaks up. "He just needs to speak from the heart."

"Oh, no, no, no. It's not about speaking from the heart, Blondie. It's about the charm," Eugene states, his girlfriend looking at him in annoyance.

"Harmony, Varian, I need a second opinion. What do ya got?" The pub thug looks at them pleadingly.

"Ahh, hmm, put it tactfully," Harmony snaps her fingers in thought, trying to think of something. "It's about communication and being honest not just with yourself, but with her. In my opinion, you can't make it work if you can't trust that person."

"Well, for me, it's about putting the person you love first above all else. And to bring out the best in them. Like Mona did for me..." He smiles towards the girl, who smiles back happily. "But don't forget, it has to grow over time. Don't rush into anything unless you're sure you're ready. Besides, it wasn't charm that helped me be able to admit my feelings for Mona on her birthday."

"Oh?" She smiles in amusement, raising a brow. "Could've sworn it was your dance moves."

"Well, that too. But it didn't help that a ghost threatened your birthday either," He chuckles at her and she rolls her eyes playfully. Sure, blame the ghost. Rapunzel and Eugene both smile at the two as they reminisce about that moment.

Hook Foot suddenly lets out a belch. "Ugh, I thought that crawfish smelled bad goin' in!" Hook Foot laughs a little as he walks past all of them. "Who am I kiddin'? I'm gross!"

"Don't worry, Hookie. When I'm done with you, you're gonna be a smooth-talking-"

Seraphina, who had seen them, jumps out of the water...revealing a large fishtail as the lower half of her body. She lands in the water, leaving a shocked four of five from the group.

"She's a..." Eugene squeaks in surprise.

"Seraphina's a mermaid?" Rapunzel asks as they stare at her.

"Yeah, so? You're a woman with 70 feet with a sister who can create magic."

"And you don't see me staring," Seraphina smiles a little.

"...Yeah, you got us there," Rapunzel points at her, grinning.

"Wow!" Harmony and Varian bend down to the mermaid in awe. She smiles at the two.

"And who are these two sweethearts?"

"I'm Varian!" He smiles widely as Harmony waves.

"Harmony. I've never met a mermaid before! Oh, can I draw you?" She opens up her journal, flipping to a blank page.

"You sure can, sugar! Lookin' forward to our date, honey," Seraphina turns towards Hook Foot with a smile, touching his chest. He just giggles bashfully. Harmony finishes the sketch and turns the book around for her to see.

"I'll paint it later for you to look at!"

"Can't wait!" She winks at Harmony, waving as she swims backwards. "See ya tonight!"

"She's so nice," The girl smiles as she stands up. Hook Foot waves at her, but something seems to be watching them from the water...three blue fish creatures rise out of the water, looking at them not too far away.

"Apprehend Seraphina. The rest are...disposable."

* * *

_So, Hook Foot was in love, and he had his own way of showing it._

The group arrive back to the two shelters, where the horses are eating some grass. The two couples stare after an anxious Hook Foot.

"I'm so nervous my ears are sweatin'!" He pulls down his ears slightly. "Anybody got a rag? Hey, hey, can I use your horse tail?"

Max lifts up his neck, slowly scooching away. "I guess that's a nay."

"You know, Foot, after describing her eyes, her chin, even the birthmark on her chin, you'd think at some point, you'd get around to mentioning that she's half fish!" Eugene exclaims at the man. Harmony turns to look at him, punching the man in the arm.

"I don't care if she's half fish!" Hook Foot argues to him. "She's got a heart and I got a heart! And my heart, it burns! Sometimes it's cause I eat too fast. But also, it burns with loneliness. Seraphina's the only person I ever knew who could put out my burning heart and warm it up at the same time."

"Yeah, looks don't matter. You should know better than that," Harmony defends, pointing up a finger at him.

"It's about what's on the inside, _Eugene_," Varian quips, hands on his hips.

"That's very good, you guys," Rapunzel encourages them, smiling as she sighs happily from Hook Foot's confession. "How romantic..." She puts her hands to her heart.

"Okay, fine, you don't need to gang up on me. I'll swim with the current," Eugene smiles, walking up to the man. "Hook Foot, let's get you ready for a date."

"We'll help too!" Varian grins a bit.

"How? You've never been on a date," Hook Foot stares at them in confusion.

"You still haven't been on a date?" Rapunzel gasps at the two.

"We've been over this, and that's not the point," Harmony rolls her eyes at her sister. "This isn't about us, this is about Hook Foot. Just because we've never had a date doesn't mean we don't know how to prepare for one."

Varian says nothing as he looks away bashfully. He's actually setting up a date for them with the others' help: he just won't ask Eugene and Rapunzel otherwise they'll get overboard again like with Vigor...he knows that both of them were supposed to be focusing on their goals, but...she deserved it. Mona was special, very special, and he wanted them to have that experience...and they did promise their friends to do more romantic things.

As they walk away, thunder rumbles nearby...

* * *

"First, we gotta get you the right look," Eugene tells Hook Foot, who raises a brow in confusion. "Let's try this one that I like to call 'the simmer'." He purses his lips together, raising a brow. Harmony and Varian take one look at him, and burst out of laughter, falling onto the sand.

"The right look...and he does that. What-what makes you think that'll work on anyone?!" Harmony continues laughing as she stands up, pointing at him. "This is the greatest thing I've ever seen and heard! You're the only person I've ever seen do that!"

"That's not gonna work on Seraphina," Varian chuckles, shaking his head.

"B-Bet every coin I got!" Harmony giggles, trying to catch her breath. Eugene stares at them in annoyance.

"Don't listen to them," He waves it off. Hook Foot growls as he attempts the look, but ends up giving a scary growl with an eye twitch. Max whinnies in alarm, running off with Pascal. Harmony and Varian peek behind Eugene, a bit scared now.

* * *

Hook Foot growls as he stops back to Rapunzel, Harmony and Varian cringing.

"He's been like that the whole hike back...hide us," Varian whispers to Rapunzel.

"Let's not worry about simmering. All you have to do is be yourself. Just say whatever comes naturally," She smiles encouragingly.

"Huh...how can my armpits be so clammy and yet so itchy at the same time?" He scratches his armpit, sniffing it. "That's new. I wonder if I should have that checked out."

"Umm, maybe keep _some _things personal," Varian winces a bit as the girls are disgusted.

"Straighten that back," Eugene claps Hook Foot on the back.

"Sit however you want," Rapunzel advises as he sits like a log on a beach towel. He casually places his hook down.

"You gotta put your best foot forward," Eugene paces behind him, looking over his shoulder. "And in this case, I'm gonna let you decide which one that is."

"The important thing is that you're comfortable," Rapunzel states, laying down her feet, wiggling her toes. Hook Foot brings his feet together...and then gets them stuck. He tries to get his hook out, laying down on his back.

"Comfort's got nothing to do with it," Eugene comments as he arrives. "It's about igniting the fires of passion. And that won't happen if sparks aren't flying, you know."

"What does that even mean?" Rapunzel asks, the two teens looking between the two.

"Trust me, Blondie, I've gone on tons of dates!"

"You have?" Rapunzel questions, Harmony wincing.

"With you!"

"Oh, uh huh."

"And I know how love works," He states confidently.

"Oh great..." Harmony pinches her nose.

"Guys, I'm sure both of your advice is...helpful, but maybe we should give it a shot?" Varian calls out nervously.

"Stay out of it!" The couple shouts at them, the two recoiling back a bit.

_Okay, so Eugene and I were at a bit of an impasse._

**A bit?**

_Okay, sure, laugh at me now, Harmi. Still, we were both excited when...the big moment arrived._

* * *

Eugene sails all of them to the meeting spot. Hook Foot gulps nervously as Harmony tries to touch up his hair, to no avail. Seraphina moves away a wall of seaweed as she sits on top of the rock, smiling towards him. He looks up at her in awe.

Rapunzel and Pascal provide the music as the two sit across from each other. Varian found some flowers to use as a centerpiece. Hook Foot wipes off his ears with a cloth that Harmony handed to him, thankfully.

"Sorry about all the ear sweat," He squeezes it dry, a small puddle forming nearby. She just smiles, a hand on her cheek. Harmony, Varian, and Eugene approach the table, holding silver plates underneath trays. A cloth is over their arms.

"Bonjour, bienvenue, and welcome, I'm Eugene. These are my assistants Princess Harmony and Varian," They both bow to the two once their names have been spoken. "We'll be taking care of you."

"Water to drink," Harmony places a few glasses in front of them.

"And with ice," Varian smirks, digging into his bag. He pulls out two blue chem balls as Harmony places down her tray on the table, holding up two water cups. She throws them into the air and he throws the orbs at the two streams. Once they meet, ice falls into their cups, and the two clap. The young duo bow again.

"Our first course, fresh halibut," Eugene reveals the dead fish, Seraphina gasping in horror.

"Steve!"

A string twangs from Rapunzel's guitar, the teens giving Eugene an accusing look. "What was going through your mind when you said 'oh no, guys, leave the menu to me?' We can't serve them this!" Harmony hisses to him.

"You were about to serve her friend?" Varian whispers to the man, who covers the fish.

"And I'm sure Steve is gonna pull right through..." He takes away all the trays. "Don't look under there."

"We should've looked at them..." The boy sighs, shaking his head.

"We're so sorry about that," Harmony frowns a bit. "Is there something else we can get you tonight?"

"Ya know what? I'll serve myself," She gets up, diving into the water. A few seconds later, she holds up a handful of kelp. "Kelp?" She places it in front of Hook Foot, the teens glancing to each other.

"Kelp it is...we'll go get more!" Harmony bites her lip awkwardly.

"You two are just sweet as sugar!" Seraphina smiles gratefully, and the girl hands her the copied painting of the mermaid, the two leaving the table.

Hook Foot stares at the kelp, looking up to the mermaid who looks at him fondly. He pats it a bit before shoveling it all into his mouth. He slurps it into his mouth, groaning a bit from the awful taste.

"You know what food you might like? Try the simmer," Eugene suggests to him, wiggling his eyebrows. "I hear it's wonderful."

"That's still hilarious that you think it's gonna work!" Harmony calls out nearby, earning a glare in return. Hook Foot turns to the mermaid, who hasn't said a word. He tries his simmer, but she's just confused by it.

"Why is your face doin' that? Is the kelp not sittin' right?" She joins his side in concern.

"Just say whatever comes naturally to your mind~!" Rapunzel sings as she walks past them. He drops the look, not meeting Seraphina's eyes. Would that really work? She's a mermaid, for crying out loud!

"Uhh, look at this weather, huh? Boy, is it weather!" He couldn't believe that he just said that.

"I see you still have the necklace I gave you," She smiles, eyeing it.

"Do you...you want it back?" He lightly touches it.

"No, I'm just lookin'," She eyes him with a small grin.

"Hey, I got you somethin', little gift," He digs into his pocket, pulling out the sea glass that he saw when he met her. "Sea glass, almost as rare as pearls."

"Those are called mermaid tears. You know where those come from, right?"

He stares at her in confusion. "They come from mermaids, when we cry."

"...Did he really just give those?" Varian pinches his nose, Harmony chuckling nervously.

"He's blowing it..."

Hook Foot tosses them over his shoulder quickly, Eugene covering his face with a plate. Seraphina no longer looks at him as her face says that she's a bit disinterested.

"Straighten your back," He says quietly as he walks past them. His back cracks a bit as he sits up.

"Sit however you want~" Rapunzel sings as she strums.

"You gotta look good~" Eugene sings this time.

"Be yourself," Rapunzel glares at her boyfriend as they continue within the melody of the song.

"Love is hard work~"

"It doesn't need to be~" They grit their teeth towards each other, fast flamenco music being played by Pascal, but he ends up breaking his guitar...

"Uh, hope you enjoyed that little ditty. We call it, Speak from Your Heart," Rapunzel smiles softly towards her friend.

"OHkay! That's enough now," Harmony stands between her sister and Eugene as they still glare at one another.

"I think it's time for us to take over," Varian gives them a look as he places down some more kelp.

"No more singing, for one," The girl takes the guitars away. "And two, over here, right now!"

The two pull their friends away from the table to speak with them. "Guys, you're on two different opinions here. Hook Foot has no idea what to do because of your clashing!" Harmony explains to them.

"And it's making all of us a little uncomfortable," Varian pinches his fingers together.

"What do you two know? You're still kids!" Eugene gestures to them.

"And yet somehow, we're more mature on this than you!" Harmony quips back.

"He's gotta do this on his own," Varian looks back to Hook Foot and Seraphina. "Without your...helpful advice."

"Fine, we'll try this your way," Rapunzel waves it off. "But I know I'm right."

"You're kidding, he's gonna have to bring a lot of charm if he wants to have a chance with Seraphina."

"Don't you think that if she cared about his looks or his odor or his digestive habits, she wouldn't be here right now with him?" Harmony asks softly and they say nothing, looking away. She had a point; Seraphina did look excited to be going on a date with him regardless of how he looked or acted. "It doesn't matter if he has charm or if he has to be himself. It matters how he decides to act and express his feelings."

"...Look, I'm just gonna be honest," Hook Foot speaks up. "This ain't me. I'm trying _so _hard to impress you because...I think you're really, really special and—and I'm not." Her eyes widen at his words, turning to him. "I ain't a looker, I got a hook foot, I got bad breath-"

"I like your breath!" She interrupts, surprising him. "Reminds me of seaweed drying in the morning sun."

His eyes widen slowly and then he smiles. "Hey, you still hungry?" He chuckles as he takes the plate of kelp, stumbling and tripping into the water. Nevertheless, he saved the plate as he holds it up. "Here!" He gives it to her and she smiles. "Seconds."

"Now you're talkin' my language, handsome," She replies, eating the kelp. He stares at her longingly, fist to his cheek. The moon shines on them, everything around them changing color. Seraphina looks up at Hook Foot, still chewing kelp.

**The moonlight on the shore**

**The promise of much more**

**It drives me crazy merely thinking of you**

He stares at the mermaid who's still eating. He holds out his hand to her and she slurps the rest of her meal. She takes his hands and he helps her up.

**But I'd give anything **

**To hear you sweetly sing**

They touch cheeks, smiling.

**Those three small words I long to hear**

She starts to sing, a piercing screech echoing. Fish start jumping out of the water as the others cover their ears. Pascal and Daisy are whisked away by the loud sound. Hook Foot cringes, his hair flying before it finally stops.

"...You pierce my ears and skull like you pierce my heart."

Harmony's head spins around as her hair is a mess in all directions. "Seraphina...I think I love you."

Her smiles drops at his confession, recoiling back a bit. "Hook Foot...I need to tell you something."

Suddenly, the fishmen rise out of the water, landing nearby. "Seraphina! Your time here is up!"

"Hook Foot! Seraphina!" Rapunzel shouts as the four land behind them. "Jump!"

"Here ya go!" Eugene runs forward with Rapunzel's hair in his hands. One of them throws a spear, but it breaks right through the hair. Another throws his weapon, but Harmony creates a black rock, breaking it into pieces. Eugene pushes both of them into the water.

"Run!"

Seraphina jumps into the water with Hook Foot and he screams as she swims away.

"After them!"

"Who are those guys? Why are they after Seraphina?" Varian asks in shock.

"I don't know why they want her, but we can't stay around here finding out!" Harmony states as they jump off the rock.

Seraphina carries Hook Foot on her back as she swims rapidly, the fishmen catching up to them. She looks behind her and swims faster than before. The two jump into the air nearby the four on boat. Hook Foot flies towards the ground, but lands safely and catches Seraphina.

"Come on! Let's scram!" He runs off as two of them land a few feet away. He sighs in relief as he sees Cass and Lance running up to help. He races right past them as the two challenge the creatures.

"Now _this _is my kind of date!" She exclaims, the others charging from behind.

Hook Foot can hear the thunder as he stops at a cave. "Don't worry. No matter what it takes, I'll protect you from the bad guys," He glares over his shoulder.

"That's the thing, Hook Foot. They're not the bad guys..." He stares at her in confusion. "I am..." His eyes widen as the thunder strikes again for dramatic effect.

* * *

One of the creatures growl as Eugene swings his sword at him. Once again, they battle as they were before, with Varian hiding behind the tree again. Rapunzel faces one with her frying pan and they clash weapons again.

_So this is where we came in before._

"Okay, we have to give Hook Foot and Seraphina time to escape!" Rapunzel calls out while battling her opponent.

"We had half-fish people, now we have full-fish people! What kind of anthropomorphic game are you playing?" Eugene states in disbelief.

"They're humanoid fish creatures," Harmony shouts, stepping back from one as they clash weapons.

"The girl is correct. We are Vodniks, and we enforce the laws of the sea!" Eugene hits him with his sword in the face, causing him to growl with a wicked smile.

"Oh, boy."

A Vodnik knocks Cass' sword out of her hands, which lands a few feet away. He points his trident at Cass. "I have you now..." She chuckles and ducks out of the way, pulling out her dagger from her pant leg.

"Yeah, well you brought forks...to a knife fight." She continues to fight back, Varian eyeing Cass' sword. He runs up and grabs it as Harmony's sword is kicked out of her hands. She narrows her eyes, creating a black rock to disarm him, but he just corners her.

"Mona!" He tosses it to her and she catches it swiftly.

"Thanks, Vari!" She turns around and sword fights with the Vodnik in front of her.

"Vodniks, step away!" Their leader tosses something. It looks like a blue grenade and when it lands in front of the group, it traps them in red coral.

"That's not how knife fights work!" Cass exclaims at them.

"You are under arrest for abetting Seraphina, wanted thief of the deep!"

Rapunzel opens her mouth in shock. "Thief?"

"Seraphina stole something?" Varian blinks in surprise.

* * *

Seraphina takes the necklace off a disappointed Hook Foot. "Wait, you're the bad guy? I don't get it."

She opens up the seashell and takes out a small cream pearl that was inside it. It also has a tiny purple element inside. "This is the sacred Mariner's Pearl. Where I come from, this thing is priceless. Insanely fragile, but priceless," She places it back inside the necklace.

"Wait! You gave me the shell just to conceal stolen merch? You used me!" He starts to storm off, upset.

"It's not like that!" She protests, swimming up to him. "Or at least, it's not anymore. When we first met, my play was to let you hang on to the pearl to keep my hands clean. I had to lose those Vodniks. But then I fell for you. Hard. I fell for your good looks...your ear sweat...your crab-greased hands."

He bends down to her, taking her hands. Thunder crashes and she immediately hugs him out of fear. He sighs, understanding now. But she couldn't live like this. "Seraphina...you gotta straighten out your life."

"It's too late for me..." She places her cheek on his chest. "Maybe not for us. What if we escaped together?"

"But my friends-"

"Would want you to be happy," She holds his cheek, smiling. "Wouldn't they?" She can tell that they only wanted the best for him, and would support his decision. He hums slightly, squeezing her hand.

"They're in the cove!" A voice announces, as the Vodniks had followed them.

"Alright! I'm comin' with you," He smiles at her softly. "And you're comin' with me!" He grabs her bridal style and walks off. He slides down a cliff, the Vodniks sliding after them. They stop at the edge, a Vodnik throwing a trident. Seraphina gasps as it goes flying, and it hits the edge, causing them to fall over. They both scream as they fall, landing in a net. The necklace slips from Seraphina's hand, and she tries to grab it, to no avail.

"No!"

Hook Foot catches it with his hook, lifting it up. "Whew! Almost lost our new life."

* * *

"We've got to get outta this thing!" Eugene pulls at the coral.

"It's no use! It won't break," Rapunzel slams against it with her frying pan. "None of us can get out!"

"And I can't get my hand to move!" Harmony grunts as her left arm is entrapped in coral.

"Hey!" They look to Shorty, who's out of the coral holding Rapunzel's hair in his hands. "When did you get all this hair?"

* * *

Hook Foot and Seraphina touch noses lovingly. "Give up the pearl and surrender, Seraphina," A Vodnik demands to her. "And maybe we'll let you live. But not your dry-skinned land eel."

"Dry skin!" He exclaims up at him. "Why, I oughta..."

"He goes, I go!" Seraphina hugs him tightly.

"Suits us," He takes a piece of rope, unhooking it with his trident. They both gasp sharply and he laughs at them.

"Shorty, how did you get out?" Rapunzel asks incredibly.

"Uh, I dug a hole lookin' for my walnut," He states obviously.

"Hole? I didn't see any hole down here-" They all shout as they slide downwards, landing in the said hole. Shorty holds up his walnut.

"Found it!"

The Vodniks continue to try to cut the rope. Hook Foot hears a few birds, looking downwards to see a few seagulls nearby on a rock.

"Seraphina! Your song!"

"Not really feeling musical at the moment!" She shakes her head. The situation is kind of dire, after all.

"Sing it now!" He urges her and she does so. It alerts the birds and they fly off. The rope breaks and they scream, the birds flying over the Vodniks. "Hold my hand! Tight!"

She does so and his hook latches against the rope, causing them to swing. Seraphina flies into the air and grabs a rope, pulling Hook Foot back onto land.

"Hook Foot!" She goes over to hug him, the Vodniks growling.

"Arrest them!"

"Not so fast!" They turn around to see Rapunzel and the others. "Those are our friends!"

"You..." The leader growls towards her. "Irritate me."

"That makes two of us," Harmony challenges back, narrowing her eyes. He throws his trident, but Rapunzel knocks it into the air. Harmony creates a black rock, sending the weapon flying into a tree.

"Yeah, right back at ya," Rapunzel points at them.

"It'll take more than a round, black paddle and a black rock to defeat us!"

The fishmen run up to the group. "It's a frying pan," Rapunzel grits her teeth at them.

"And don't you forget it!" Harmony declares to him as they separate. The blonde princess jumps over a frying pan. She knocks him in the stomach as Lance laughs, grabbing the trident.

"Eugene! Duck!" He swings it at the Vodnik, sending him flying. Eugene and Lance share a fist bump. One of them nearby laughs, Cass looking over her shoulder. She kicks a hive into the air and then it lands on the Vodnik's face, distracting him. A coral trap is thrown towards the boys again, but Cass steps in and slices it in half.

"Oh, I broke your jail. Now what are you gonna do about it?" She teases, gritting her teeth. He just laughs as a flash happens behind her. "Oops..." She looks back to see Lance and Eugene trapped in the coral again...

"You did that on purpose."

She attempts to help, but gets trapped as well.

Harmony and Rapunzel's weapons are taken away from them, and they look up to see a Vodnik laughing as he holds them.

"Stay here!" Hook Foot tells Seraphina. "I gotta help my friends!" He pushes past the Vodnik near the sisters, tackling one. Their weapons land in their hands. Rapunzel hits him on the head while Harmony traps him in black rocks.

Hook Foot is pushed onto the ground, groaning. "Hook Foot!" Seraphina calls out in concern. The girls and Varian get captured, struggling in their tight grip. "Stop!" She holds up the Mariner's Pearl. "You want it?"

"What are you doing?" Hook Foot calls out.

"...I'll go in peace, if you leave Hook Foot and his friends alone. Or else..." She places down the pearl, holding a rock into the air. "Or else...goodbye pearl."

Hook Foot whimpers slightly. "No. Not the pearl," The leader looks on in horror. The creatures reluctantly let go of the three. "As you wish..."

She smirks, tossing the pearl into his slippery hands. Harmony kicks the leader in the stomach and he groans, holding his stomach. "Why you-!"

"Consider it even for what you did to us!" She hisses as she points to him, huffing. Hook Foot runs over to Seraphina, holding her hands.

"I don't want you to go."

"Sorry, sugar, but I gotta..." She says sadly. The next thing she knew, his hook is in front of her.

"Here, somethin' to remember me by."

"Giving a hook to a fish, really?" Seraphina asks skeptically as she holds it in her hands. Harmony and Varian both cringe. File that into things you shouldn't do with a mermaid...He looks down sadly and she smiles. "Kidding. I love it." She gives him a small kiss and is taken away.

"Seraphina!" He calls her name. "Seraphina!"

"Bye, good-lookin'," She murmurs forlornly and he frowns upsettingly. He watches as the Vodniks jump and they all disappear into the water.

"She gave up her freedom for him..." Harmony puts a hand to her heart.

* * *

The next morning, the two couples approach a saddened Hook foot, who's tracing the sand with a stick. "Well, I'm sorry about how things worked out..." Eugene tells him.

"Thanks," He looks up briefly, looking back to the sand with a hand on his cheek. "I guess I learned that sometimes...you gotta let the one you love swim away," He had traced their initials along with a heart. Harmony and Varian look to each other briefly before the princess kneels next to him.

"I felt the same way...when I sacrificed myself to defeat Varian," She closes her eyes. "I almost let him get away...but then I remembered how much I care for him. And someday, Seraphina will be back, Hook Foot. I truly believe that."

The wave washes away the drawing and when it goes away, it reveals a mermaid's tear...He picks it up and stares at it.

"Mermaid tears."

And then another wave washes over, revealing dozens of mermaid tears. Seraphina is just as heartbroken as she is...

A crab crawls onto his shoulder and he smiles weakly. He stands up and walks along the shore. Harmony gets onto her feet, her eyes sympathetic for him.

"You know, Blondie, I can see what you were saying," Eugene speaks up. "Sometimes, love just finds a way of happening all on its own."

"And I guess sometimes you do have to work at it," She agrees with him and they hold hands, smiling at each other. Varian gives Harmony a side hug, kissing her cheek and she grins happily.

_Either way, love can be hard. So when you find that special someone...treasure every moment._

**And love will always find a way.**

* * *

"Hey Mona," Varian lightly knocks onto the front door, seeing the girl inside sitting on her bed. She looks up from her journal to see him. "Would you mind coming with me for a walk?"

"Uh, okay," She stands up as Daisy flies off her shoulder. The duckling smiles towards Varian as she watches him lead the girl away. The two walk along the shore, eyeing the water. He takes a hold of her hand. "I hope that ferry comes soon..."

"We might as well enjoy though as it lasts, right?" He asks, coming to a stop. She looks at him in confusion and then looks up ahead, gasping.

There, on the shore in front of them, is a boat surrounded by candles for light. Rapunzel and Eugene gesture to their boat ride.

"Vari..." She murmurs softly. "You did all this? What's the occasion?"

"You are," He smiles, squeezing her hand. "Um...it's, well...a date."

Harmony blinks, touching her necklace lightly. "Wow...that's so sweet. What are we waiting for?" She pulls him forward and he chuckles. He allows her to step on first, climbing into the small boat and sitting in front of her. They both smile at each other as Eugene and Rapunzel lean forward.

"For the record, we're only letting you borrow our thing because you're our friends," Eugene points out.

"Have fun, you two!" Rapunzel exclaims as they push the boat forward, waving as they watch the teens float away on the boat.

"Seraphina inspire you?" Harmony asks in amusement.

"A little," He pulls out an oar and starts rowing. She looks up at the night sky and all the stars in awe. He smiles as they enjoy the peace and quiet (something they haven't had the whole day). He stares at the girl, this princess sitting in front of him. Their socio-economic status couldn't be anymore different: she's a princess, and he has almost nothing to offer her. But she didn't care about that, and saw him as a person...kind of like Rapunzel and Eugene...

He comes to a stop where it's best to see the stars and she scrambles into the spot next to him. Harmony bounces up and down a bit. "This is a great place to see all the constellations!"

"I had our route calibrated before I got the boat," He chuckles, wrapping an arm around her. "Do you...do you regret doing this later?"

"No...it's fine, Vari," She looks up at him. "You were worth the wait."

He smiles softly, kissing the top of her head. "I promise, we'll do more things like this. I don't wanna wait regretting it later..."

She hugs his waist tightly, humming happily as she rests her cheek on his chest. He grins down at the girl, hugging her back. They both turn their eyes to the stars above, pointing out all of the constellations as they just sit there and enjoy themselves...


	37. Happiness Is

**Angel: Everything that could go wrong has...my water heater up and DIED out of nowhere last Wednesday, and I had to wait until yesterday before it got fixed...almost a whole week with no water for the upstairs bathrooms, and I couldn't even do laundry! And I had to use my grandma's bathroom downstairs...**

**This is just ridiculous, I hate this outbreak so much...and my sister does too! She was supposed to be on campus at her school this year for summer classes, but now she has to do it online and stay here while doing that since they switched it to online learning for the summer semester too...hopefully I don't have to do that for the fall.**

**I have 6 episodes left for the last season to write. I dreaded this so much, but I have to move on because I have other plans...**

**Also, I noticed something from YouTube. I don't know if this is a coincidence or not since it's from 4 days ago, but there is a video called Tangled the Series Varian Harmony Build Test. It's just a test animation of five seconds with Varian in his lab in his season 3 outfit, though I still find it...well, not sure how to feel XD I guess a bit flattered, but I'm like 95 percent sure it's a coincidence.**

_A long time ago..._

A yellow Lorb looked back in fear as he ran through the grass. He raced up to a flight of stairs, thunder crashing. He sprinted up the steps, looking back again. A few Lorbs chattered angrily once they caught sight of the yellow Lorb, chasing after him. The little Lorb looked ahead at a mantle, surrounded by two lit torches. The Lorbs ran towards the top, the yellow Lorb looking at them in horror. He dug into his bag and pulled out a strange idol that had three pairs of eyes on it.

He planted the idol on the mantle, turning around. He acted quickly to grab a rock, the idol glowing red. He tried to destroy it, but his eyes turned red, causing him to grab the idol. The other Lorbs tried to grab it, but he dropped it instead, and it went flying into the space below...

* * *

_Present Day_

Music is being played by the happy Lorbs as Lance and Hook Foot are dancing. Cass and Eugene are sitting on logs as they circle a bonfire. Varian has made a desk for himself in front of a cottage nearby, pouring in some chemicals. Harmony and Rapunzel aren't there with everyone for some reason. Silver, Fidella, and Max bob their heads to the music.

"Boy, Lorbs sure do know how to party. Huh, Blondie?" Eugene asks while holding a coconut drink. He looks to see that the two are missing. "Where's Blondie? Or Brownie for that matter?"

"I'm sure they're on their way," Cass smiles at him. "After all, who would want to miss this?" She gestures to Lance and Hook Foot clapping and dancing. The three horses just smile as they look on. Cass looks over her shoulder. "Varian, you've been working for days now. I know you wanna free your father, but it's good to have fun too."

"No, Cassie," He sighs, shaking his head. "I can't stop now. This is too important."

"Let the kid work," Eugene shrugs towards Cass. "If that's what he does for fun, who are we to stop him? And besides, he needs to concentrate on Quirin."

* * *

The two sisters are admiring all the birthday lanterns their parents would release. "Look at this one!" Rapunzel points to one. "They embroidered my name on it. Ooh! And this one, it must be a—a—a portrait of whoever made it. Ooh, look at this, it's-it's-uh...I don't know what it is."

Harmony looks over her shoulder at the scribbles. "Oh! That was the orphans. It was their turn to pitch in for designs that year."

"I still can't get over how many there are, for both of us," Rapunzel smiles at all the lanterns. Pascal grabs one and accidentally rips it. Daisy catches him before he could fall, shaking her head at what he did.

"I'll fix it," Harmony digs into her skirt and pulls out a needle and thread. When she leans towards the lantern, she sees something. "Huh..."

"Guys, this lantern is decorated with our father's crest."

"And look," Harmony tilts the lantern a bit for Rapunzel to see that there's a letter inside it. The older sister takes it into her hands.

"Did you know about this letter?"

"No," The girl shakes her head. She gasps when she opens it up.

"It's from Dad. My dearest Rapunzel..."

_It's been seven years since I last held you in my arms. In that seven years, not a moment passes that I don't think of you, about how I would give anything to hold you just one more time. Your sister, Harmony, as I mentioned before, is growing up without you...but I can't wait for you to meet her. She's so intelligent at 3 years old, creative, and kindhearted. And to this day and many more, there is no regret into bringing her into this world. She said her first word Papa not too long ago, and loves to deem me as such. Though I still imagine you as the baby we lost, I know wherever you are, you've grown, but no matter how long..._

"You are away or how far you go, know that Corona will always be your home."

After she finishes reading it, she wipes away a tear. Harmony sniffles, putting a hand to her heart. "Papa..." She murmurs softly. She wishes she could hug him right now, but...she can't.

"Oh, Dad," Rapunzel puts the letter to her heart. "I miss them, guys." She walks back to go join the others, Harmony following after her.

"I remember when that happened," She smiles wistfully. "I said Papa when he gave me a piggyback ride. I wouldn't stop calling him Papa the whole day..."

While she was stuck in that castle...she did have good memories as well...it was, and still is, her home.

* * *

Lance wiggles his legs around and bows when he's done. "Ha! Thank you, uncharted island!"

"Huh, I had no idea Lance was so graceful," Cass chuckles a little.

"Wait for it," Eugene says knowingly. Cass stares in confusion and notices that Lance is bowing a little too close to...

Lance sniffs the air. "Um, any—anyone else smell burning?" He looks at his pants to see smoke coming from them. He screams, everyone looking at him. "Ow! Ooh! That's hot!" Hook Foot laughs at him, Varian rolling his eyes and looking back to his formulas.

"I'd give it a seven for effort," Shorty calls out while buried in sand.

"Let the celebration continue!" Alfons declares, the music starting again. Cass and Eugene laugh as Rapunzel sits between them. Harmony walks up to Varian, hands behind her back.

"Find anything?"

"No..." He sighs a bit, running a hand through his hair. "I don't get it! Why is this so hard? I created the amber, I should know how to get rid of it!"

"Hey," She places a hand on his shoulder softly. "We'll find the answer, Vari. I promised you, remember? Don't stress yourself out right now."

"But I can't just sit and do nothing," He looks up at her, noticing her melancholy face. "Are you okay, Mona? You look a little down."

"I, uh..." She looks away. "I guess so."

"Mona," He gives her a semi-serious look. "You can tell me."

"Maybe later. Right now, just focus on your father. But thanks for your patience."

"Just...if you need to talk, I'm here."

She smiles a bit, kissing his cheek and leaving him some pineapple she found. He takes a bite, smiling towards her as she walks towards the others. She wipes off her skirt, sitting down on the sand. Eugene stands up and offers his hand to Rapunzel.

"May I have this dance, milady?"

She looks briefly towards Pascal and smiles. "You bet." She takes his hand and Pascal jumps off into Harmony's lap. He looks up at the girl as she sadly looks towards the ground. Cass watches the two dance and Eugene dips her. She looks towards three Lorbs hugging and stands up, looking just as sad as her sister.

"I, um...I just need a moment," She walks away, opening up the letter she found in front of some lanterns.

"Blondie?" She tenses up, quickly hiding the letter. She wipes away her eyes again. Eugene approaches her slowly. "You alright?"

"It's just...these lanterns, all the celebrating, they remind me of home. I was so excited to see the world that I guess I never really thought about how much I would miss everyone."

"Oh, you're just a little homesick," He tells her. "By tomorrow morning, you'll be just fine."

She smiles a little.

"Hey, you okay?" Cass glances at Harmony, who looks up at her friend.

"Oh, uh..." She rubs her arm. "Well...I read a letter from Dad...when I was 3 and my sister was still missing. About how much he loves us both, and...I just feel...sad that he's not here right now. Or everyone else from Corona. I know that I was stuck there for 14 years, but stuck or not...it's where I grew up."

"You're just homesick," Cass smirks a bit. "But I thought you didn't like being stuck at home all the time."

"Well, yeah, I didn't, but it's where I lived my life, Cass. Where I learned how to walk, how to invent, how to fire an arrow for the first time. And...I missed Rapunzel. A lot. I didn't know what she was like since she was a newborn when she was gone, but...I knew I loved her. And that she would love me after finding out who I am and what I could do..." She looks at her left hand.

When she was old enough to understand, she was told the full story of what happened to her sister. The rest of her years spent, she would always imagine what her older sister would look like, painting pictures of her. She wished every day to meet her, even when she wasn't herself for a few years. Deep inside her heart, she longed for Rapunzel to come back. She always imagined her older sister to be sweet, smart like her, and to love all things.

"She still does," Cass smiles at the girl. "I'm sure you'll find a way to get past being homesick. You always do, after all."

"Thanks, Cass."

* * *

However, Rapunzel still has that sad look on her face the next morning, a telescope nearby on the table. Pascal crawls over to the woman, rubbing his chin. He pushes her lips apart to create a smile, but she drops it a few seconds later. He squeaks despondently and she sighs.

"I'm sorry, pal. I thought I'd be over being homesick by now."

He squeaks, pointing towards outside. "You're right. I should go out and face the day, huh? Are you up to do some exploring?" She pokes his belly and he squeaks happily, holding his stomach. "I'll ask Harmi if she wants to join!"

Rapunzel knocks on the door.

"Just a second!" The girl calls out from inside, opening the door a few seconds later. "Hey Punz. What's up?"

"I was thinking we could have a sister walk on the beach!" Rapunzel gestures to outside. "What do you say?"

Harmony looks over her shoulder, where Varian is still hard at work. "Vari, I'm going for a walk with Rapunzel. Do you need anything?"

"Mm," He hums, waving it off. She rolls her eyes in amusement, closing the door.

"He's been like that since this morning. I hope he realizes that alchemists need breaks too," She looks back towards the hut a bit in disappointment. If he spends all his time doing work, then she can't really enjoy her journey with him...and he _is _returning to Corona whenever they get close to the Dark Kingdom.

The two princesses walk along the shore. "You're right, Pascal, it's gorgeous," She smiles at everything around her. "The whole island is. And so is your skirt, Harmi. Can you tell me where you got the fabric from?"

"One of the ship's sails," She lightly touches the skirt. "Since we can't use it anymore, I thought why not borrow it?"

"Ooh, very resourceful," Rapunzel puts her hands on her hips as she looks at the outfit. Bells chime in the distance, getting their attention. "Do your hear that?"

"Yeah...what is that?" Harmony murmurs as they follow the sound. And somehow, the bells are blocking off her senses...

They walk though a small opening, following the sounds to a dead end. "Hm..." Harmony hums a bit as they look around. Then Rapunzel sees something glowing behind some leaves. The two sisters glance to each other, and Harmony brushes the leaves away to see something covered in moss. Rapunzel takes it and wipes it off...

To reveal the same idol that fell in that area many years ago. "What is this?" Rapunzel examines it.

"Why do I feel like I've seen this...?" Harmony murmurs as she eyes the idol. The eyes from it glow green, and it reflects in both of their eyes.

"Rapunzel..." Her eyes widen at the voice. She turns around, shocked to see their father standing right there.

"Dad?"

"What?" Harmony asks in confusion.

"How-How did you—I mean, what are you-" She stammers in shock, Pascal, Daisy, and Harmony looking around. "Oh! You're here!" She runs up and he hugs her.

"Rapunzel, how I've missed you."

"Oh! I've missed you so much. Harmi, look, it's Dad!" She turns around to her sister, but she doesn't look as thrilled as Rapunzel does. "I wish we would've known that you were coming. We would've planned a whole celebration with activities and games and music and a welcome banner, like a giant welcome banner."

Frederic just chuckles and she smiles widely. "Rapunzel, there's no need for that. Seeing you again is all that matters," He holds her arms, bringing her close.

"You have no idea how happy this makes me. Since we found your letter attached to the lantern, I've been so homesick. But now that you're here and-" She then realizes that he came here out of the blue, with no possible way of him knowing their exact location. "Wait, wait, wait. How did you get here?"

"Don't worry about that. Just know that as long as you hold this statue, I'll always be here," He places the idol in her bag. "You'll never have to feel that sadness again..." Once it's in her bag, he's gone, and she looks around, wondering what just happened.

"What? Did that just happen? Pascal? Harmi? Daisy?"

They don't answer, looking to each other in slight concern.

* * *

Owl hoots as he flies around. "We got a visual. They're coming," Cass smiles at Eugene.

"Alright, did everyone sign the cheer-up card for Rapunzel and Harmony?" He looks to everyone except Varian.

"Sure did," Lance calls out.

"Me too," Hook Foot chimes in. Max neighs in confirmation. "Well, except for Varian. He's in his zone right now."

"Again? What—oh, that kid needs to relax," Eugene drags a hand down his face. He can't leave his desk not even to sign a card? Is he really that deep under with this? "Shorty?"

Shorty is chewing something and swallows it. "In my defense, let the record show the card was made of cheese."

"The card was not made of cheese..." Eugene murmurs at this, realizing that Shorty ate the card.

"Agree to disagree."

"Hi guys!" Rapunzel greets with a smile, waving to them. Harmony follows close behind, but she still looks worried.

"Hey, look who cheered up," Cass notices with a small grin.

"Yup! And wait until you see why. It is only the most incredible thing ever," She holds up the idol.

"I give it a seven for effort," Shorty states as Harmony joins the group.

"I have no clue what she's talking about. After she grabbed that thing, she was smiling, but it doesn't feel natural," She whispers to them.

"Rapunzel, my darling girl." She turns around and laughs at her father.

"It's so good to see you, Dad," The woman hugs him happily. "See! I mean, can you believe it?"

They glance to each other, seeing what Harmony's getting at because Rapunzel is actually hugging a flower.

"Why aren't you guys more amazed by this?" She tugs at the plant as if tugging her father's sleeve. They continue to stay silent and she looks between them and the plant. "One second. Why can't they see you?"

"She's back..." Lance chuckles nervously. "But I don't know if she's all there."

"...Wait! I know this idol now!" Harmony examines it closely. "That's the Idol of Vershaftbezeigungengien. A word gag of German that doesn't really translate to anything, but it grants the illusion of happiness to whoever holds it."

"You have a point. Maybe you have to be holding it to see anything," She gives the idol to Eugene. It glows and he laughs it off.

"Blondie, I think your homesickness might be getting to your-" He turns around and sees a giant boat. "Sweet tomatoes! The royal yacht! And look! My likeness is carved upon its wondrous bow." In his mind, a carving of himself is in front. "Now we can get off the island and sail. Blondie, you fill my world with amazing things, you know that? The statue brings all the happy."

They stare at him as he's standing on top of an annoyed Max.

Cass takes her turn and is sword-fighting with her father like she used to. "Nicely done, but I don't think I taught you this," He swings towards her feet and she jumps.

"I picked up a thing or two out here on the road."

Hook Foot and Lance stare as she's fighting the air, jumping and retaliating back. "Whoo! Good one!" She laughs, hitting Hook foot as she jumps past the duo. Cass runs past Rapunzel, who has a big smile on her face.

Max holds it next, putting away criminals back in Corona. In actuality, he's hitting Hook Foot against a tree.

"Cut it out, would you? Ow!" He cries out in pain, Harmony giggling at him. Rapunzel smiles weakly towards the display as she looks as normal as possible.

"I don't know what kind of juice this is, but keep it coming," Lance is living the high life when it's his turn, wearing a crown and sipping from a golden gauntlet. But he's really eating sand from a coconut.

"Agree to agree!" Shorty eats some too, to the disgust of everyone else. Pascal looks up to Rapunzel, who is slowly growing impatient as she eyes the idol.

In Hook Foot's imagination, Seraphina is playing with his hair. He sighs happily, the others laughing as he's touching a bird.

"He's in love with that bird."

"You wanna give it a try, Brownie?" Eugene asks her as Hook Foot tosses the idol to him. He holds it out to the girl, who backs away a bit.

"I don't know..."

"What's all this about?" Varian arrives from the hut.

"Rapunzel found this idol where it can show you happiness!" Lance gestures to the idol. "Give it a shot, little man!"

"No way," He shakes his head. "You can't have happiness without sadness. I-It's impossible. I don't need to use that thing to get something I feel from inside of me. I'd rather take my chances going on the journey following the black rocks."

"Uh, uh, okay!" Rapunzel snatches it away from Eugene. "Give it back!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What gives, Raps?" Cass looks at her accusingly.

"Yeah, Blondie, since when are you not into sharing?" Eugene asks her.

"What?" She just laughs it off. "Not into sharing? Me? No, no, no, no, no, no. No, I-I love to share. It's just that I don't want to use up, uh, all of the magic all at once. You know? Okay, bye!" And with that, she runs off with the idol.

* * *

"Mom! Finally! Oh! How I've missed you!" Rapunzel exclaims inside the treehouse to her smiling parents. "I've missed you so much. You have no idea. Ulf!" He pretends that he's in a box. "You know, I didn't think that I would miss the miming, but I did! And, uh, Friedborg, you're-you're here!"

She beams at her. "It is so wonderful to have all of you here."

Pascal guides Harmony and Daisy inside, where they see Rapunzel talking to pillows. "Ugh! It's like they were holding onto that statue forever and I would have done anything to get it back."

"Um...Rapunzel?" Harmony asks slowly, getting her attention. "Are you okay? You're not acting like yourself."

"I'm fine!" She smiles happily, holding out the idol to Harmony. "Just see!"

"No. I don't wanna grow crazy trying to get it back when you clearly want it for yourself. At least the others don't want it as much as you did."

"I will do anything to get that statue back," Cass narrows her eyes from outside. "You create a diversion. I'll sneak around the side of the hut," She draws out the plan to Max, who whinnies towards her. "What do you mean I should be the diversion?"

He neighs again and she drops the stick. "What? Me in a tutu is more distracting than you in a tutu? Oh ho ho ho! I beg to differ, horse!"

"I got it," Eugene plucks a flower. "I'll ask her on a date. Then sweet talk her into giving me the statue, and if that doesn't work, I go full smolder. The blaze!" He closes his eyes and then purses his lips together, raising a brow. A crab actually swoons, fainting. "Then I swipe it while she's lost in the magic." He laughs like a mad man. "This is diabolical."

Lance is writing this down on his left hand. "Smolder, swipe, lost in magic, ha ha ha." He giggles, rubbing his hands together...then he remembers that the ink is still fresh. He gasps at his smudged hand.

Hook Foot is sitting on the roof, unhooking his hand. He attaches it to a fishing pole, which lowers into the ceiling.

Varian looks at all of them with a worried frown from the hut. That idol was changing all of them, making them selfish, including Rapunzel herself. How far were they going to go when they have to realize life can't go on without sadness? It's an emotion that has to be learned...something that Harmony taught him. She's the exact example: she wasn't happy all the time being trapped at home, never being allowed to go outside the castle...but she learned to deal with the consequences that her power can wield.

The door knocks and Rapunzel cringes over her shoulder. "Blondie, hello." She rushes to the door. "Can you come out?" He giggles behind his palm at his plan. Rapunzel looks over the window to see him, wincing. Then she sees Lance walking over with flowers.

"Date, smolder, and...ooh."

Her mouth opens wide, looking over at Cass and Max sneaking over. She shushes him and she runs back inside.

"Pascal, Harmi, Daisy, they're coming after the statue," She hugs it to her chest. "Huh, well, they're not gonna get it." The three look at each other, surprised by her tone. "Don't they know that I'm the one that needs it the most? Uh, you just want me to come out so you can have the idol. Ha ha! I'm onto you."

"What?" He screeches a bit. "No! Are you crazy? That is not true. We collectively miss you. Right, guys?"

"But you should really put that thing back, Rapunzel," Varian calls out as he joins the group. "That idol is dangerous, and it's messing with all of your heads."

"We're fine! Right, guys?" Eugene asks them, and they smile widely, nodding. "You see? And, yes, were you to come out, it would be a fantastic opportunity to pass the ol' magical statue around and experience the ultimate happiness that we all long for deep in our hearts, but I don't think anyone out here even thought of that. Did we?"

They shake their heads no minus Varian, who stares at them.

"Okay. I will come out, but only for a second."

"This is ridiculous," Harmony pinches her nose as she watches her sister open the door. Eugene pushes it open and brings her outside, pushing her away as he gives her the flowers.

"There's my girl. Say, I was wondering, it's been awhile since we had a date."

"Really? Out of the blue?" Harmony asks as she follows after them. Max dances past them wearing a grass tutu.

"What the-"

Cass jumps onto the balcony, sneaking past Rapunzel to get the statue. "Blondie, can we focus on the romance?"

She frowns at him for the tone, which is unlike him. "Oh no," He winces as he sees Hook Foot. The man laughs, shushing him, but loses his balance and falls into the treehouse, going all the way to the bottom. Rapunzel runs back to the front door.

"OW! Watch the hook, klutz!" Cass shouts at him, holding the idol. She pushes him off and runs past her friend, who grabs her hand.

"Hey, you give that back."

"Never! This belongs-"

"Hello, ladies," All three of them look to Lance holding flowers. "I hope I'm not interrupting, but..." He looks at his hand. "Uh, what does this say?"

"No. Just no," Harmony deadpans at him.

"Would you get out of here?" Cass yells at the man.

"Fine, fine. I can see when I'm not wanted," He walks away and the lady-in-waiting gasps to see the idol hidden behind his back.

"THIEF!"

"Gah!" He shouts, racing down the steps. Rapunzel grabs Harmony's hand and she yelps as her sister races after the others.

"Guys, you need to stop!" Varian cries out as he runs after them. Lance disappears into the bushes, Hook Foot putting his hook back on. He looks behind him to see Max in front of the others, throwing it behind the horse.

"I got it. I got it!" Eugene catches it into his hands. "Ha!"

Max kicks him, and the idol goes flying into the air. Eugene flies past Cass, Harmony, Varian, and Rapunzel as he lands in leaves. Max catches the idol with his mouth.

"Give me that statue, you nag!" Hook Foot leaps forward, grabbing the other end. Max spins him around trying to get him off. Cass tackles them onto the sand, snatching it.

"It belongs to me!"

Lance tries to get it back from her. "I ripped it off fair and square."

Eugene lands on his shoulders. "Using my gimmick!"

"We've got to do something before they tear each other apart," Rapunzel tells the teens.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you all," Varian looks up at her.

"I understand now, Varian. Thank you," She steps forward, holding out her hands. "STOP!"

They all pause in the fight, stepping away from each other. "Thank you for the bath, my good man," Shorty smiles, holding the idol. "It's been ages."

Rapunzel sighs a little in relief. "That's better. Look at what this has done to us. Yesterday, we were celebrating, and today, we are throwing punches at each other. Varian was right. The only sensible solution is to get rid of this statue once and for all." Shorty reluctantly puts it into her bag. "And since it was Harmi and me who found it in the first place, I think we should be the ones to get rid of it. I will not like it, but nothing is more important than our friendships. Yeah?"

They all nod in agreement. "Thank you. I know that wasn't easy for most of you, but...this has to be done. Come on, sis." And with that, they walk off...but then Rapunzel is laughing crazily while holding the bag. "Suckers! They fell for the oldest trick in the book, eh, guys?"

"Rapunzel, this is crazy! We can't really keep that thing forever!" Harmony stares at her while running. Rapunzel comes to a stop when she notices the eyes of the three.

"Don't give me that look. I mean, yeah, sure. I could get rid of the idol, but why? So I can be sad again? What is so wrong with something that makes me happy? Is that what you want? Huh? You all want me to be miserable for the rest of my life?"

The three look at her nervously, shaking their heads no. Harmony is very concerned now with the way Rapunzel has been acting with that idol.

"Good. Now speaking of the idol..." She holds it into her hands. "Old Lady Crowley! Hi, is that a new dress? It isn't, really? Because it looks new." Harmony nods to Pascal, who jumps off Rapunzel's shoulder and runs off to go get help with Daisy.

"Rapunzel, please listen to me," Harmony looks at her pleadingly. "This isn't you. Please...just give me the idol. I know you don't want to be sad, but this isn't the healthy way to cope with homesickness. You just have to find a way to deal with it."

"Ugh," She groans at the girl. "You know what? You need to know what you're missing out on. I'm tired of you trying to talk me down." She stands behind the brown-haired teenager, putting the idol into her hands.

"No Rapunzel, wait-!"

The idol glows green and her eyes widen as she sees both her parents, and her hair is fully brown. "Mom! Dad!"

"Hello, Harmony," Arianna smiles at her. "How does it feel to be free from the moonstone?"

"What?" Harmony looks up at her hair, smiling widely. "Oh my gosh! I don't have the moonstone's power anymore!"

Rapunzel smirks, crossing her arms. Now she finally has someone on her side for a change.

* * *

Meanwhile, the others are waiting rather impatiently for the two sisters to come back. "What's taking them so long?" Cass gasps sharply. "I bet she double-crossed us and Harmi was in on it!"

"Genius! Exactly how I would've done it," Lance murmurs while pacing around. Daisy flies into view of Varian, confusing him.

"Huh? Daisy, what are you doing here? Wasn't Mona supposed to get rid of the statue?"

She shakes her head and he looks to the others, sneaking away as he follows the duckling. "Listen, that statue was hard for all of us to let go of...well, besides Brownie and Goggles, but none of us have stronger will than Rapunzel or Harmony, and I'm sure that they're just, you know, really, really, really making sure nobody ever finds it again."

They all look at him skeptically minus Varian. "Wait, where did Varian go?" Cass looks around for him.

* * *

"What's new, Friedborg? You're looking wonderful," Rapunzel states, Harmony taking it from her.

"My turn! You've had it longer than anyone else," She holds her head up high, the older sister glaring towards her.

"Sweet Goginslpotz!" Alfons exclaims in horror as Pascal and Daisy have taken the Lorbs and Varian to the two. "It is as I feared. The idol has indeed taken hold of them. We must intervene. Rapunzel! Harmony! Please, I beg you both to put the statue down. You two are under the spell of the Idol of Vershaftsbezeigungengien. The longer you hold it, the stronger its grip on you will become."

"Mona, you said you didn't want to see anything, how could you touch it knowing what it does?" Varian asks softly, taking it from her.

"Vari, give it back!" Harmony tries to reach for it, but he holds the idol away. "I was finally talking to my parents again and I didn't have the moonstone's power weighing on me!"

"I'm sorry, Mona," He frowns a bit, knowing how much she loved her home and family. "I know you miss them and Corona, but just look at yourself. You're not thinking straight."

"I am thinking clearly!" She screams at him out of frustration and he stays silent, staring at her. This thing wasn't making her see just how this will end.

"Hold that thought, Friedborg. It seems I have been betrayed," Rapunzel glares at the trio. "You led them to us? How could you?"

"Why didn't you tell me that you were homesick in the first place?" Varian gives a disappointed look to his girlfriend.

"Like you've been paying attention!" She spits back at him. "You've been focused so much on your dad that I didn't wanna bother you with it! I know how important this is to you, and I don't wanna stand in your way, but I don't wanna go on being miserable missing Corona anymore!"

He stares at her wide-eyed, feeling bad now. He was so set on the amber that he didn't check up on her further, and he should have.

"Do not be angry with Pascal, Daisy, or Varian," Alfons steps in before it could get worse. "They have indeed saved your lives. The Idol of Vershaftsbezeigungengien destroys all who pursue it. The idol was created by a mystical Lorb warlock, Horb. It was Horb's dream to eliminate sadness and the idol was the fruit of that quest. Though his intentions were noble, Horb never considered that sadness is a much needed emotion. And so the idol's magic backfired and poisoned the minds of every Lorb he loved. His only hope was to perform a cleansing ritual atop the temple of Torb, but before he could, Horb lost the idol, dooming himself to a lifetime of sadness. If it is not stopped, the same fate awaits you both. The only way to be truly free of the idol is to know that happiness does not come from a thing, but from within your hearts."

"The same thing is happening to me and all of my friends..." Rapunzel holds out a hand to Pascal, nuzzling him with her forehead. "I'm so sorry, Pascal. I'm so sorry to everyone, actually."

"Vari..." Harmony murmurs sadly to him, taking his hand. "I'm so sorry I yelled at you, I didn't mean it..."

"I forgive you," He smiles softly, rubbing her hand with his thumb. "I know that I haven't been focusing on us lately, but...I'm going to change that. I promise."

She smiles back at him. "I just want you to balance yourself, Vari."

"Wait, so if it's evil, then why didn't you sense it, Harmi?"

"I didn't at first. This thing is so powerful it messed up my senses," She gestures to the idol.

"I will take the idol to the temple and perform the ritual. It's not safe for you to go yet. Chorb! Dorb! The Greufenmittens!" The mittens that block the idol's power are put onto his hands and he holds them out to the idol. Rapunzel slowly hands it over, but her finger lingers on it when it glows red. Her eyes glow red and she snatches it back. "What are you doing?!"

"Rapunzel, stop!" Harmony cries out at this, trying to take it back. Her eyes turn red as well and then the Lorbs turn into Varian, shocking them both.

"Hello, girls," The illusion smirks evilly.

"What?" They murmur, backing away slowly. The real Varian looks at them in confusion, wondering what they're seeing.

"I need your father to help me with a little experiment," He has a beaker in his hand as their father appears, tied up.

"Girls, help!"

"Get away from him, Varian!" They push away the Lorbs.

Harmony catches eye of something and stops. She slowly steps closer as she looks at it in awe.

Up there on a cliff is a mural of Corona painted on a wall of planks, featuring her parents and the rest of the citizens. And because she's not holding the idol...it's not an illusion. This mural was real...and then it hits her. Happiness can't be felt without sadness. Tough times have to happen because that was just reality and the world they live in...

"The Greufenmittens!" Alfons shouts as they fall off his hands. The eyes glow red as the leader touches it. The Lorbs surround the object and takes possession of them. "Change of plans, girls and Varian. You will be our prisoners and the Idol of Vershaftsbezeigungengien shall stay with us."

* * *

Pascal, Daisy, and Varian look in annoyance towards the two princesses. All of them are tied up in a small hut. "Guys, stop looking at us like that."

"It's not like we wanted this to happen," Harmony defends herself, but they narrow their eyes further.

"Okay, fine! We know! We know! We blew the chance to get rid of the idol of versha—vorken—vein—the idol—and now we're still homesick, we lost the statue, deceived all of our friends, and endangered the island!" The three nod in agreement. "See, I admitted it. There, are you happy?"

"And yes, I should have talked to you about it, and I shouldn't have taken the idol for myself, and we should've destroyed it," Harmony tells Varian, who stays silent. "...Are you mad at me?"

"...Mona, what did you see?"

"What?" She blinks at him, baffled.

"When your eyes were red, what did you see? Y-You both said my name, why?"

The two say nothing as they look to each other. They weren't sure how he'd handle it once either one of them told him...

"Please...I need to know. Tell me."

Rapunzel nods at Harmony, who turns to him. "...We saw you trying to hurt our father. And we were trying to stop you. That's why we pushed the Lorbs."

"...Wow, um..." He looks away, clearing his throat. "I..."

"Varian...it was just an illusion. The idol was messing with our heads. You know that," Rapunzel speaks up.

"It could've happened," He squeezes his eyes shut.

"Vari...I don't hold any anger or regret towards you," Harmony shakes her head slowly. "I brought you with us for a reason. So that you would see just how valuable is to have friends. Besides...you can't have happiness without sadness. Which I realized after I pushed them away."

Varian opens his eyes, smiling a little.

Outside, they can hear the Lorbs fighting over the idol.

"Guys, there you are," They look to see Eugene and Cass entering.

"Eugene, Cass," Rapunzel says in relief. "Oh, thank goodness. How did you find us?"

"Everyone was worried when you didn't come back and when Varian disappeared all of a sudden. I'm assuming he went to go find you," Cass looks to Harmony, who nods her head.

"What is with the Lorbs?" Eugene wonders while trying to undo Rapunzel's knots. "Why would they do this to you?"

"It's the statue," Rapunzel looks away.

"What? Because you got rid of it? None of what the idol showed us was real anyway. It was just false happiness. They should be thanking both of you for getting rid of it."

"Yeah, about that..." She starts off, Harmony whistling awkwardly.

"Raps, Harmi, what did you do?" Cass asks accusingly.

"I lied to everyone. I just wanted that happy feeling again, and I convinced my sister to do the same by letting her have a turn with the idol. And-"

"Wait, so you didn't get rid of it?"

"No, they didn't," Varian shakes his head. "Pascal, Daisy, and the Lorbs led me to them, and then when the girls dropped the idol, they took it and tied us up."

"And they're growing more hostile by the minute," Rapunzel glances outside. "So once you free us, we can take it to the top of the temple and..." She looks back to see that the two are gone. "Oh, come on!"

"Hang on," Harmony sighs, sitting up. "If I can just focus my hand..." She creates black rocks to cut through their ropes.

The Lorbs stop short to see the others. "That statue belongs to us," Eugene points at them.

"We laugh at your statue claim," Alfons retorts back. "Ha ha!"

"Nobody laughs at my claim and gets away with it," Lance crosses his arms. "Get 'em, Cass."

She growls as they run forward, fighting with the Lorbs. They're so focused on having the idol that they don't notice that the others have gotten free. The three run up to a cottage, watching as Max chases after Alfons.

"There's the statue."

"And there's the temple where we have to destroy it," Varian points to their left.

Rapunzel smirks a little, reaching towards her hair. "Do you think we're within 70 feet?" Pascal gives her a wink and a thumbs up.

"Oh yeah, totally," Harmony smiles, Rapunzel knocking the idol onto the sand with her hair.

"Quick, give me the bag," Rapunzel captures the idol with her hair and throws it into the bag.

"We need to hurry before they notice," Varian stares at everyone.

"Okay, all we gotta do is get this idol to the top of that temple before they see us. Doesn't look too bad."

"Easy for you to say," Harmony murmurs under her breath and they run for the steps. Alfons and Eugene are fighting each other.

"Give me back the idol!"

"How can I give it to you if I don't have it?" Eugene tries to pull him off.

"You don't have it? But then who do have it?"

"Alfons! Alfons! Look!" Two Lorbs point towards the trio as they're halfway up the temple.

"Oh no! Look, they're trying to destroy the idol of Vershaftsbezeigungengien!"

They all shout as they charge towards the temple. "Get them!"

The three turn around to see the others approaching. "Well, that's just great," Varian mutters at the sight of them.

"Hurry!" Harmony urges them as they get to the top. They see the mantle up ahead.

"There it is."

Varian looks back to see their friends on their trail. Rapunzel grabs their hands and pulls them forward. She puts the idol on the rings, holding a rock over it. She's about to destroy it when the idol glows red.

"Rapunzel! Please! Please don't do this."

Her red eyes look up at her father. "What if we never see you again? We miss you so much. Don't you miss us?"

"I...I...I have to," She stammers sadly. She did miss them, but this idol was not doing the right thing for her.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that!" He narrows his eyes at her, friends and family surrounding him. They step forward and the two teens look towards her.

"Rapunzel! You have to destroy that thing!" Varian exclaims to her.

"Sis, please! You know that you have to!"

"Alright, Blondie, hand it over-" Eugene stops speaking as all four of them see her holding the idol.

"Please, I miss you all so much, but I have to do this." She's struggling to hold it.

"Let's get her while she's distracted," Cass points to the blonde.

"Guys, no!" Harmony protests to them, Eugene pushing past her. Pascal tries to stop him, but he grabs the chameleon.

"Come on, frog, out of the way."

He flicks his tongue into Eugene's face. "Ow!"

Varian and Harmony stand in front of Rapunzel, holding out their arms. Pascal grabs Cass' hair and swings around, kicking Lance in the face. Daisy pecks away at Eugene's hair and he tries to get her off. He manages to move away from her, stepping in front of the two.

"Move, guys."

"Absolutely not!" Harmony shakes her head furiously.

"You're both her friends, you have to snap out of it!" Varian tells them, glaring.

"You little!" Cass attempts to squeeze the two, but they look up at her pleadingly.

"Guys, please!" Rapunzel pleads with them.

"We have to help her destroy it," Cass turns to the others. "You wanna be like them?" She points to the Lorbs, who are running up to them.

"It's okay, Blondie, we're here to help," Eugene assures her. The four surround her while Max, Hook Foot, and Lance fight off the Lorbs. Eugene hands her the rock.

"You are not my father! You are just an illusion. The people I love are what make me happy, and I won't let you hurt them anymore," Rapunzel shakes her head.

"Rapunzel, if you destroy the idol, you'll never be happy again!"

She grits her teeth. "Happiness doesn't come from a thing! It comes from inside my heart!" And with that, she slams the rock against the idol. A vortex appears above the fake friends and family, sucking them away.

"Rapunzel!" 'Frederic' calls out and they disappear. The Lorbs turn back to normal, confused by what's going on. Max blows one away, the four comforting the saddened Rapunzel.

"How you feeling?"

She sighs slowly, rubbing her neck. "Homesick. But I think I have a way to deal with it. Harmi, I'm curious about something. When did you snap out of it when I was still hearing the illusions?"

"I saw a mural of Corona before the Lorbs captured us...I don't know who did it, though."

Varian clears his throat, rubbing his neck. "Ahh...that would be me."

"What...?" She blinks in shock. She knew that he was skilled with drawing, but he created a whole mural? Just for her?

"I was going to take you to it so that you wouldn't feel homesick anymore...it took me a whole night. I started it just after you told me to focus on my father, actually. So I...had to keep it a secret."

"Wait, so you created that mural to bring home to Harmi?" Cass asks slowly, the girl staring at him.

"I can't believe you did that," Rapunzel blinks slowly.

"But I thought you just wanted to focus on how to get rid of the amber. That's all you've been doing," Eugene raises a surprised brow.

"Yeah, uh...I guess I did at first, but..."

Harmony's eyes widen slowly. He put her first...despite the fact that his father has been stuck there for months now...and she got angry with him for not paying more attention. Well, she wasn't thinking straight, so she's not sure that counts.

Harmony slowly walks up to Varian, touched by his gesture. Once she reaches the boy, she rewards him with a passionate kiss. He's surprised, but closes his eyes and kisses back, hugging her waist. Rapunzel puts her hands to her heart, about to shed a tear on how sweet the moment was. The others look on with smiles.

She pulls away a few seconds later, hugging him tightly as she sniffles.

"Thank you, Vari..." She whispers into his ear, the others slightly clapping for Varian. Harmony rests her chin on his shoulder as he smiles, leaning into her touch. "And I'm really sorry that I took the idol. I didn't want to, but..."

"It's okay," He runs a hand through her hair gently. "I know you miss your parents. But hey..." He pulls back to look at her, their foreheads touching. "If you're ever homesick again...you can just talk to me, Mona. You helped me, now let me help you."

She smiles, humming slightly. "I think I can live with that."

* * *

The two sisters sit together on the beach, holding one lantern each.

_We're still sad to be so far away from home and there's nothing wrong with that. _The two hold hands as they release the lanterns into the air. _We can be independent and see the world and still miss home. That's just part of life. Nobody can be happy all the time. And if we're sad, it's a reminder that we love our family. When we miss you the most, we have our friends to lean on. Until we see you again, you are always in our hearts. Love, Rapunzel and Harmony._

The king and queen of Corona look outside as the lanterns come into view...

"Harmi, I'm really sorry I forced you to take the idol," Rapunzel murmurs after a few seconds. "I just...wanted to see home again, and..."

"I get it," She smiles softly. "And I forgive you, but...I think I'll get over my homesickness easier than you will."

"Why is that?" Rapunzel raises a brow.

"Because no matter where I go...my home is with you."

The blonde smiles softly, hugging her sister.

* * *

A knock is heard from the treehouse door, Rapunzel looking at everyone else. She walks up and opens it to see Harmony standing there, holding two boxes. "Harmi! ...How's Varian?" She hadn't had a chance yet to talk to him about what they saw.

"He's okay now," She smiles softly. "We had a nice talk about me with being homesick and him with the...vision."

"I'm glad," Rapunzel smiles back, noticing the boxes. "What do you got there?"

"Um, just stuff," She walks inside, the woman closing the door. "Uh...I was told at a young age what happened to you, and...well, since I didn't have things to do most of the time in the castle...I found something else to pass the time."

She hands Rapunzel the boxes, and she places them down on the wood table. She looks up at the teenage girl, who nods for her to open them. Her hands slowly move away the lids and she gasps sharply. Inside both boxes are drawings, and they look to be a bit old. However, there's no mistaking that Harmony's handwriting is on all of them.

"What are these...?" She takes one into her hand, where a girl has been drawn with blonde hair. "Are these supposed to be me?"

"Well, what I imagined you'd be with each year," Harmony rubs her neck sheepishly. "I drew portraits of you, wondering just what you looked like and how you turned out to be...I wasn't totally wrong, which I'm glad to find out today. I'm giving these to you because...I figured that they might help with homesickness."

Rapunzel smiles up at her sister. "That is so sweet...I can't believe all those years, you took the time to do that despite what you were dealing with. When I first met you, I didn't know how I was going to appeal to you. How I was ever going to be a big sister to you. But now...seeing these...I'm proud to have you for a little sister. And I'm so happy that you showed me these."

Harmony smiles softly at her. The two share a warm hug. "I love you, Harmi."

"I love you too, Punzie."

Rapunzel guides the girl to the couch. "So tell me about all of them."

"Well, this one, I thought you'd have brown hair like me before I read about the Sundrop Flower. And with this one..."

Cass and Eugene smile as they look on at the two. They may miss their home...

But until they return, they have each other.


	38. Max and Eugene in Peril of the High Seas

**Angel: I am now finishing Cassandra's Revenge...4 episodes and the final special left...**

Shorty stares at a ship in a bottle as they're standing on the docks of the island. They're finally leaving on the cargo ferry that arrived for them. Shorty tries to eat the ship as Cass walks past him.

"Come on. Quit dawdling," She grabs him by the collar, dragging him away in annoyance.

"Who's dawdling? I'm trying to drink a boat."

"You know, my little Schlutchowsen?" Alfons asks a little Lorb. "For as disgusting, loutish, and incredibly unsightly as they were, I'm going to miss those stupid freinfloofers!"

Varian and Harmony clear their throats and he looks up to see them holding cargo. "You know we heard everything you just said, right?" Varian deadpans at him.

"I-I meant generous, smart, insightful!" He exclaims nervously, the two walking up ahead as the newly built caravan is being loaded, both the main one and Varian's.

"Ha! Well, I'm so glad the ferry's here, so we can finally get off this island," Rapunzel states to Eugene.

"And when we get back on land, we'll have a brand new set of wheels," Eugene gestures to the caravan behind him.

"Yep. It took six weeks of back-breaking work, but here we are," Lance smiles proudly.

Eugene chuckles sarcastically. "Yeah, of course, four of those weeks were spent ensuring all the specifications were up to 'Corona Transport Code'. Thank you very much, Max."

The horse holds his head up high as he snorts indignantly. "Oh, Max," Rapunzel runs up to him. "You're such a stickler. Aren't you? You're just a stickler." She hugs him and he wags his tail happily.

"Look at it. Good as new," Hook Foot accidentally gets his hook stuck in a wheel. He grunts as he tries to pull it out, and when he does, a piece of it breaks off. This knocks the caravan slightly off balance.

"You should have used your other-"

"My other foot. Yeah, I know," Hook Foot interrupts knowingly.

"Ha!" Alfons laughs as he walks up to them. "Stupid, stupid freinfloofers!"

"Yeah, I'm definitely not gonna miss hearing that," Varian rolls his eyes, Ruddiger nodding in agreement from his shoulder. The captain lights a candle, flies scattering away.

"Oh my, that's quite an...interesting odor," Rapunzel waves a hand in front of her nose.

"It's a Genella torch," He blows away the match. "The smell of the pompoen plant draws the firefly. This torch keeps it away."

And just as he said, a firefly arrives into view. Once it smells the stench from the candle, it shrieks in alarm, flying away.

"Wow!" Harmony exclaims at what happened, the captain laughing.

"See that? They can't stand it. Alright, then! Prepare to set sail!"

Pascal squeaks, catching a fly nearby with his mouth. The Captain splutters as he recoils back a bit. "What is that?"

"What?" Rapunzel looks around in confusion, looking to Pascal eating. "Oh! It's just my friend, Pascal," She places him on her hand, who waves in a friendly way. The Captain screams in fear of the chameleon. "No, no! No, don't be scared. He's harmless."

"And adorable," Harmony nuzzles his head and he squeaks happily.

"I'm not scared. It's just..." He coughs awkwardly. "I don't like lizards is all," He chuckles nervously, running away quickly. "Someone get me my sailing pants!"

Rapunzel just shakes her head. "Sailing pants?"

"Everyone gets their comfort from somewhere," Harmony shrugs at her, both of them giggling. "I wish he had some stinky weeds, though, to counteract that firefly...probably can't stand the smell."

* * *

The boat moves along smoothly as they're on their way to land. Max approaches Eugene leaning on the railing, whinnying happily.

"Alright! I'll be down in a minute," Eugene slightly pushes him away, looking towards the island. Max looks towards their home for 6 weeks. "You know, Max, there was a time when I really wanted to own an island just like that. But now that I've lived there...I think I want a better one."

Max just whinnies for him to go. "Okay, okay. Let's go below. Hey, would you look at that?" On the bulletin board is an old wanted poster of him when he was young. "this is one of my very first 'Wanted' posters. I wonder if Brownie has seen it! I've been looking for one of these to put in the old scrapbook," He takes it from the board, Max huffing as he rolls his eyes.

"Aw, still sour about never getting your hooves on old Flynn Rider, huh?" He asks smugly, leaning against the railing again, right near a sign. Max rolls his eyes again and sees the sign. He taps Eugene on the shoulder and points to it.

"Keep off railing. Seriously? See, your problem is you're too rigid. You're too stuck on procedure to see the big—whoa!" The wind blows away the poster. Eugene groans as it lands in the water.

Max takes his shirt from behind with his mouth. "Come on! Let go of me, will ya!" He pulls on the railing to get himself free. Both of them struggle at the pulling. "Man, you are a stickler. Get off!"

He continues pulling and pulling...until part of the railing breaks, sending them overboard and into the water. They swim up to the surface, gasping.

"Hey, hey!" Eugene calls out, waving, but no one seems to be around. "A little help here!"

"What's that, yam?" Shorty puts a hand to his ear.

"Help!"

"Oh, I will help myself," He holds out a yam out of nowhere. "Thank you, kind sir." He starts to leave while eating.

"No! No, no, no, stop! We're down here in the water!" Eugene shouts, but the ship sails away, with no one else aware of what happened. "Oh, great! Just great," He leans on Max for support, who nickers at the man angrily. "Oh ho! Oh, this is my fault, huh? Why couldn't you just let me lean on the railing?"

Max turns to him with a deep frown, his hair over his eyes. "Heaven forbid someone would break a rule! Well, don't worry. We're out in the middle of nowhere."

There is nothing for miles since they're already a good distance away from the island. Even if they could see it, there's a bunch of fog around.

"I'm sure a ship'll just come by and rescue us any second now."

A ship sails right past them as soon as he says this. "Okay, I'd like to take credit for being right, but that was pure sarcasm just now," Eugene points out for the record. They start to swim after the ship, and manage to grab a rope to climb on board.

"There. Made it," Eugene jumps over the railing, looking around. "Not the nicest of accommodations, but a boat's a boat, right?"

However, they're standing right over a window that lets in light into the room below. "And this boat just happens to have dozens of jail cells...Terrific. Max, we've hitched a ride on a prison barge."

Max whinnies angrily upon hearing this.

"Hey, hey, hey. Easy, Law and Order," Eugene smiles a little. "All the bad guys are locked up. Now, c'mon, let's go find the captain."

Max neighs stubbornly, walking after him.

* * *

Back on the other ship, Rapunzel walks up to the main floor. "Eugene, you've gotta come down! We're playing charades and-" She looks around, but doesn't see any sign of him. "Eugene? Max? Hello?" She walks right past the broken part of the railing, looking over the edge of some crates full of the pompoen fruit. "Huh!"

Harmony and Varian laugh at the impression Lance is trying to do, his arm around the girl. Daisy chirps from on top of Varian's head. He nuzzles into Harmony's shoulder and she smiles, returning the gesture. She looks up at him.

"Still trying to figure out how to counteract the amber?"

"Yeah..." He closes his eyes, looking away. "Yeah. It hasn't gone well."

"Oh," Her eyes widen as she looks up at him. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"No, it's okay," He smiles softly. "It means a lot that you care, Mona."

"Of course I care! We're in this together, Vari."

The boy hums softly, kissing the top of her hair.

* * *

"Look, trust me, buddy, I'm sure this prison barge is headed to the mainland," Eugene states as they're all dry now. "It's got nowhere else to go. And we'll meet up with the gang there. Easy."

Max pushes him away to hide behind crates.

"The last of the guards has been taken out!" A big thug and tiny one with green freckles walk past the dup.

"The mutiny's complete."

"Did he say mutiny?" Eugene whispers to the horse as they look over the deck. It's full of villains with dangerous weapons in hand...They peek over the railing once the evil duo walk down the stairs. "Whoa. Uh...Okay, well, a mutiny may complicate things, but we can still-"

"The ship is ours, boys!" A female voice announces from behind a sail. She cuts a hole in it and lands on the deck to reveal herself as Lady Caine!

"Lady Caine...Anthony the Weasel, Pocket and Otter, and every other bad guy we've ever put away," Eugene facepalms at the irony. What were the chances that the prison barge had every single villain from Corona on it?

Max moves his head so that he can see Axel lifting up his head. "Really?! The horse, too? This boat's like a who's who of people who want us dead. In fact, the only guys missing..."

A hand stabs a pillar, flying down and landing next to Axel. "Are the Stabbingtons," Eugene finishes nervously. "Looks like the gang's all here."

They peek behind some crates. "Okay, so we're in the middle of a prison break," Eugene turns around to Max. "Obviously, it's pretty clear there's only one thing to do."

Max neighs, grabbing a sword and holding it out to him. "Are you nuts?! No, I meant get out of here."

He whinnies in determination, ready to put them all back in jail. However, he seems to have forgotten just one tiny little detail...

"Look, I know Max the guard is supposed to apprehend the bad guys. I get it, but there is 50 of them, and not 50 of us. And it's not like we have the powers of the moonstone either! So, sometimes you gotta put the rules aside."

Max looks away and drops the sword in defeat. As much as he wanted to catch them, they'd be defeated due to being outnumbered. Eugene pats him on the snout.

"Now, come on. Let's go find us a lifeboat, and get off of this thing."

Eugene sneaks off while Max puts the sword back right where he found it. Eugene pulls him by the tail.

Otter and Pocket approach the edge as a slight squeaking is heard. "You hear something?"

"Nah, that's just your stomach growling," The two walk off as the horse and former thief have their backs presses against the wall. They've already gotten a boat, and once the two bad guys leave, Eugene sighs deeply in relief. Max takes ahold of the winch, but he can't get it to move. He grunts at it, Eugene trying from his side.

"Won't...budge," He says in a strained voice. He groans after a few seconds of pulling. He grins, pulling out his dagger and starting to cut. Max looks over his shoulder and whinnies indignantly, stomping a foot at the dangerous tactic.

"See, yeah, yeah. I know!" Eugene looks at him in annoyance. "Destruction of property isn't exactly official maritime procedure, but neither is a rusty winch."

He turns away in defeat. First he can't capture bad guys and now this...

Eugene cuts away the ropes from his side, the boat falling towards the water. A stray rope captures Eugene's foot, sending him into the air. He screams as the boat stops and the former thief is left dangling into the air.

"Oh! Whoa!" He shouts as he swings a bit. Max starts to pull down the rope to get him down. Unfortunately for both of them, Pocket and Otter come back to the edge as they heard the commotion.

"Wasn't your stomach growling this time," Pocket retorts as Eugene cringes. If they look up at any second, he's done for.

"I could swear it was coming from this way."

"Pull me up. Pull me up," Eugene whispers urgently. Max struggles to do so from the boat.

"I thought I heard a noise over there," Pocket points his lantern to the right, their backs turned to Eugene. Max pulls again, but Eugene is left swinging.

"Yeah, no, I could swear it was coming from this way," Otter looks around, but they don't look right behind them thankfully.

"What was that?" They can, however, hear his yelping. Max finally pulls him up just as Otter turns around.

"Keep your eyes peeled."

While being pulled up, Eugene drops his dagger that's embroidered with his last name from his other identity. It hits a barrel with a thump.

"Was that there before?" Pocket stares at the barrel. Eugene acts quickly and tosses a coin to the bell, ringing it. "Ooh, dinner! I'm starvin'!"

They finally leave and Eugene grits his teeth at his situation. "Get...me...do-" The rope breaks and he screams as he falls back into the boat. Because of the momentum, this sends Max flying into the air. A seagull chirps at him and then he lands on a loose plank, which sends the barrels, including the one with the dagger, flying off the boat. The barrel with the dagger hits the boat, finally sending it into the water. It was only a miracle that no one heard or saw any of that.

"Ha ha! Worked like a charm," Eugene laughs while holding the ladder, Max glaring at him.

But then the boat sinks and the barrel floats away. "...Sure. A priceless dagger I've had for 15 years drifting away on a barrel to be lost in the ocean forever. It's alright, though, because at least I'm stuck on a_ prison barge_!"

Max walks away and he frowns at their luck. Now how were they going to get back to their friends?

* * *

Rapunzel opens the door to the boys' half of the caravan. "Uh, Eugene? Maximus?" She closes the door as Pascal pushes away two fruit crates.

"Uh, Eugene?"

Pascal looks over the edge, but sees nothing.

"Maximus?" Rapunzel looks inside a window. "Eugene? Did Owl or Daisy find anything?"

Pascal uses her telescope to look at the top of the sail, where Owl and Daisy land. They both shake their heads no. Pascal chirps sadly as he shakes his head.

"They're not on the bridge," Cass reports as she comes back.

"I checked all the cabins," Hook Foot places his hands on his hips.

"No sign of 'em in the kitchen," Lance states while eating a sandwich. Harmony and Varian look at him in annoyance. "Ah! But...let-let me go check again."

Harmony kicks his leg. "Ow!"

"Stop using this time to eat! Mona and I checked with the captain; he hasn't seen either of them since we left the island," Varian shakes his head.

"So you're telling me that a 1,200 pound horse and a grown man disappear out of thin air?" Harmony raises a brow. "I don't buy it."

"Guys, I'm starting to get worried," Rapunzel says in concern. "How could they just disappear?"

"They didn't disappear," Shorty calls out from the railing. "They were just in the water yelling for help."

"You mean they fell overboard?" Rapunzel looks at the broken wood in worry. "Shorty, why didn't you say anything?"

"I told you we shoulda told somebody!" Shorty scolds the yam. "Aw, I can't stay mad at you," He then takes a bite, causing Harmony to facepalm.

"First rule of the seas, never trust a clueless old man who never gets his mind made up to go get two people for dinner. Oh no, this wood is very old," Harmony frowns, crossing her arms. "I'm guessing neither of them knew that fact..."

"How can you tell?" Rapunzel raises a brow.

"Notice how creaky and unsteady it is?" Varian lightly pushes it, and she notices the railing wiggling a bit. "It could've happened to anyone."

"Yeah, but that means they're out there somewhere," Harmony hugs herself, looking towards the water.

"We have to tell the captain," Rapunzel sighs a bit. "We've gotta turn this boat around. They could be anywhere by now."

* * *

Meanwhile, on the barge, some bad guys are talking. "Ya know what I'm gonna do when we get into town? I am gonna pillage."

"Pillage? Not me!" Otter gestures to himself. "I'm gonna plunder."

"Plundering and pillaging are the same thing!" Pocket protests to him.

"Fine. Then, I'll loot!"

"Pillage, plunder, and loot are all synonymous, you morons," Weasel tells them both. "I prefer to despoil."

"Boys, boys, boys," Lady Caine approaches the trio. "Let's not argue over semantics. There'll be plenty of time for that later. Let's keep our wits about us until we've made it to the mainland." She stabs the planks with her sword.

Eugene peeks between some cargo. "I just don't get it. These guys have got to know that a boatload of convicts would have the law all over them as soon as they pulled in to the port, so what are they up to?" He narrows his eyes suspiciously, the horse behind him whinnying. "For the last time, no, we are not going to try to lock them up."

Max turns him around and glares.

"Alright, smartypants. I'll make you a deal. If you can show me where it says an off-duty guard is obliged to quell an out-of-his-jurisdiction prison break, I'll think about it," Eugene challenges to him. To his surprise, he gets a book slammed in his face. He moves it away, glaring up at the horse. He stares at the title.

"A Compendium of Corona Law and Procedure? Seriously? ...You carry this around wherever you go?" He stares at the horse, wondering just where he keeps it. Max pushes the book into his hands and flips to a page. "Okay, fine, plain English. If you see somebody do something bad, you should do something about it. But here—here's the thing. I'm sure they don't mean anything crazy like stopping a prison barge mutiny."

Max pushes the book into his face again and he continues reading it. "Such acts include but are not limited to: vandalism, theft, blah, blah, blah...smuggling, burglary...and prison barge mutiny. Well!" He slams the book shut, Max giving him a big smug grin. "I think that's a stupid book."

He puts it into Max's mouth, walking off. He doesn't like it, but he'll do it anyway. "Listen, we need to find someone who knows where this boat is headed, alright?"

Max nods in agreement and he smirks as he sees someone. "And then we get him to talk."

He's looking at the fake Giovanni who they arrested for stealing that painting of Robin the 11th. They sneak up to the stairs, where the man descends down.

"Psst."

"Si? Che cosa-?" He turns to see Max and Eugene, who slams a sack at his cheek, knocking him unconscious. He opens his eyes later to see himself covered up. Max gestures for Eugene to remove the sack over his head. "Che stai facendo?!"

"Lose the act, buddy! I already exposed you as the Fake the Giovanni, remember?" Eugene smirks knowingly.

"Alright, fine," The fake Giovanni puts on his normal voice. "What do you want?"

"We wanna know what you guys are up to," Eugene demands, placing his hands on the table.

"Now, listen to me, the Fake the Giovianni..."

"It's Dale," He deadpans at the name he's using.

"I don't care what your—Dale?" Eugene smiles a bit, examining him. "Really? You don't look like a Dale. Alright, Dale. Yeah, it really doesn't feel right. Now we can do this the Eugene way..."

Max puts a hoof down on the table. "Or we can do this the Maximus way." The horse growls in a threatening way. He neighs angrily at the man, who just scoffs, looking away.

"I'm not telling you anything."

Max starts to neigh ferociously, lifting himself in the air. "Well, you'd better be careful. He means business," Eugene warns Dale.

Max neighs again, cornering Dale. He huffs angrily, even leaving a hook mark next to the man. He looks up as the horse stomps on the wall again.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Max, take it easy!" Eugene stands in front of him, but continues acting wild, scaring Dale.

"Call him off!"

"I'm trying! He's lost it!" Eugene tries to pull him back, but Max pushes him out of the way, neighing viciously.

"Okay, okay, I'll talk," Dale looks up pleadingly, actually scared for his life. "We plan to intercept a local ferry, get rid of its passengers, and use it for cover when we get to the mainland." He whimpers as he recoils back. The horse neighs loudly in triumph.

"Ha ha!" Eugene laughs at this. "I told you these knuckleheads had to have some kind of—Ferry? He means Rapunzel's ferry."

Max narrows his eyes in determination to stop them. "Let's get to the bridge and find a way to turn this ship around."

They run off to get to the deck.

* * *

"We have to go back and look for them!" Rapunzel pleads with the captain, Varian and Harmony at her side. "Our friends could be in serious danger!"

"I'm sorry, but I've got a schedule to keep, kids! If those Genella torches stop burning before we make it to the mainland, there'll be nothing to keep the firefly from destroying all these crops!" He looks over his shoulder.

"Is this a joke?! Our friends are out there with nowhere to stop to!" Harmony points towards outside.

"They could die!" Varian frowns in worry.

"Guys! Come look at this!" Cass calls out and they walk out of the cabin. They've pulled up a barrel, and not just any ordinary one. Hook Foot takes a taste from the sipping barrel.

"Ah, yep! What we got here is a barrel of 100 percent grade-A gruel," He says knowingly.

"Oh no..." Varian murmurs, knowing where exactly one would get that. Because he's had it before.

"Oh, from a prison barge," Lance inspects the barrel.

"This is really taking me back," Hook Foot removes the dagger, stabbing the barrel again. The girls see the name on the dagger.

"Wait, Hook Foot. That's Eugene's knife...That's where he and Max must be!" She removes the dagger.

"It must be a cry for help," Varian turns to the others. Harmony's eyes widen as she looks to everyone.

"I have a bad feeling about this specific prison barge..."

"How are you sure?" Cass asks her.

"Because I'm getting a lot of familiar senses from that direction," Harmony points behind them. "They're not too far, but they're almost out of range for me."

"Captain, we have to find that barge," Rapunzel turns to the man.

"I told you, I got a schedule to keep!" He points to his pocket watch.

"Wait, Rapunzel," Varian smiles a little, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You said he doesn't like Pascal, right?"

She nods, knowing where he's going with this.

A bell rings near his face and he turns around to see Rapunzel, Pascal, Harmony, and Varian. "We can do this the sister way...or we can do this the Pascal and Varian way," She gestures to Pascal and Varian. The chameleon punches his fists as Varian holds up a blue alchemy ball.

"Don't make us ask you again," Harmony threatens the man. "Turn the ship around. Now!"

He whimpers in fear of them.

* * *

"You see what happens when you bend the rules a little bit?" Eugene asks as they sneak around the cells area. "I mean, you won't find that good-guard-bad-guard technique in any textbook."

Max whinnies in protest, handing over the book. Max sees the exact same strategy that they just did with Dale.

"Good-guard-bad-guard interrogation tech—Wow. This is a-" Before he can speak further, a light shines over them and they quickly hide from the ceiling view above.

"I have some news for you," Dale is reporting to Lady Caine. "Flynn Rider and his cavallo. They-a onboard the ship-a."

"Ugh! Lose the accent, Dale," She deadpans at him.

"Okay, Flynn Rider and the horse are on the ship," Dale tells her quickly.

"What?!" She grits her teeth angrily at this news. "Fitzherbert and Maximus?" She growls in annoyance. "There's no escaping those two. Of course, there's no escaping us either," She hands Axel an apple, storming off. "Find them. Now!"

And with that, they leave, Max turning to Eugene in anger. "Oh, what are you saying? So it's my fault he got away?"

The horse glares, opening up the book.

"Don't forget to tie them up," Max reads the warning page right next to the knot page. "Ooh!" He snatches the book out of frustration. "You know what? I am so sick of this thing. If you'd let me just lean over the railing, none of this would have happened!"

As he's leaving, an apple core falls behind Max. He turns to the trash and looks up to see Axel on the above deck. He neighs angrily in determination, fueled to stop the horse. He could take that horse easy, he's done it before.

"Now, this should lead us to the bridge," Eugene murmurs to himself as he's walking down the hall.

"The bridge is back this way, Eugene."

His eyes widen at the voice, looking over his shoulder to see Sideburns.

"Ha! You know, I've never heard you call me by my real name before," He backs up a bit. "And I've gotta say I am touched that you feel close enough-"

"Clam him!"

He runs forward, only to be stopped by Patchy. He slides to a stop in front of the man, backing up and bumping into a smug Sideburns. He looks up nervously.

"Funny how we keep meeting like this, isn't it?" He grabs the man by the collar.

"Funny? You know, you and I have very different senses of humor. Maybe that's why we never quite...jelled," He's thrown across the room, looking up at the duo.

Axel walks past some cargo, feeling that something was off towards a sack of potatoes. But he snorts it off, walking away. Max blinks from inside, standing up. Axel comes to a stop as he doesn't see the horse, who challenges him by dragging a hoof. He runs towards Axel, snorting angrily to stop him. His legs get caught up in rope and he slides into a bunch of objects. Axel turns around and sees just a bunch of items made to look like a horse. He grabs a sword from the weapons barrel, walking over to the pile.

Max neighs in a panic as he tries to get out, to no avail. The black horse starts to stab through the box to try and expose him.

Eugene gets onto his feet. "Where you goin', Eugene?" Sideburns asks and the former thief notices where they're standing. "Scared?"

They stop onto the doors that lead into a cell.

"Scared? No!" Eugene denies as the two don't notice it. "Oh, I get it, because I keep backing away." He chuckles as he reaches the floor. "Of course, right. "No, you see, I just needed you guys to stand right there for me."

"Huh?" They look down in confusion and Eugene stomps on the lock and it breaks. The doors open and they fall through the floor. Eugene waves to them and runs off.

"RIDER!" Sideburns shakes his fist as they grit their teeth.

"Hey! Now that's better," Eugene smiles, feeling a bit nostalgic. He runs up the stairs.

Axel continues slicing at the box, Max ducking his head. The anchor falls and Max looks through the crack, coming out of hiding. He glares at Axel, the two rivals circling each other. Axel just smiles widely at the irony, Max narrowing his eyes. Axel nickers evilly, Max nickering back. Eugene suddenly runs onto the deck, slipping on the rope. He bumps right into Max, both of them tied up.

"Max! Get! Bad horse! Yeah, hey, you know, this might not be the time to ask, but where's the sauna on this cruise ship, because I am sore as all get out."

All the villains point their weapons at the duo, Lady Caine smirking.

The two are tied up fully, standing on a plank. "We get to bust out of prison and take out that double-crossing back-stabber and his do-gooder horse friend," Sideburns holds an ax, the other villains grinning evilly. "It's a pretty good day."

"Well, this is just great!" Eugene complains to the horse. "Thanks a lot, Max!"

Max just whinnies, holding his head up high again. "Oh, this is too your fault!" He then takes a moment and realizes what they're doing. "Look, I don't want to spend my last moments mad at you...but buddy, do you have to be such a stickler? I mean, I know you only do it because you have everyone's best interest in mind, but just one I'd like to see you let loose and break some rules. Who knows? You might like it."

Max just rolls his eyes at this.

"...Or might have liked it, anyway," Eugene looks out to the water since they're about to die. "Well, if I gotta go down...I couldn't think of a better horse to do it with."

He smiles up at Max, who smiles back. Suddenly, something goes flying past them, hitting the ship. It's a pompoen fruit!

A whistle from Harmony's mouth is heard. They look up to see their friends arriving, with a Pascal-skull decorated flag. Rapunzel and Harmony are wearing co-captain hats with the same symbol near the birds' nest.

"Avast, ye mateys!" Rapunzel and Harmony declare, pointing at the barge.

"Avast, ye mateys?" Cass asks teasingly, placing some pompoen fruit into a catapult that Harmony and Varian built.

"Eh, I was in the moment," Rapunzel shrugs at her.

"Felt good too. Not gonna apologize for that," Harmony smiles proudly.

"Fire!" They both shout as Cass releases the fruit, and it lands on the deck.

"Trust us, we got more where that came from, you jerks!" Harmony shakes a fist. "Fire!"

Lance and Hook Foot fire next, Ruddiger and Varian doing the same.

Eugene laughs in relief for their perfect timing. The villains near the edge all run away from the ammo.

"Huh! Fruit," Pocket looks at his finger. "All they've got is fruit?" Some lands on Pocket and he screams, falling overboard and landing in the water.

Lady Caine looks towards Harmony wide-eyed, who smirks while holding up a piece of fruit. "Oh, man, do I love those girls!" Eugene exclaims with a smile. Max hops backwards to get them back on deck, and they fall back onto the ship.

"Going somewhere, Eugene?" Sideburns asks while Patchy cracks his knuckles.

"Hope you're not picky, 'cause there's only one thing on the menu!" She leans towards the captain. "We'll pay you back, I promise," She whispers to him. "There's more where that came from! FIRE!"

"Show no mercy!" Harmony shouts to their friends. Another round of fruit is fired, but Lady Caine slices them in pieces, snickering.

"Oh, come on! Even _you _can do better than that, princesses," She mocks them.

"Oh," The sisters smirk at each other, Harmony holding onto a rope. "We plan to. Lance, Foot! Now!"

Together, they cover all the candles, blowing them out.

"Aw. Now what are you gonna do?" Lady Caine asks in a patronizing voice.

"Oh. _We're _not doing anything," Rapunzel starts off as the firefly comes into view. "He is."

"Say hello to our fiery friend. He just _loves _pompoen fruits," Harmony smirks a little, gasping a bit. "Oh wait...that's what your ship is covered in, isn't it?"

Her eyes widen as the bug comes roaring in, flying over their heads. The other villains run away in fear as he starts attacking their ship.

"Hey Brownie? Think you can reach this kind of distance?" Eugene calls out. Harmony waves a hand and a black rock cuts the two free. The two sisters high-five each other. "Ha ha!"

"Your friends are gonna make us angry," Sideburns threatens as the Stabbington Brothers step forward.

"A couple of sunny guys like you? Come on," Eugene waves it off.

"Take 'em down!" Sideburns rushes forward to the former thief. Max and Axel battle it out in a sword fight on the steps. Eugene jumps over the duo's head, landing near the sail. They climb up and run towards him.

Max backs away from Axel, their swords clanging. He slices some wood as Eugene has two swords, fending off the brothers. The ship has already caught on fire due to the firefly. The villains then swing onto their ship.

"Who'd have ever expected that one day, I'd be free and you'd be the prisoner?" Lady Caine points her sword to the girls.

"That is pretty funny. Although, here's the thing: _you _may have the sword...but we've got you cornered," Rapunzel states, Harmony swiftly pulling out her bow and arrow. She points it at Lady Caine, who looks down at Pascal tying her feet together with Rapunzel's hair. She knocks Lady Caine off her feet.

"I knew I never liked her when we met," Harmony quips with a smirk.

Two thugs corner the Captain, but Lance and Hook Foot throw sacks over their heads. They turn around to a big one, ducking as the Captain smacks Otter's check with the pocket watch. Lance and Hook Foot smile at him.

"Alright, Captain!" Varian cheers for him, trapping the three with his goop traps.

Cass punches Pocket in the face, sending him overboard.

Max jumps from Axel's sword, pushing him into the pillar and gaining the upper hand. Eugene battles two-on-one, but jumps onto Max's saddle. The horse neighs, sending Axel backwards. Sideburns jumps to a cannon.

"You know what? To heck with the plan. I'd rather take my chances sailing this barge to the mainland," He smirks, lighting a match. "Say goodbye to your girlfriend and her pest for a sister, Eugene," He lights up the cannon, which is pointed right at Rapunzel.

"Wait, NO!" Eugene shouts as he rushes over, but Patchy stands in his way. Luckily for him, Harmony pushes Rapunzel out of the way.

"Duck!"

They both land on the ground, but then Patchy stabs Eugene in the chest. Max whinnies in shock as he turns around and punches Axel in the face, knocking him unconscious. Both of the girls look up in alarm, away from the cannon.

"Eugene!"

"NO!" Harmony screams as she tries to see him. He's on the floor, turned around...and then he removes part of his jacket to reveal that the dagger hit the book instead.

"What do ya know? This thing isn't completely useless," He removes the book to reveal that he doesn't have a scratch on him. He jumps onto his feet, smacking both of them with the book. He runs towards the cannon and tries to stop the spark, but it won't go.

"Hey! Law and Order!"

Max runs into action and turns the cannon around with all his strength. It fires and hits the mast holding the sail, which falls onto the three villains.

"You did it, Max!" Varian cheers, pumping his fist as the sisters look on happily.

"I hate to be a stickler, but it looks like we're in violation of the property damage code," Eugene opens up the book to the page. Max just eats it up and shreds the page to pieces. Sometimes, property damage was necessary to saving the day. He neighs happily for what happened today, the firefly flying away.

* * *

Soon, everyone that was part of the mutiny are back in their cells, the prison barge sailing away. The group have arrived back on the mainland.

"I gotta say..." Rapunzel chuckles a bit. "That was not how I expected this trip to go."

Eugene adjusts the hat to kiss her forehead. Rapunzel takes off the hat and pets Max. Harmony tips her hat to the horse.

"Good job, Max," Varian smiles, petting his snout. "Here," He hands the horse an apple, which he accepts happily and eats.

"Those jerks won't be getting out for a _long _time," Harmony places her hands on her hips as she looks at the ship sailing away.

"You do look pretty cool with that hat on, though," Varian tells her, taking it off her head. She chuckles and he places the hat to the side, covering them up so they can share a kiss.

"Aww," Rapunzel smiles at them.

Hook Foot is eating pompoens near the railing. "Hey, Foot, keep off the railing," Eugene walks past them, snatching a fruit from his friend's hand.

"Oh yeah, or else what?" Hook Foot challenges him.

"Don't say he didn't warn you," Varian shrugs towards the man.

"And in three, two, one," Harmony counts off. Eugene tosses the fruit over his shoulder. Hook Foot leans over the railing trying to catch it, and it breaks, resulting in him falling into the water.

"Or else that. Rules are made for a reason," He smiles up at the horse. "Isn't that right, buddy?" He winks and Max whinnies, glad that the two understand each other a little more. Eugene looks over the edge as Hook Foot surfaces, spitting out water. Eugene helps him up as the sun shines...

**Angel: I was gonna put Varian on the prison barge, but he's already been a focus of at least three episodes, so I ended up not doing it XD Plus, that'd be a mouthful of a title like this one was already.**


	39. Curses!

**Angel: Hello everyone, I hope that you're doing well during COVID19. Uh, pretty soon, I'm going to be updating this story daily, because I've finished the first part of the final episode. As much as I hate to admit it, I have to move on with not just academics, but with my plans for stories since I have a lot on my hands...I'll start the daily updating tomorrow. I think I will also upload my OneShots story for Tangled when this story is officially done. If you guys have any requests, let me know.**

**I don't know why, but people I talk to on occasion ask me if I have the virus. I just wanna let you guys know that I have been in my house for almost a month now without leaving or even going outside. No one in my house has it, sometimes they wear masks, and I stay a good distance away from them. I've been cleaning after myself. If I was sick, I would definitely not be uploading anything, I can tell you that. I know it's out of concern, but I'm really fine. I'm just annoyed at being in my house for being so long. And my parents work at a hospital, so it's not like I won't be taken care of. I just want all of this to be over, so stop asking me please if I have the virus, because I don't XD**

"Lumbard's Pass," Rapunzel announces as they're in a mountain area. "Looks rough. But if anyone can cross it, it's us! Although, those swaying towers of rock at the end, ooh, could be a bit of a challenge," She looks through her telescope, wearing her old dress.

Harmony peeks out the window from the second caravan, looking through her binoculars.

"A bit? We have to take not one, but TWO caravans across those rock towers," Harmony holds up two fingers. "No one's ever done that before."

"Then I guess we'll be the first!" Rapunzel smiles as she looks around the corner.

"Um, but Lumbard's Pass is, I don't know, the deadliest mountain in the world?!" Varian calls out.

A few rocks fall into the unforgiving ground below once they pass by. Pascal and Daisy squeak nervously, the horses looking a bit skeptical themselves.

"So the road is a little, um, how do I put this?"

Hook Foot pops his head out of the roof. "Horrifying?"

Lance pops up next, holding up a finger. "Stomach churning?"

Shorty leans out the window next to Cass. "Hello."

Harmony moves Shorty away as she had moved to the first caravan. She sticks her head out the window. "Rapunzel, I know that the black rocks led us here, but you don't really think that we can cross it so easily, do you?"

"We're talking about crossing Lumbard's Pass," She gestures to the road in front of them. "And it's going to feel so rewarding after we do! Besides, if we wanna stay on your black rock path, Harmi, it's our only choice."

"Technically, I didn't create the path. The path created itself, all the way from Corona," Harmony defends, crossing her arms. "I would definitely not lead us here if I had any control."

"Now who's with me?" Rapunzel stands up, holding her telescope into the air. Hook Foot and Lance sink a bit out of fear. "That's the spirit!"

Suddenly, they hit a bump, her telescope flying out of her hand. She gasps sharply. "My telescope!"

They watch it fall into the ground below, the horses coming to a stop. Cass and Harmony are both cringing at what just happened.

"That telescope was a present from my father for this trip!" Rapunzel frowns a bit. "Harmi, can you get it back?"

"Without significantly damaging it in the process? Uhh, gonna go with don't risk that?" She asks with a wince.

"Can't we just make a new one?" Varian steps down from the second caravan, Harmony gesturing for him not to say that.

"NO!" Rapunzel shouts at him and he recoils back. "It won't be the same if we just make a new one!"

"Should not have asked," He whispers to himself.

"Besides, even if I could get it back, it's not like I can sense your telescope anyway, only evil stuff. Sorry, Punzie," The girl shrugs regrettably.

"Ugh!" She groans at this. "Alright. Let's split up so we find it faster," She jumps onto the ground. "Eugene, Hook Foot, Varian, and Harmony, you're with me."

"We'll search as long as it takes, Princess. Even if it means we never, ever cross Lumbard's Pass," Hook Foot shakes his head, a fist to his cheek. "Ever!"

"You do know that there's no other path we can take, right?" Varian crosses his arms. Hook Foot's eyes widen and he sinks fully back into the caravan.

"You know, look, I hate to say this, Blondie..." Eugene steps over to her. "But maybe we should just move on. You know? The telescope was a nice gift," She undoes her hair. "But Lumbard's Pass is gonna take us hours to-"

She jumps and he stops speaking. "And she's already done there looking, isn't she?"

"This is a surprise?" Harmony raises a brow. "When's the last time she didn't do something when we tell her to?"

"...You know, Brownie, you make a good point. You know Rapunzel better than I do!"

"Call it sister instinct," She smiles in amusement, exiting the caravan with her arrows in hand. "Now let's see if you boys are up to a little...unconventional climbing."

The three look to each other nervously as they don't like that look.

The four climb down the cliff while using Harmony's arrows. "Thanks for doing this, guys. That telescope is _really _special to Rapunzel."

"Like your binoculars from your dad," Varian turns to the brown-haired girl.

"Exactly," She grins a little as she looks at him. "And I'm sure it means a lot to my sister that you're actually helping her for a change."

"Between you and me, I don't care about the telescope." Harmony looks to Hook Foot and slaps him on the arm. "Ow! What I meant was, I just wanted to avoid doing something dangerous." His foot slips from a rock and he falls towards the ground.

"Hook!" The three shout in alarm.

"Help! I'm too young to splat!" He cries out, a yellow harness of hair catching him. He looks around and then sees Rapunzel on the ground lowering him. "Oh, thank you."

The other three reach the end. "That was close," She sighs in relief. "Are you okay?"

"I guess that's what I get for shining my hook with olive oil," Hook Foot gestures to his hook.

"Ever heard of hook polish?" Harmony raises a brow, causing the man to turn to her in confusion. "What? That's a thing in Corona. I should know: I made it."

"Why didn't you tell me that before the trip?!" He screeches at her in shock.

"You didn't ask," She shrugs slowly. "But it works really well, and they're always sold out by the end of the day back at home."

"Ohh! You mean Princess Harmony's Shiny Hook!" Rapunzel smiles in realization. "I love that stuff."

"Hook Hand mentioned it once when we met him," Eugene grins a bit, Hook Foot looking between all of them, baffled.

"Why haven't I heard of it?!"

"You didn't know?" Varian smiles in amusement at the man. "My dad uses it all the time for his fishing hooks."

"No, I didn't know!"

Chimes suddenly clink, interrupting the conversation. "Those chimes are so familiar. Sounds like..."

"Our day just got a whole lot worse?" Eugene asks knowingly.

Hook Foot blinks, but follows after them. They follow the noise to a familiar cart that four of them know very well. "Eugene, Harmi, Varian, look!" Rapunzel exclaims at it, and then they're face to face with Vigor again. He picks at his ear. "Vigor! Madame Canardist! I am so surprised to see you two!"

"We don't have any coins today," Harmony shakes her head.

"But we are obviously not surprised to see you," Canardist states, gasping at the teenage girl. "Oh, your hair! It's so exquisite," She lightly touches it and when she steps back, Harmony's necklace is gone from her neck.

"Of course!" Rapunzel chuckles, leaning towards the monkey. "I mean, Vigor is the world's most prophetic prognosticator!" She pokes his nose and he chitters.

"The world's most prophetic what-ca-what-icator?" Hook Foot asks in confusion. Vigor jumps onto Eugene, who shrieks.

"Get off! Get off! The old woman's a scam artist who passes the chimp off as some kind of psychic to bilk suckers out of their money. Or steal gifts from teenage girls," He swipes the Harmonium necklace back from the lady, who glares. Harmony gasps as she quickly puts it back on, annoyed at her. Varian narrows his eyes, grunting.

"Now that's a sound business model," Hook Foot compliments, Eugene looking away in annoyance.

"Yeah, real impressive," Harmony grits her teeth. Canardist walks up to the man.

"When you were a child, you were much shorter."

"...She's right!" He gasps at her. "I was shorter by one foot."

Eugene stares at him, baffled. Of course he was shorter, he was a child! _Shorty _could have been given that prediction.

"We'd really love to catch up, but we're looking for..." Rapunzel scopes the shelves and quickly finds her telescope. "My telescope!" She happily takes it into her hands. "You found it!"

"That is absolute kielbasa!" The old woman snatches the telescope out of Rapunzel's hands. "This is my telescope."

Pascal points to the inscription. "To my love, from your father," She reads it.

"See? This was a gift, and a reminder of my dad," Rapunzel glares at her.

"I don't care who you think you are, but you can't just go around and keep lost telescopes! She dropped it, and you must have found it nearby. Trust me, you don't wanna keep that," Harmony gestures to her sister.

"You think you are the only person in the world is loved by their papa?" She nuzzles the telescope, smirking. "Or has a necklace such as this?" She holds up Harmony's necklace, who looks at her neck again.

"Wha-? How did you-?!"

"Oh, come on!" Eugene places his hands on his hips. "You didn't even know that inscription existed until just now!"

"If you _really_ want my precious telescope and necklace, even though it would break my heart, then you must pay for them."

"SAY WHAAAAAT?!" Harmony screeches in anger. "My necklace isn't for sale, which you stole from me!"

"Nonsense! I created this necklace for myself."

"No, no!" Varian glares at her. "I made her that necklace as a present! It's made in her favorite color, you don't even know what it's made out of!"

"Not everyone has a different favorite color, you know," She smirks, gesturing to the blue on the telescope and the blue from the element. "It matches my telescope. And I love it already!"

"What?! No! We are not buying back our things," Rapunzel storms up to her.

"Oh, that is correct. You'd be buying back my own telescope and necklace!"

"But you—arrgh!" Harmony holds her hair in frustration. She didn't know how much she could hate an old lady until now.

"That necklace isn't something that you can just buy!" Varian shouts at the woman. "I gave that to Mona to impress her! This is ridiculous! You can't just take it bluntly and ask us to pay for it."

"And it is impressive," She caresses it. "And I am asking you to buy my necklace." The two sisters narrow their eyes, snatching their things back.

"Fine! Take the telescope and necklace!" Vigor growls at them both. "What's that, Vigor?" He snarls at the duo. "He says he is very unhappy you upset me, and he is going to cast a most malignant curse on you!"

The monkey continues to snarl and they stare at him until he stops. "Vigor says, may there be no success and no luck in your lives, until the telescope and necklace are returned to me, their proper owner!"

"Well, it's been a real hoot seeing you two again," Eugene places a hand on a worried Rapunzel's shoulder. The two teens just look very annoyed. "Crone, primate, I bid you adieu," And with that, they leave.

"You should really be ashamed of yourselves," Rapunzel scolds the two. "That necklace has no value and shows just how much Varian loves my sister, and you wanted to take that away!"

Eugene leads her away, the two sisters glaring at her. "That woman is twisted in the head if she thinks she can take my necklace and then try to make me broke by asking me to _pay _for something that was given to me by my own boyfriend!" Harmony huffs in anger, putting her necklace back on. She turns around and shakes a fist at the woman. "I hope this comes back to bite you someday, you ungrateful scammer! Don't ever ask us to help you find that monkey again!"

Varian cringes as he pulls her backwards, but she's still yelling towards the woman.

Hook Foot lingers behind. "So, back to my height. Do you see me ever getting taller?"

"Vigor has spoken!" She yells and he immediately leaves. She blows out the candles.

* * *

They climb back up to the caravans, Hook Foot exhausted as he reaches the top. "I wish I knew I was gonna have to rock climb today. I would've worn my grappling hook. Hey Harmi, do you have some of that hook polish?"

"Save it!" She grunts as she storms past him.

"Can you believe that?" Rapunzel asks as Eugene helps her up, Varian reaching the top last. He could tell that Harmony needed space right now. "And after we helped her find Vigor when Red and Angry monkey-napped him! Honestly! Really? A curse? UGH! The whole thing is just absurd," She paces around, just as angry as her sister is. "And she had the nerve to steal Harmony's necklace even after finding out the fact that Varian made that especially for her!"

"Uh, I don't know if I'd blow off the curse so quick," Hook Foot speaks up as he gets onto his feet. "A few years ago, Big Nose ticked off a shaman and got himself cursed."

"Really? What happened?" Rapunzel asks curiously.

"I don't wanna get into details, but before that day, we just called him Nose."

Harmony and Varian both cringe at this.

"Guys! There are no such thing as curses!" Eugene tells them all.

"I have to agree. Bad luck is bad luck, but a curse? Not possible," Harmony shakes her head. "Though if I did believe in them, I'd put one on Madame Canardist and that thieving monkey of hers."

"But you have the powers of the moonstone!" Hook Foot gestures to her left hand.

"Having powers and a curse aren't the same thing," Varian raises a brow.

"Exactly, my powers don't cause any curse," Harmony crosses her arms.

"You know what, I agree too. I don't believe in bad luck curses, Hook Foot. The world is full of things you can't explain," Rapunzel smiles towards her sister.

"She's right. Where does the wind come from? Why are mimes so creepy? Why is 'Peggy' short for Margaret? Who knows really? But just because you can't explain it, doesn't mean that it's sorcery. No offense," He turns to the teens.

"None taken," They say in unison.

"And I don't find Ulf entirely creepy...but he still sometimes freaks me out," Harmony shudders a bit.

"Precisely on both accounts," Rapunzel points to her boyfriend and sister. "Now, come on, let's get back to camp and have a nice, warm dinner before we-" Her foot lingers over a mud puddle. "Ah! See? If either of us were cursed, I would have stepped right into that mud puddle. Madame Canardist is just trying to get into our-" Rapunzel screams as she lands in another mud puddle.

Harmony bends down, trying to help her up.

"Heads..."

The girl pulls Rapunzel up too quickly as she falls, landing in the first mud puddle.

"Aw man..." She complains as she looks at herself. "Rapunzel had these custom-made...!"

* * *

It starts to rain as the horses trudge through with both caravans. Everyone is in the girls' part of the first caravan except Cass, who's keeping watch from the front. "So, you really believe that you're..." Lance whimpers a bit. "Cursed?"

"Well..." Rapunzel puts her hands on her cheeks. Harmony is in her old dress, cleaning up her clothes with a water bucket and washboard. Varian is helping her get out the mud stains.

"Oh, come on, sweetheart. Curses aren't real!" Eugene insists to her.

"Or are they?" Hook Foot asks creepily behind the teens, causing them to turn around. They all see a book in his hands.

"The Source Book of Superstitions? Come on! Why do we even have this in the caravan?" Eugene looks on with disapproval.

"Oh, I got it from Harmony's library."

She blinks as she looks up, narrowing her eyes. "You went into the other caravan while we weren't there?"

"I'll put it back!" He smiles nervously at her look, opening up to a specific page. "Ah! Here we go," He clears his throat. "The telltale signs of a hex. Number one: weakness."

"Huh. I am a little bit worn out," She sags her shoulders.

"We've been walking for hours!" Eugene tells her.

"Number two: cold feet."

"My feet are freezing!" Rapunzel touches her feet.

"You don't wear shoes!" Her boyfriend exclaims in exasperation.

"Which brings us to number three. Bad luck. Princess, that's three out of three. Harmony, aren't you feeling the same signs?" He leans in towards the girl.

"Yeah, but like Eugene said, we walked all the way back to the caravan and I've been barefoot for almost a year now. So no, this isn't a curse," She glares up at him.

"What about the mud puddle?"

"Anyone could fall into a mud puddle! I fell into one when I was visiting Old Corona before Varian! So what if I got my other outfit dirty? It's almost clean anyway!" She exclaims in disbelief, gesturing to her clothes in the wash bucket.

"But you have the three signs too...which means..."

"Which means, it's time to stop talking about this baloney and keep moving!" Eugene snatches the book from Hook Foot.

"I don't think it's the curse," Varian speaks up. "It's just a coincidence. Like Mona said, anyone could fall into mud puddles."

"But it wasn't just anyone. It was both of them!" Hook Foot points to the sisters. Harmony looks at him in annoyance, pushing his finger away from her face.

Something approaches the caravans and Cass looks to her left, gasping sharply. A bunch of water out of nowhere is heading right towards them. She cringes at the sight.

"FLASH FLOOD!"

"Flash what?" Eugene looks out the window.

"Uh oh..." Varian cringes as he looks outside. "We're gonna crash!"

The water hits all of them, knocking everyone into the river nearby. All of them are now soaked and the two caravans are on their sides...

"I'm sorry, but this just screams curse," Lance speaks up. Rapunzel tucks away a bang, Harmony wincing. She didn't believe it until now...

But she may be cursed after all.

* * *

"Look, I get why you think you're cursed, Blondie. I—I do," Eugene stammers to her as they walk next to the river the next day. "When strange things happen to us, we wanna believe it's for a reason. But remember what you said about making your own luck?"

He takes her hands and an apple falls over their heads. Eugene catches it before it could hit her head. "The best way to predict the future is to create your own."

She smiles softly, taking the apple. "Maybe you're right. Eugene, look! The river receded!" She gasps sharply. "We can cross it in the morning!"

"See?" He smiles, nudging her arm. "Bad luck, shmad luck!"

"I guess I was being kind of silly."

"Well, I mean, I didn't wanna say it," He chuckles a bit. "But yeah, 'silly' is the right word. 'Kooky' works too. Or completely ludicrous," He leans on a tree and it breaks, sending him into the water. She cringes at this.

"Eugene...?"

He pops his head out of the water. "This is still a coincidence!"

She sighs slowly, looking away. "Aah! Something just touched me!"

Shorty comes out of the water. "Excuse me. No street clothes in the swimming pool. Rude." He dives back into the water, leaving dead fish in his wake. Eugene shudders at them.

"Pst!"

Rapunzel looks towards the tree behind her, where Hook Foot is standing. "I know what to do."

"Hook Foot?"

"Uh, maybe. Meet me under the full moon tonight with your sister, at midnight. Tell no one but Harmony..."

Rapunzel gasps at the cryptic message. "Why not?"

"Because it sounds more dramatic this way..."

* * *

Harmony is in a small clearing, sighing as she drags a stick along the grass. Daisy chirps a bit in concern while Varian is picking apples. Ruddiger takes one and crawls down onto the grass, planning on eating it. "Ruddiger, you promised that'd be the last of the apples you'd eat!"

His eyes widen and then he drops the apple, scurrying off. "Whew!" Varian climbs back down, holding a big basket full of apples. "Well, this should be enough apples for dinner since our food storage got soaked..."

Harmony sits on a big rock, holding her cheeks. "We can buy more food at the next stop...Mona?" He notices that she hasn't said anything. "Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh," She looks up at him. "It's just...this whole curse thing. I'm not usually the type to believe in it, but...well..."

"Oh come on," He takes his seat next to her. "You can't really think that you're cursed! I mean, this type of stuff can happen to anyone!"

She glances at him skeptically. "Okay, yes, not everyone experiences mud and a flash flood in the same day, but luck is almost nonexistent because it's you who decides how to live. And I know _I'm _the luckiest guy right now to have you."

She smiles softly. "Aww, Vari. Maybe you have a point."

"Yes. Yes I do," He leans in and pecks her lips. "Now wait here, I think I found some blueberries! We can make a pie for everybody."

He rushes over to a nearby berry bush, digging his hand in deep. "Ah, Ruddiger, get out of there."

He holds up the tail...revealing that it's a skunk he's holding. "Ahh! ...You're not Ruddiger...okay, little buddy, I'm sorry. Just gonna...put you back where I found ya."

The skunk glares at him and sprays the boy in the face. "Agh!" Varian covers his eyes, Harmony opening her mouth in shock.

"Vari!"

"Nope! Not bad luck!" He shakes his head rapidly. "But the smell is just awful, ugh!"

Harmony frowns at him sadly. If she didn't have this curse, he wouldn't have gotten skunked...

"Pst!"

"Hm?" She looks up to see Hook Foot behind a tree nearby. "Hook Foot? What are you doing?"

"I have a solution. Meet me under the full moon tonight with Rapunzel, midnight. Tell no one."

"...Okay, stop with the drama, I get the point," She holds up a hand, rolling her eyes.

* * *

That night, an owl hoots as the three are standing on top of a cliff. "Ooh! So like I said, this ritual guarantees to counter the darkest hexes and curses imaginable."

"I will do anything to end this curse," Rapunzel tells him.

"Ditto! I don't want Vari to suffer from my curse, he got skunked because of me."

"Oof. No wonder why he won't come out of the second caravan...and why we had to get a bunch of tomato juice," Rapunzel rubs her chin.

"Hold this," Hook Foot places the book into their hands. "Let me get the ingredients."

The two glance at each other skeptically, wondering if this was really gonna work. "One tuft of bar fur, a blind beetle, three toenail clippings, a sprinkling of oregano, and last but not least, a weasel tooth." They catch all of the ingredients with the book. Pascal snatches the tooth with his tongue. "And you'll need these!" He places grass hats on their heads. "Even got one for you, little guys," He places a tiny one on Pascal and Daisy, the two staring at the hats.

"Okay, step two: we gotta walk counter-clockwise around the cauldron while the cursed soul, or in this case, souls, read the mystical spell," Hook Foot instructs them both.

"Spirits on high..." They both read, placing in one ingredient. "Heed this verse," Another ingredient goes in. "Obey my command, and lift this curse?"

"You're not selling it! You gotta say it with feeling," Hook Foot calls out from a tree.

"I thought you said 'we' were performing this spell," Rapunzel glares up at him.

"Whatever happened to teamwork?" Harmony places a hand on her hip.

"I ain't the one who's cursed!"

They roll their eyes, Pascal and Daisy blowing a raspberry at him. "Banish this pain...banish this sorrow..." Rapunzel tosses in the last vial. "Remove this curse, or know no tomorrow! By the winds of the west, the flames from the east, crush this hex, slay this beast!"

Hook Foot gulps at their second effort. It's so selling that he's actually scared of them. "Maybe a little less feeling?"

"Hey, _you _asked us to come out here," Harmony points up at him. "Take what you get, Hook Foot."

* * *

Max is eating some grass nearby while Lance and Shorty are sleeping outside. Varian rubs his armpits with tomato juice, grunting at the smell still on him. The caravans are covered in garlic, incense, and horseshoes from outside.

Eugene knocks on the door to the girls' room. "Psst! Rapunzel?" He opens the door and steps inside. "Rapunzel? Harmony? I'm sorry to bother you, but-"

"INTRUDER!"

Cass starts beating him up.

"Oof! Ow! No! Hey! Ow! Ow! Why?!"

A match is lit as Varian opens the door, having heard the commotion from outside. "What's going on?"

Eugene removes the shield over his head. "What are you doing?" Cass asks him while holding a candle. She sniffs the air and waves a hand in front of her nose. "Whew! Even with all the garlic, you still stink."

Varian gives her a deadpan look. "You're not the one who got _sprayed by a skunk!" _

"Well, I was just looking for a blanket, but now my bigger concern is trying to find my spleen!" Eugene exclaims at Cass. "Oh, there it is, over by my dignity. Wait, is that a horseshoe?"

He sees a horseshoe around Cass' neck. "Uh..." She stammers nervously, unsure how to explain herself.

"You know, it's bad enough these caravans are both covered in garlic and incense, but now you're in on it too? Rapunzel, Harmony, this curse nonsense needs to end right no-" He looks at their bunk beds to see that neither of them are there. "...Cassandra? Varian? Where are the girls?"

* * *

The cauldron is bubbling. "Bad luck curse, you're nothing but trouble," The two sisters chant, putting in another ingredient. "But after this chant, you'll be squashed on the double!"

"Oh come on, really?" Harmony stops reading, looking up at their friend in disbelief.

"Just throw in that weasel tooth!"

"Fine," She mutters in defeat. "Pascal?"

Pascal holds up the tooth, giving it to Rapunzel. She drops it in and the cauldron shakes, its contents shooting up into the air. They both scream as they step back in shock. They look to each other and then the cauldron burns through the branch it was attached to. Suddenly it starts flying around out of control. The two sisters watch it flies past them.

Hook Foot screams as it's heading for him, and then jumps down from the tree. The cauldron knocks down a couple of trees, flying past them. They gasp in horror...and then it comes straight towards them. They brace themselves, but Varian, Cass, and Eugene knock them onto the ground. The cauldron goes towards the water and then falls. The four look to each other and get up, looking over the edge.

"Where is it? It couldn't just disappear."

The cauldron suddenly appears behind them, and once they look, they all scream, running out of the way. Varian pushes Harmony onto the ground safely as the cauldron hops towards Hook Foot.

"Oh boy," He murmurs and then it gets stuck onto his head.

The others cough from the smoke, Eugene hugging Rapunzel. Hook Foot runs around with the cauldron over his head. "Oy vey." He manages to pull it off, sighing as he rubs the back of his neck.

"You guys might wanna get a different recipe for spinach soup," Eugene raises a brow.

"Well, it was supposed to be a counter-curse," Hook Foot tells him, the two sisters sighing.

"It's no use, Hook Foot. There's only one thing left to do," Rapunzel looks at her younger sister, who nods in agreement. "Return the telescope and the necklace to Madame Canardist in the morning and put an end to this curse."

"We can't go through Lumbard's Pass cursed like this...so, as much as I hate to admit it, Rapunzel's right..." She crosses her arms.

"What? Mona…" Varian steps towards her. "She kept trying to steal the necklace from you."

"Yeah, and those things are really important to you," Eugene frowns in disapproval.

"I don't like it anymore than you do, guys. But I can't risk your life further by dealing with the curse…" She looks towards Varian, who has his eyes closed. A bit of fear leaps in her heart. "Are you mad at me?"

He takes a deep breath. "No. We don't need a necklace to show how much we love each other. I understand that this is what you have to do. The love I have for you in here..." He takes her hand and places it on his heart. "Is much more than a mere possession."

She smiles and hugs him gratefully. He returns the hug, smiling into her hair. "Thank you, Vari."

"Eugene, my man," Hook Foot places a hand on Eugene's shoulder. "If the ladies want to return 'em, let her return 'em. Varian will still love Harmony no matter what, so what's the harm in it?"

"Yeah, we'll pitch in and get 'em new ones, better ones, one with more glass and more beads," Cass adds in.

The two sigh sadly, Harmony removing her necklace sadly. "We'll take them back first thing in the morning if we can even make it through the night. Aw, look! A family of black cats!" The cats screech, causing the four to cringe. Eugene and Varian glance to each other, a bit worried for their girlfriends. They had to do something to help, no matter how ridiculous the whole curse thing is. Plus, those objects are really treasured by the girls, they shouldn't have to give them up to a scammer. Who, for the record, stole Harmony's necklace despite her protests.

* * *

The next morning, the sisters reluctantly go down the path to Madame Canardist, Rapunzel reading the inscription. Harmony rubs a thumb against the Harmonium, trying not to shed a tear. She hadn't taken it off ever since Varian gave it to her...

"Wait, uh, Blondie!" Eugene calls out.

"You too, Mona," Varian steps up to her.

"Look, I know I said this whole curse thing is silly, but then I remembered something," He opens up a box to reveal a tooth attached to a string. "And I don't know why I didn't think of this before. It's an old tooth I found during an adventure once, and I don't know, I just had a 'good feeling' about it."

"And I found this last night!" Varian smiles widely, holding up another tooth for Harmony. "So, put this back on," He puts the Harmonium necklace over her neck. "And this too," He ties the tooth around her arm to make a bracelet.

"What? I can't believe it," Rapunzel states in disbelief. "Mr. Anti-superstition has a good luck charm?"

"What changed your mind?" Harmony raises a brow.

"I never really thought of it that way. I just held onto it because it made a cool trinket. But then we saw this," Eugene opens up the book to a particular page.

"The moose tooth is one of the most powerful counter-curse charms in the world, warding off evil, and inviting positive forces of the universe," The sisters read in unison. Rapunzel scoffs once they've finished reading.

"No! That thing? You're kidding, right? Is this a joke? Of course it's a joke. Ha ha ha, good one."

"Yeah, I-I don't think this will really work, Vari. I mean, come on. You're telling me that you found a moose tooth all the way out here? Just randomly? I appreciate the help, but no. At least you got out the skunk smell."

She takes off the bracelet, kisses Varian's cheek, and follows after her sister. They suddenly stop in place, a bit doubtful still.

"Is it a joke? I'm still unclear."

"I'll suspend my belief that a moose tooth can really stop a curse," Harmony holds up a hand.

"Hey, you read it for yourselves, Blondie. We're just the messengers here," Eugene holds out the necklace. The sisters glance to each other and then at their boyfriends.

"Can't you at least try? For me?" Varian smiles a bit and she sighs.

"I can't believe I'm about to do this..." She holds out her hand and he plants the bracelet on her arm.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel excitedly puts on the necklace. "This is incredible! I mean, I do kind of feel bad for the moose, but hopefully all the rest of his teeth are intact, and he's also got antlers, so-"

"Sunshine," Eugene interrupts her. "Hi. Focus."

"Right. Sorry," She smiles up at him. "Do you think it'll work?"

"I really do," He smiles back, the woman smiling widely.

"Mm...I dunno," Harmony gives a skeptical look, shaking her head.

"Oh, come on! It's fact," Varian holds up the book with a grin.

"Well, okay," She smiles a bit. "Thank you so much for doing this." She lightly touches the element from her necklace. She didn't really know if she could actually give up her necklace, anyway...so she'll trust him just this once.

* * *

Rapunzel looks at her neck, a determined look as she snaps the reins. Harmony and Varian are sitting on Silver and Fidella. The three horses look towards their path nervously, Rapunzel getting them to take off. She kisses the tooth for luck as Eugene stares at her. He chuckles anxiously, looking at the narrow path up ahead. The three horses run as fast as they can, Hook Foot whimpering in fear.

Harmony kisses her tooth as well, smiling at the fearful four nearby. They reach the rock towers. "Here we are..." The girl murmurs, Varian taking a deep breath.

"Of all the Deadly Bridges of Swaying Rocks I've seen, this is the deadliest!" Lance holds his head. "But only the second swayey-est."

"That's not a word," Varian raises a brow at him.

"So I invented it; my point still stands!"

"Don't worry, guys. We've closed the door on disaster," Rapunzel smirks at Max, and he nickers with a nod. He looks up ahead to the first rock, all three horses slowly stepping forward. The tower sways over to the next, Eugene screaming out of terror. The first one falls as they get onto the second, and then they repeat the same strategy. Tower after tower falls after they step off. Eugene hugs the wall behind him, whimpering.

Varian hugs Fidella's neck as Harmony takes a calming breath. They've gotten this far...They reach the next tower, the one in front of them a bit farther away than the others. The three horses step closer, the tower starting to tilt.

"Get ready," Rapunzel warns everyone, watching the rock from the next tower tilting. "Now!"

They run and jump across, sliding to a stop. Eugene glances behind them, Rapunzel pumping a fist. "Yes! That was impeccable timing!"

"Nice job, sis!" Harmony smiles at her.

"Now we just have to get past the rest, and we're safe!" Varian looks towards the rest of the path.

"Didn't see the moose tooth coming, did ya, curse?" Rapunzel holds up the tooth.

"These actually worked!" Harmony stares at her tooth, both of them kissing the teeth. Shorty pokes his head out from the window between her and Cass.

"Moose teeth? More like my teeth!" He takes the tooth from Rapunzel and Harmony, putting them back into his mouth. "Welcome back, Edna and Edith. I kept your rooms just like you left them."

Cass closes the window, Varian trying not to throw up. "That's disgusting," He murmurs, holding his stomach as Harmony gives a look of horror.

"What is going on here?" Rapunzel asks slowly.

"...What did you two do?" Harmony gives Eugene and Varian a scary glare.

"Ha! What are the odds Shorty has the same size teeth as a moose? I never, ever would've guessed that." Rapunzel's shocked look turns into a glare as well.

"Eugene! Those weren't good luck charms, weren't they? Those were just Shorty's teeth. Ugh! And we kissed it, ew."

Harmony gags at the reminder, covering her mouth and swallowing in her vomit. "What are we gonna do now?"

"And why didn't you just tell me it was his tooth? You watched me kiss that thing, gross," Harmony turns to Varian accusingly.

"I just wanted to help! You were gonna give that necklace back to undo your 'curse,' and I couldn't let you do that."

"And THIS is any better?!" Harmony gestures to their situation. The second caravan tilts down, and the first one falls back a bit. The three horses whinnying and they all let out a scream.

"You both lied to us!" Rapunzel gives Eugene and Varian a look. "You said those were lucky moose teeth!"

"Now, just a second, Blondie. I didn't lie. I simply relayed select truths," Eugene defends with a wide smile.

"I didn't lie, either. I just...gave the story a little flair?" Varian gives a nervous chuckle.

"What are you talking about?!"

"That's basically lying!" Harmony adds in furiously. She couldn't believe what they were hearing.

"Well, I did find the tooth on an adventure. This adventure to be exact," Eugene states, as he took the book from Rapunzel's bag while she was asleep. "After taking the book, we stumbled upon the section of anti-curse charms, and saw the moose tooth passage. From there, we just kind of rolled with it. I mean, how were we supposed to know they were Shorty's teeth?"

"We really did just find them," Varian states to Harmony. "But...I'm sorry."

"Okay, lie or 'select truths', we're mere inches away from our doom, so can we please focus on that, people?" Cass gestures to the second caravan as the three horses are trying to keep their balance due to the extra weight.

"W-We can't! The curse!"

"Now that we know the truth, it's all starting to come back," Harmony frowns up ahead. The horses skid forward, the second caravan leaning more and more backwards. Lance whimpers as they look over the edge.

"Rapunzel, look at me," Eugene puts his hands on Rapunzel's shoulders to make her look at him. "Think about it. Bad things only started to happen to you two once you thought you were crushed. And good things started to happen once you both thought you found the counter-curse. Look, someone once told me that they don't believe in bad luck curses."

"...And someone once told me that the best way to predict the future is to create your own," She smiles up at him.

"Did I say that? Wow. That is very poetic. I didn't-"

"Our luck is no worse or no better than anyone else's. What matters is what we choose to focus on. And I'm choosing the fact that we've almost made it across this bridge without a scrape, and there's no reason to stop now! Isn't that right, little sister?"

Harmony blinks at her speech, smiling softly for the encouragement. Varian smiles as he looks between the two.

"You're right, big sister. I shouldn't focus on a curse, only on what I choose to believe in."

"That's right, Princesses! Show that bridge who's boss!" Lance pumps a fist.

"Yeah! You got this, girls! Tap into that optimism!" Cass cheers for them.

"Ain't that the tooth," Shorty adds in.

"Good one, Shorty," Lance comments, Cass pushing the man back inside again.

"I believe in you two," Varian places a hand on Harmony's shoulder.

"Alright, guys. Drop your heads, and engage your hocks! Harmony, Varian, over here."

The two teens crawl over to their side, sitting next to Rapunzel. The three horses, with all their strength, walk upwards. They manage to get back on balance, the three smiling at each other.

"YES! That's the Raps I know!" Eugene cheers for her.

"If we time this right, we can make it, guys!" Harmony pumps her fists.

"And that's the Harmi I know!" Eugene adds in.

"Just two more towers to go."

"We're gonna need a lot of momentum to make it across both of them to the other side!" Cass states as she runs up ahead.

"Meaning a lot of speed," Varian points out.

"Then let's make a run for it!" Rapunzel grins widely. The tower starts to tilt, both Lance and Hook Foot screaming. The three horses jump across...but the tower in front of them falls as the last one hit the base.

"Oh no! Oh no!" Cass shouts as the three horses slide to a stop.

"The curse has scrambled their brains!" Lance screams as the horses barely stop at the edge.

"We've got to get to the other side!"

"Oh, sure! Maybe we'll all just flap our arms and we'll fly across!" Eugene retorts back to Cass.

"What do we do?!" Varian looks up ahead.

"Fly across..." The sisters murmur, remembering the one thing they have that can fly.

"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" Harmony grins at her sister.

"Yup! Hook Foot, do you still have all the counter-curse ingredients?"

"Everything except a weasel tooth," He explains to them.

"...Shorty?" Rapunzel turns to the open window. "We're gonna need to borrow Edna and Edith again."

"It's crazy, dangerous...but we have an idea," Harmony smirks a little.

He holds up the teeth.

The tower begins to move, Harmony tossing a stick into a fire. She's made a makeshift catapult for the cauldron. "Gang, hold on tight!" Rapunzel warns everyone. "It's time for takeoff!" The two place in their teeth, the cauldron starting to bubble again. "Get ready!"

It shoots up into the air, causing everyone to look around in alarm. The two pull the lever. "Now!"

The lever moves the cauldron so that it's facing away from the caravans. It tilts up, the two sisters smiling. Suddenly, they take off like a rocket, soaring across. The horses neigh in fear as Pascal and Daisy hide. But they safely land on the other side, spinning around to a stop with both caravans intact.

Cass pants heavily, her hair slightly messed up. She sighs in relief, sliding down a bit.

"I can't believe that worked..." Varian murmurs, holding his hair slightly.

"Yes!" The two sisters cheer, an arm around each other as they pump fists.

"Blondie, Brownie, that idea was genius!" Eugene congratulates them.

"You two saved us!"

"Yeah. Come on. No big deal," Rapunzel waves it off.

"All in a day's work. Science!" Harmony points to her head, a hand on her hip. "And we did it without that curse hanging over our heads."

"Yeah, it's not like we were cursed in the first place," Rapunzel smiles in amusement. Varian runs up to Harmony, grabbing her waist and spinning her around.

"You did it, Mona!"

She laughs as he puts her down. "And, uh...sorry for lying to you..."

"It's okay," She smiles softly at her boyfriend. "You helped me realize that I don't need to be cursed to be myself." She lightly touches the necklace around her neck. "Truth be told...I didn't wanna give this up anyway deep down."

He smiles back, glad that she didn't end up giving it away.

* * *

"Max, Fidella, and Silver are gonna need those," Rapunzel walks up to Eugene as he's taking off a horseshoe. "We've still got a long journey ahead of us. Thank you for encouraging me. I guess, I was just looking at things through the wrong end of the telescope," She holds up her telescope. Pun intended. From now on, no hexes, no trinkets, no 'select truths.' Together, we make our own luck!"

The two share a brief kiss and she walks off to go check on Harmony and Varian. "Well, it's like I said all along, there's no such thing as curses," He spins around the horseshoe, which suddenly falls off and hits his head. "Ow!" He then tumbles down a small hill, screaming. "This is perfectly normal!"

He groans when he lands flat on his back. He opens his eyes to see Vigor staring down at him. "Aah! Vigor? How in the monkey's uncle did you get over-"

The monkey growls at him, glaring. "Why do you keep looking at me like that?!"

"Vigor!" Madame Canardist calls out. His eyes turn back to normal. "We go now." He chitters and runs off, Eugene looking after him in annoyance.

"What is that monkey's problem? Why don't you go climb—Ow!" He bumps right into a tree. "Who put this here?!" He looks down at the horseshoe he dropped.

"Eugene, are you coming?" Rapunzel yells from the top.

"Be right there, Sunshine." He looks around and places the horseshoe inside his vest. "Eh, never can be too careful."


	40. The Eye of Pincosta

A butterfly flies past some black rocks as the two caravans are parked near a city. "The hamlet of Pincosta. Known for its warm smiles, hearty handshakes, and world famous Pincostan pecan pie!" Rapunzel announces to everyone, wearing a hot pink cloak over herself. Harmony has a purple one over herself.

"What'd you do? Memorize the travel guide?" Cass stares at her.

"Eh, only through the V's," She shrugs a little. "That's why I wasn't very much help in Zuhlberg."

Lance peeks his head out from the window. "Did someone say pecan pie? What are we waiting for? Can't this thing go any faster? Never mind, I'll meet you there." He rushes out of the caravan, running towards the city...but he forgets about the cliff, falling down. The others cringe at this.

"Probably should have waited until we got to the bottom of the hill," Cass states as he's still falling.

"Food is usually the first thing on his mind," Harmony gestures to Lance. "This just goes to show that he'll go through anything just to get it."

"Do we have to go to the Hamlet of Pincosta?" Eugene steps up to the front. "I mean, what is a hamlet anyway? Sounds like a tiny ham. Am I right? No, thank you." He chuckles nervously from the looks they're giving him. "And you can get a hearty handshake anywhere. Look, I say we take the scenic route. I love scenic routes, you love scenic routes! And you know what? Cause there's scenery."

Harmony, Varian, and Rapunzel smile knowingly. "Eugene...are you wanted here?"

"Yes, I am wanted here. Very, very much so," He answers while still keeping a smile.

"We have to go, Eugene. We need food," Rapunzel grins a bit.

"Which we wouldn't even need if Shorty would stop eating our storage," Varian deadpans, shaking his head. Pascal and Daisy's stomachs growl, and they cover themselves up in embarrassment.

"We've got plenty of food! Look how full this thing is!" He holds up the bag...which indeed has Shorty sleeping inside. "...Shorty's in here, isn't he?"

"Just five more minutes, Mom."

"See what we mean?" Varian gestures to the bag.

"Eugene, I get it, but we're starving. You don't expect us to reach the Dark Kingdom on empty stomachs, do you?" Harmony explains to him, and he grunts in defeat.

"I hate it when you're right."

* * *

They walk through town as Eugene attempts to hide himself, a villager walking right past him. "You know...on second thought, maybe I should just hang back with the camper."

"Don't worry, Eugene. These people have probably long forgotten-"

"Look, it's Flynn Rider!" A citizen points at him, and the guards point their swords at him. He holds up his hands in surrender.

"So how's about one of those hearty handshakes I've heard so much about?"

Within minutes, he's thrown into the dungeon, the door closed in front of him. "Five minutes in town and he's already arrested," Cass crosses her arms.

"That's a new record," Lance blinks in shock. The door to the dungeon opens and they look to see a tiny man in red.

"Alright, where is he? Well hello, Flynn Rider. Long time no see."

"Uh, Constable Lumph, is it?" Rapunzel addresses him.

"You're the law of this land," Harmony crosses her arms.

"Wait, wait! Don't ruin my moment!" He holds out a hand to them. He steps up to Eugene, reaching towards the door. They just stare at him as he can't quite reach.

"He's even shorter than the Griffin of Pittsford," Harmony whispers to Cass, who bites back a laugh.

"Lewis..." The man lifts up the constable to the lock, and he locks the door. "Oh yeah! I've been waiting so long to do that. Let me do it again." Rapunzel rolls his eyes at how childish he is, Lance eating some pie. "Oh, yeah!"

"Great. Okay, back to the charges?" Rapunzel speaks up.

"What exactly did he steal?" Varian raises a brow.

"This rapscallion walked away with the town's most sacred treasure: the Eye of Pincosta." Harmony gives Eugene an accusing look and he holds up his hands in defense. "Which is-"

"Which is the biggest diamond in all the land," Rapunzel finishes for him. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I read the travel guide."

"The second biggest, actually," Constable Lumph holds up a finger. "Zuhlberg's is bigger."

"Zuhlberg," Rapunzel grits her teeth, shaking a fist.

"Huh. Looks like we found a second enemy for Rapunzel: the travel guide," Harmony giggles at her sister.

"Okay, yes. I stole the Eye," Eugene sounds closer than he should be and they all turn around to see him right next to Max. "But that was ages ago. I'm a changed man!" He smiles widely, the Constable looking between him in the cell. He grumbles towards the man. "Granted I did just pick your jail cell lock. Habit?" He laughs sheepishly and soon, he's thrown in jail again in a straitjacket.

"I'd have been fine with don't do that."

"If you hadn't stolen it, we wouldn't be here right now trying to get you out," Harmony deadpans to him.

"Under Pincosta law, I sentence Flynn Rider to a lifetime of servitude...in the Copper Mines of Malanay."

The sisters and Varian gasp sharply. "The Copper Mines of Malanay. Miles upon miles of caves where miners are forced to dig day and night without rest, food, or light." Rapunzel gasps again, and notices the looks that everyone except Harmony is giving her. "...It's a very thorough guide."

"Not really if she didn't know about the second biggest diamond," Varian snickers towards Harmony.

"The thing is, I actually am kind of more of a rest, food, and light type of person. So, how do you feel about community service? Because I will pick up your litter like nobody's business," Eugene offers with a big smile.

"Don't worry, Eugene," Lance whispers to him. "We will break you out of here in no time."

The constable clears his throat as he heard every word of that. "Ha ha ha! Lance, funny guy. He is just always the jokester," Eugene smiles nervously towards him.

"Who should really stop talking," Harmony jerks her head towards the constable.

"Oh, right! I'm joking," He laughs it off. "Definitely won't break you out of here. Yes, we will. Just messing with ya! No I'm not."

* * *

This gets everyone else thrown in jail, to their dismay. "Sometime, we're going to have to have a frank discussion about whisper volume," Eugene glares towards his friend.

"Thanks a lot, Lance! Now we're in jail!" Varian gestures to the bars.

"Constable, wait!" Rapunzel calls out, Pascal's tongue sticking out. He stops the tiny man from walking further. He stands up and adjusts his hat. "What if my sister and I could find the Eye?"

"Hmm," He rubs his chin. "How?"

"My sister is really smart," She gestures to Harmony. "If we can find it, would you release Eugene?"

"And also everybody else?" Hook Foot calls out, as he didn't want to stay there any longer than he should.

The constable pauses and snaps his fingers, meaning that he accepts the deal. "Blondie, Brownie, do not do this," Eugene warns them as they approach the door.

"We are _not _letting you go to those mines," She explains to him.

"Or everyone else for that matter," Harmony states as she looks at everyone. "We'll get you out of this, guys."

The door is opened, but only to let the two princesses out. "The carriage to the mines leaves in 2 days. So the jewel better be in my hands in 48 hours," He points to his hand. "Or your friends will toil in the mines forever."

Harmony gives a look of horror to everyone, stepping up to the cell. Varian steps up to her. "Don't worry about me, just get that Eye so we can get out of here."

"I will," She promises and he pecks her lips. She turns to Eugene. "We need something from you, Eugene."

"If we have any chance of tracking the Eye down, you have to tell us everything," Rapunzel grips the bars.

"Uh, well...what's to tell, really?" Eugene cringes in embarrassment. He really didn't want to tell them where it was for some reason. "You know, I stole a thing. A thing was stolen. That's the end of the story."

"And you have no idea where it is?" Rapunzel asks him suspiciously and he clamps his mouth shut.

"...Why are you giving that look?" Harmony narrows her eyes suspiciously.

"Eugene. What is it?" Rapunzel demands to her boyfriend.

"...Okay, see, the thing is, it was a two-man job. So if anyone knows where the Eye is, it would be my partner," He explains to the duo.

"Who? Lance?"

"You worked with him to steal our mom's ring," Harmony glances to Lance, who's still eating pie. "Oh, honestly, would you just put that down?!"

Eugene sucks in his teeth, glancing away. "Not Lance..."

"...Oh no..." Harmony groans in realization. "Eugene, you didn't..."

Rapunzel grimaces as she realizes who they have to go to...

"What? What is it?" Hook Foot looks between the girls and Eugene.

"Now I know why you didn't wanna tell us..." Harmony takes a slight breath as she turns around, facing the door in exasperation. "And now..._we've _gotta go find them. _We've _gotta go ask them where it is just to get you out of jail..." She mouths 'wow' in disbelief to herself.

"You okay?" Varian asks her as she walks away.

"Nope, but we have to..." She shakes her head slowly, closing the door behind her.

* * *

At the Glass Slipper, a dart is fired at a dartboard. Sitting across from the dartboard are Staylan and Morgan, the older woman sipping from her mug. She smirks once she's done drinking.

"Oh, is it my turn?" She gestures to herself innocently. Morgan spins around in her chair to watch. She holds up a red dart. "Oops." She giggles and then fires, hitting the scoreboard instead. "Aw, nuts! Looks like we have to buy you lunch. Unless...can we play again?"

He rubs his chin. "Sure. But let's make it more interesting. Your ruby necklace for, uh..."

"Your cutlass and diamond-studded dagger?" She points at the dagger at his waist.

"Add in lunch for everyone here and you've got a deal," Morgan smirks in amusement.

"Ooh, good one, Mo," Staylan winks at her. They place down their betting items in front of Morgan. The man goes first...and then Staylan hits the bullseye dead on three times with no hesitation.

"What the-?!" The man stands there, baffled as Staylan takes the objects.

"Thanks for the game...and for the lunch. He's buying, everybody!"

Everyone cheers as the two walk past the grumbling man, angry for the swindle. The two sisters clap and Morgan tries to grab the dagger, the older sister holding it away.

"Wha-hey! If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't even have that thing!" She protests to her sibling.

"You know our rule: oldest gets sharpest...and the most beautiful," Staylan waves the dagger, the younger girl pouting. A crash is heard behind them and they don't even have to turn around to know who they are. "Wow. Didn't think Princess Sunshine or Evil Queen could find us in a place as shady as this."

"Well, maybe you're not the judge of character you thought you were," Rapunzel quips back to her.

"So..." Morgan leans against the table casually. "Varian leave you yet?"

"Ha ha," Harmony deadpans towards her. This is exactly why she didn't want to come here... "The only reason why we're even here is because-"

"Let me guess: Rider's in trouble, and you want our help to save him," Staylan interrupts her, taking out a tiny dagger.

"Not just him," Harmony glares, hands on her hips. "Vari's in jail too because of Eugene."

"Yeah. We need to find the Eye of Pincosta. And you two stole it together, with it being Morgan's first time as an accomplice," Rapunzel explains with an indignant look. She really didn't want to talk to them, but she didn't have a choice.

"We stole a lot of things together," Staylan catches the tiny gem from the dagger that she pulled out.

"And once I get Varian, we'll do the same," Morgan replies confidently. Harmony sneers at her, taking a deep breath.

"Yeah, we both know where it is but why would we help you?"

"Because we're charming?" Rapunzel chuckles a bit, the thief sisters giving each other a deadpan look. "It was worth a shot. I think you'll help because you still care about Eugene. And there's good in everybody."

"Plus, you don't wanna see Vari in jail, do you?" Harmony crosses her arms at Morgan.

"Yeah, but I also don't wanna see him with a goody two-shoes like you."

The princess balls up her fists, turning red in anger. "You little-!"

"Ha! And you are both terrible judges of character," Staylan rolls her eyes, sitting across from her sister. "I personally want nothing to do with Rider. And doing the right thing has never been a priority of mine," She takes her mug, smirking and taking a sip.

"We'll pay you," Rapunzel offers, getting their attention. The sisters step in front of the two. The blonde pulls out a key. "This unlocks the trunk back in our caravans. A trunk full of gold. It's all yours."

Staylan simply takes another sip, so they decide to go with another tactic. "Not to mention..." Rapunzel steps up to the dartboard. "The darts you and that guy were playing with."

"How long were you watching us?" Morgan narrows her eyes defensively.

"Oh, long enough," Harmony smirks as they've got them now.

"Gosh, his are a lot heavier than yours for some reason," Rapunzel holds one dart each in her hand. "Huh. It's almost like you cheated."

"As in, you tweaked them to make them lighter," Harmony glances at Morgan, whose eyes widen as she glances around.

"Maybe we should go talk to that guy about this," Rapunzel points to the angry man as he breaks a table with his bare hands. "Ooh. He looks really mad." Stalyan looks just as nervous as her sister does.

The two chuckle nervously, getting onto their feet. "Guess we've got a jewel to find, partners," Staylan places a hand on her shoulder. The table flies past them and hits the wall, breaking into pieces. Rapunzel looks just as awkward as Staylan does about the whole situation.

"Fine! But only because that guy would break my face, and he won't go easy on girls," Morgan grunts in defeat. "But after we're done, Varian's gonna be mine!"

"We'll see," Harmony narrows her eyes.

* * *

The four walk out of the Glass Slipper. "If we wanna get the Eye of Pincosta back, we better get a move on," Staylan walks up to the horse mount, about to unhook one.

"Right. I think...wait..." She notices that they're picking locks. "Is this your horse?"

"Of course not," Staylan looks over her shoulder.

"We got caught stealing the last few from a town," Morgan states to them.

"Well then whose is it?"

"My horse!" The same guy Staylan and Morgan dealt with is standing right behind them, panting.

"But it will be ours in a second," Staylan goes back to the lock, the two princesses giving a nervous look towards the man. He grabs part of a fence and rips it off, running towards them. The two step between them and the thug.

"We were only admiring your beautiful horse. Right, Morgan and Staylan?" Rapunzel walks up to the horse, noticing something off. "Hey, has he been kind of out of sorts?"

"He has been a little ornery lately," The thug explains as Harmony holds its cheeks, examining.

"Well, for one..."

"Look, his saddle is too loose," Rapunzel starts off, "Which is chafing his belly. And there's a thorn in his bridle. Ouch! Also, don't hitch him next to Rye grass. It gives horses a tummy ache. Brown-top grass is much better."

The two roll their eyes at the princesses. "Good boy! Isn't that much better?"

The horse neighs after eating some brown-top grass. "Here's a nice shiny apple," Harmony smiles, holding it out to him. He whinnies happily, eating it and nuzzling the young princess. "Aw, you're welcome!"

"Alright. You take care now! Bye!" Rapunzel waves to them as they guide the annoyed duo away.

* * *

"Do you really think we're the type of people who would steal horses?" She asks the two up in front as they're walking into the forest.

"I mean...your sister can control black rocks, so anything is possible," Morgan mutters under her breath. Harmony elbows her in the arm.

"Give us a little credit."

"And you said we were bad judges of character," Rapunzel replies in amusement, watching the two take drinks of water from their jugs. "May we have a sip? We are parched."

"..." Morgan takes one look at Harmony and dumps her water out right in front of her. "Oops."

"Plenty of water right over there," Staylan gestures to a river they're passing by.

"Should've expected that," Harmony deadpans as they walk over.

"When you come up for air, maybe you could tell us where the diamond is?" Rapunzel bends down to the river with a frying pan in her hands to gather water.

"Virtuous St. Goodberry," Staylan states as the two slide down to the river.

"Where is that?" Rapunzel looks up at them.

"Not where, who," Staylan leans against the tree nearby. "Eugene lost the Eye to him years ago."

"In a bet, no less," Morgan snorts at the memory. "Amateur."

"If we want the Eye, we have to get it from Goodberry," Staylan finishes, watching Rapunzel and Pascal sip. "You know they make cups for that?"

"Yeah, but with a frying pan, Pascal and I can drink at the same time," Rapunzel holds out some berries to him, which he eats. Harmony takes her turn with the frying pan, getting some water herself. Morgan bends down and fills up her bottle.

"Look, we should probably get moving," Staylan rolls her eyes as Harmony starts sipping. "Goodberry's place is a three-day walk."

The girl does a spit take at the news. "Three days?!" They both screech in shock.

"W-Why didn't you say that before? We have less than two to get that diamond!" Rapunzel exclaims at the both of them.

"Well it would be one if somebody would let us steal horses," Staylan snatches the berries, throwing them over her shoulder.

"But the goody-two-shoes don't have the guts," Morgan crosses her arms.

"I told you. We are not stealing...anything..." Rapunzel looks down the river, Harmony staring at it as she thinks about the distance. Rapunzel stands on the log nearby. "Goodberry's place is due east, right?" She smirks a little, her sister smiling.

"Whatever you're thinking right now is an awful idea," Staylan states plainly.

"There is no way we're surviving with you two around," Morgan drags a hand down her face. Harmony smirks as she holds up her left hand, creating something on the water.

"This river can be crossed in a day with the right speed." She gasps and bends down to the log as Morgan just stares at the water, baffled. In just a few seconds, she creates a log perfect for two people to sit on with hollowed seats.

* * *

The older sisters use the log using sticks for paddles while Harmony and Morgan are surfing on a board made out of black rocks.

"I told you this was an awful idea!" Staylan shouts at the top of her lungs as they pass through the rough waters.

"Uh, right. Go right!" Rapunzel tells her.

"No, we want the left!" Staylan forces both makeshift vehicles to go left.

"Hey!" Harmony exclaims at her.

"We needed to go right," Rapunzel glares at her partner.

"Wrong. Your way has rocks," Staylan retorts to her. The younger girls gasp at what's up ahead.

"Yeah, but your way has that!" The blonde points up ahead at a waterfall!

"And when were you going to mention the waterfall?" Stalyan screeches at her.

"I was trying to! But you interrupted me!"

"This is all your fault, Stayl!" Morgan narrows her eyes at her older sister.

"Guys, we need to focus!" Harmony exclaims as they're moving too fast.

"Well this current is too strong."

"Then we're gonna have to go over," Rapunzel explains, to the shock of Morgan.

"Wait, what?!"

"We can do this," Rapunzel smiles in determination.

"How can you stomach her optimism? We're gonna die!" Morgan screeches at the younger princess.

"Because I trust her!"

"Did we mention we hate you?" Staylan shouts as they all scream, the older sisters falling over the edge first. Rapunzel and Staylan land on top of a rock, the log in the middle. Harmony glances to her right, noticing a vine.

"Hang on!" She screams, jumping with Morgan on her back. She soars towards the vine, their hair flying. Harmony catches it, coming to a stop. Morgan shouts in alarm as she looks over the water. The vine swings a bit and it thankfully doesn't break.

"Worst. Day. Ever," The two Baron daughters say in unison.

"We made up a lot of time, didn't we?" Rapunzel smiles a little.

"You're right. This worked out great," Staylan gives a deep frown. "See ya," Her water jug falls down below.

"Yeah, I'm outta here too," Morgan glares, her jug falling as well. They're about to jump when the two princesses notice two things: the log is unstable, and the vine could break at any moment.

"Stop!" Rapunzel holds out a hand and she does so, the log stopping in place. "We have to jump off at the same time. Or we're both going to fall."

"Same here," Harmony gives her partner a look.

"This is a fine situation that you've gotten us into," Staylan mutters underneath her breath.

"Yeah, thanks for the joy rides!" Morgan shouts at both of them.

"On three. Ready? One...two-" Staylan and Morgan jump anyway. "Hey! You were supposed to jump on three!" The two leap and land on the edge of the cliff, looking over their shoulders as the log falls into the water. Rapunzel and Harmony sigh in relief.

"That was a close one."

"Too close! You'd rather let us fall and die than wait?!" Harmony exclaims at the two. They say nothing and grab a rock...but it slips and they fall, hanging onto a tree.

"Hang on!" Rapunzel lets down her hair and grabs the branch above. "Harmi, start climbing."

The girl nods and climbs downwards. She jumps down slowly to reach them, the branch breaking. Rapunzel grabs Staylan's arms as Harmony turns around, lifting up her hand. A tower made of black rocks form underneath Morgan, catching her.

"Gotcha."

Together they reach the bottom, Rapunzel grabbing her frying pan and the jugs. "This is yours," She hands both of them to their owners, not noticing the shocked looks from both of them. Up ahead, they notice a town.

"Goodberry's tents. I-I can't believe it."

"We just reached his place in under a day..." Morgan blinks slowly. She didn't even think that was possible.

"What are we waiting for? Come on!" Rapunzel smiles, running up ahead. The two glance to each other and then look at their partners. The two royal sisters laugh as they run side-by-side.

"Bet I can get there first!" Harmony calls out.

"Loser gives up their dessert for a week?"

"Deal!"

Morgan and Staylan slowly follow behind them. Their partners stare at the duo, almost...impressed by their determination and persistence.

* * *

Eugene sets himself free as everyone shivers, shaking. "This cell is a little d-d-d-drafty," Hook Foot stammers while shivering.

"Maybe they made it specifically for you," Varian raises a brow towards Eugene.

"That guy's had it out for me ever since I left town," Eugene glares towards the door.

"Okay, I don't like this anymore than you guys. But if we want to stay warm, we've gotta cuddle," Lance holds out his arms, waving them forward. "Bring it in, bring it in. Come on, bring it in guys."

Cass stands up, gritting her teeth from the cold. "I'll freeze, thank you. And where do you keep getting pie from?"

Lance takes a bite out of the pecan pie. "I'll never tell."

Eugene sighs slowly. "Blondie and Brownie only have a day left."

"Oh Rider!" They look outside the cell to see the constable approaching.

"Great," Varian mutters as he's come here to brag.

"To get your mind off the Eye, I brought one of my paintings. It's the Mines of Malanay. A preview of what the rest of your life will look like," He plants the painting inside for everyone to see. "See you tomorrow." He laughs evilly as he walks away.

"He painted the mines?" Eugene holds up the painting, everyone gasping. "What are they mining? Skulls?"

"He didn't finish painting that guy," Hook Foot points to the bottom right corner.

"Oh yes he did. Over there," Lance whimpers as he points to the other side, Hook Foot gagging in disgust.

"Hmm, he's got talent," Cass points out.

"Nothing compared to Mona, though...but I'm gonna be sick," Varian covers his mouth.

* * *

The four girls reach Goodberry's tent, which is guarded. "Ha! I win!" Rapunzel pumps her fists.

"Fine, I guess you did," Harmony rolls her eyes in amusement. Morgan stares at the duo. They seemed to work well together and trust one another…

"Closed. Unless you got tickets or a bribe," The guard holds out his hand to Rapunzel.

"Oh, good evening to you, sir," She shakes his head, not really understanding what a bribe is. "We just need to talk to Mr. Goodberry," She steps forward, only to bump into the man's face. Morgan snickers at her, Harmony elbowing the girl in the arm. He slides her a good distance away.

"No tickets, no bribe, no deal."

"Harmi?" Rapunzel turns to her sister.

"I'm sorry, Punz, but I don't have money on me," Harmony frowns a bit. "Vari took my portion so that I wouldn't have to pay for food today."

"He picked the wrong time to be a gentleman..." Rapunzel grunts slightly, but she did still admire that part of himself.

"We need to talk to Mr. Goodberry. You're in our way. So get out of it," Staylan threatens the guards.

"Or else," Morgan punches her fists. The two pull out their swords, bumping into each other while doing so.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Guys, guys, guys," Rapunzel steps between them. "I don't want to have to pull out my frying pan, but I will."

"Uh, did she say a frying pan?" The Caucasian one looks to his partner, who shrugs cluelessly.

"Yes. Yes she did. And she's not afraid to use it!" Harmony defends her sister, pulling out her bow and arrow.

"Oh yeah," Staylan pulls out her own sword. "You heard her right."

"As ridiculous as it sounds..." Morgan rolls her eyes, taking out a staff.

"Get 'em!"

The guards take them two-on-one, Rapunzel blocking the sword with her frying pan. "Pascal?"

"Daisy?"

The two take action, Pascal's tongue sticking to the guard's forehead. He flies onto the man's face, covering his eyes.

"I can't see! Get this thing off of me!"

Daisy flies into action and distracts him. He yells, flailing his hands around. Rapunzel hits him in the foot with her weapon and then hits him in the back. Harmony fires her bolo arrows, capturing his feet with it. They look to Staylan and Morgan, a man laughing as he watches from his caravan. Morgan and Staylan step back, the older sister using the flag to propel herself forward. Morgan uses her staff to bring herself forward, both of them knocking him onto the ground. Harmony fires another arrow, capturing him in goop.

"Thank you, Vari," She smirks in amusement, looking at her alchemy-equipped arrows. Thankfully she remembered to pack only those today and not her regular ones.

"Do you girls have any promoters?" They point their weapons at the man, who steps out of the caravan. "Look, not every day do you meet fighters who can drop a couple guards like bad habits. Look, name's Goodberry. Virtuous St. Goodberry. That's right. Walk with me." He leads them away. "Now the best fighters in the world travel sea and land to come here. At the grandeur of the Goodberry Games!" He opens up the entrance to the Goodberry Games, which is basically fighting matches. It's almost like the Challenge of the Brave.

The female fighter laughs at the applause, getting thrown over the ring and landing on a bench, breaking it into pieces. Staylan and Morgan roll their eyes, walking away. Rapunzel gasps sharply, Pascal smiling at her.

Harmony clears her throat to silently remind them of why they're here in the first place. Daisy gives them a 'really' look.

"Uh, look, Mr. Goodberry, we are _not_ here to fight. We understand that you have the Eye of Pincosta and we need to return it to its rightful owners. Or a friend of ours is going to be in big trouble."

"A friend of theirs," Staylan adds in, crossing her arms.

"And my boyfriend," Morgan smirks a bit, getting Harmony red-faced in anger.

"Right," Rapunzel gives them a strained smile.

"So, uh, you mean this, huh?" Goodberry holds up the Eye on his finger.

"That's it!" Harmony gasps, pointing to it.

"It's pretty, isn't it? It's big...but you know what it ain't? Yours. Now if you're not here to battle, scram! I've got fighters to tend to. They are the meanest, the toughest, the coolest, the strongest, the never-givin'-upin'-est people you've ever seen in your life!"

"They haven't meet me, then," Morgan smiles in amusement, getting an annoyed look from Harmony.

"Do you ever stop being a braggart?"

"Nope!" Morgan grins at her.

"We quit!"

Goodberry gasps at the four fighters approaching him. "What?! No, no, no, no, no! I won't hear of it. Big fight's tonight!"

"We're not going up against Malice Marauder," One of the males denies. "We've got families."

"Huh. Wonder if she's Wreck's sister or something," Harmony rubs her chin.

"Well doesn't that just put a crimp in my cards? My main event is history! I'm ruined! Kaput! Financial disaster. I'm going to lose my tents, my carts, my chairs, my good name—everything!" Rapunzel looks between the other three and the man, smiling widely. She just thought of a way to solve both of their problems.

"Uh, what if we fight your challenger?"

"What?!" Everyone except Harmony question in unison.

"Yeah, that's right. We'll fight in the main even and if we win, you give us the Eye of Pincosta," Rapunzel offers to him.

"Are you crazy?!" Morgan screeches up at her. "Actually, let me rephrase that: you're crazy!"

"Back off," Harmony slightly pushes her away. "We need that eye."

Morgan looks like she couldn't care less as she clenches her fists. "Malice Marauder versus the Maidens of Mayhem," Goodberry recites, laughing. "You know something? It's a deal," He shakes hands with both Morgan and Staylan.

"Okay, see you tonight," Staylan sends him off.

"Hoo hoo hoo! Gonna be a great show! It'll be the fight of the century..." As soon as he's gone, the two sisters have glares on their faces, turning around to Rapunzel. She notices their looks and smiles sheepishly.

* * *

"We have no chance of beating Marauder," Staylan states as they're getting ready in a tent. "Even if we're better fighters, which we're not, Goodberry will rig the game so we lose. You know that, right?"

Rapunzel is holding up masks for Pascal to give approval on.

"Not to mention Marauder is crazy! I don't want that!" Morgan gestures to herself.

"You didn't want to help us either, but here we are," Harmony looks over her shoulder. Morgan just grunts, looking away. Rapunzel holds up a yellow one, Pascal squeaking sadly for a no. She holds up a green one and he squeaks happily, giving a thumbs up.

Harmony hums as she looks at a few choices. Daisy inspects all of them before pointing to the yellow one. She takes it and puts it on, the duckling flapping her wings for a yes. The girl smiles, kissing the duckling on the forehead. Daisy beams at the contact.

"We'll have to take Goodberry at his word," Rapunzel ties the mask around her face.

"It's not like we have a choice anyway," Harmony adds in, tying her own mask.

"Oh, you have so much to learn about the world, princesses," Staylan states as the two finish tying on the masks for the royal sisters.

"Just because I hope for the best from people, doesn't make me naïve."

"And just because I was sheltered doesn't mean I don't know what I'm doing," Harmony rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, about that..." They tie the two sisters to the pole back-to-back.

"Hey! What?"

"What are you doing?" Harmony demands to them. Pascal and Daisy leap forward, only to be caught in a tiny sack.

"Sorry we can't stick around for the fight. I think Goodberry's gonna be sore when he finds this missing," Staylan holds up the Eye in her hand.

"I know I would be," Morgan smirks a bit.

"Your froggy and ugly duckling," Staylan plants the bag down and Rapunzel looks behind her shoulder.

"You're going to free Eugene and try to win him back, aren't you?" She accuses Staylan.

"And to try and steal Vari too," Harmony narrows her eyes angrily.

"A thief belongs with a thief," Stalyan starts off.

"And you don't belong with a criminal," Morgan points at the younger princess.

"We told you that you were both bad judges of character, princesses," Staylan smiles evilly.

"Criminal pasts or not, you can't force that kind of lifestyle on them!" Harmony hisses at the two, clenching her fists. "You love people for who they are, not for what they used to be. They're not going to be with you."

Morgan just chuckles. "Yeah," She replies sarcastically and they leave.

"...Sorry, guys," Rapunzel murmurs sadly. Cheering can be heard from outside.

"It's okay, sis," Harmony speaks up softly, getting her sister's attention. "Besides...it's my fault anyway. I should've known they would do this. And now...I'm gonna lose Vari...to her."

The older princess' eyes turn sad that Harmony seems to be losing hope that Varian will stay with her.

* * *

"Malice, Malice! Fight, fight, fight!" The audience chants as candles are lit.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Goodberry announces to the crowd. "Welcome to the Goodberry Games! That's right. Are you ready for a knock-down, lock-down match of the millennium?" They all cheer as their answer. "Well, here we go! They're from far away but eager to join the fray. It's the princesses with the punches, the Maidens of Mayhem!"

He points to Harmony and Rapunzel still in chains. Most of them boo as the two are pushed towards the ring. They look at the crowd in annoyance before they're released from the chains. They try to make a run for it, but get swords pointed at them. Rapunzel tries her right, only to get blocked again. Harmony runs to her left, coming to a stop as a big one with two swords stands in front of her.

"...Well...let's get this over with," Harmony sighs slowly and they step into the ring. They remove their pets and get their weapons tossed in front of them.

"And our champion needs no introduction: she brings the might, she brings the bite, and she'll bring the smite. Give it up for Malice Marauder!"

The entrance fills with smoke as a large shadow steps forward. Harmony gasps, hugging her sister in slight fear.

"Oh boy..." Rapunzel murmurs in horror...but then the shadow gets smaller to reveal a small woman with a large ponytail and a pink jumpsuit. "That's Malice? Alright, this isn't so bad."

"I wouldn't dismiss her so easily," Harmony shakes her head. "Don't you remember Morgan said that she's crazy?"

Malice roars at them and they hug the corner. Malice scampers onto the ground, breaking a bench before jumping into the ring. She grabs Goodberry with one arm, throwing him in the air slightly.

"Hey, hey! Easy! L-Look, lady, put me down! Okay, you want your money, don't you?"

"Umm, I think we're in trouble, guys," Rapunzel states nervously to everyone.

* * *

It's late at night as the two thieving sisters look at the Eye. Stalyan smiles, pulling out her drinking jug to take a sip. Instead of water, a note falls into her hands. Morgan gets the same result and they pull them open.

_Stalyan,_

_It's Rapunzel. If you are reading this note, it means you probably betrayed us. But remember, there is good in everybody. Even you. And I hope you will make the right decision in the end. Rapunzel._

Staylan scoffs and crumbles up the note, tossing it away. Morgan reads hers.

_Morgan,_

_It's Harmony. If you're reading this, it means you probably betrayed us too. Bu I just want you to know...that you do have a friend back in Vardaros that misses you. As much as I hated going to you for help, you turned out to be more help than I realized. And I hope that you'll take the time someday to think about your life choices. Harmony._

Morgan's eyes soften as she remembers Vex...she throws away the note and they storm off.

* * *

"Let the games begin!" Goodberry hollers, the three preparing. Malice growls at them, leaping forward. The two yell as they charge forward, only to have their weapons taken away. They look to see Malice punching through the frying pan. She also rips the quiver in half, stomping on the arrows to break them.

They both look in shock...and then she actually bites into the frying pan. She uses the pieces in her mouth to hit the floor in front of them. They glare at her for what she just did. Goodberry laughs from his chair.

"Yeah, keep on laughing!" Harmony calls out to him. "I'd check your hands if I were you!"

Malice uses the strings to propel herself into the air. The two sisters smirk, rolling to the opposite side. Malice uses the other side instead.

"Ha! Oh..."

Malice knocks them onto the ground, swinging herself into the air. She lands on top of the sisters and decides to deal with Rapunzel first. She spins the blonde onto her feet, and knocks her onto the floor. "Punz!" Harmony exclaims, Malice knocking her into the air. She then kicks the girl so that she lands in the corner, the girl groaning.

"Harmi!" Rapunzel looks up at her. Malice just eats up the attention, waving to the ground. "Whoo!" The blonde stands up, a bit dizzy. "I've got you right where I want you. Just wait until my second wind kicks in."

Harmony wobbles around from the corner. Pascal and Daisy gesture for them to use their powers, and they nod. Malice growls as Rapunzel undoes her hair. She spins it around as Harmony's hand glows blue. The older sister swings her hair at Malice, who uses it to swing Rapunzel around wildly. Harmony gasps sharply, creating a black rock between Malice and Rapunzel. Malice growls at this, ripping the black rock right out of the ring. She throws it at Harmony, who dives for the floor to duck out of the way.

Daisy and Pascal land on her hair. She grabs them and simply blows them away.

"Miss Brighty-bright, here comes to the nighty-night!" Malice approaches the two and it seems to be all over for them...

"Hey Malice!"

She looks up to the entrance, as does everyone else. Staylan and Morgan are standing there. "Mind if we cut in?"

They jump into the ring, landing in front of the sisters. "Looks like you owe her a frying pan," Staylan holds up the destroyed weapon.

"And some bows and arrows," Morgan holds up a broken arrow.

"Stalyan!" Rapunzel smiles in relief.

"And Morgan!" Harmony looks relieved too, which is a first. They tag the two in. Malice yells at the new opponents, charging in. Rapunzel grabs Staylan while Harmony lifts up Morgan with a black rock platform, knocking her away. The two land safely, smiling at their partners. Malice snaps out of it, sliding off the ring. She runs up to Goodberry's chair.

"Hey, what are you doing? Not my chair!" She pulls him out of it anyway. "Hey! That's my good chair!"

Rapunzel grips the rope that Malice is standing on. "Give me my good chair back!"

The blonde pulls back and lets go. Malice falls and breaks the chair in the process. She growls and grabs the table.

"No, not my table! Hey, come back with my table!"

Malice lands in the ring, table in hand. "What is it with her and furniture?" Rapunzel couldn't help but wonder.

"Probably on account of she's a sore loser," Morgan shrugs a little with an amused smile. Malice throws the table, but Stalyan jumps up and slices it in half. The halves go flying and Morgan smacks them into pieces with her staff. Stalyan jumps over the fighter's head, landing back to the others.

Malice grabs a stray bench and throws it at them. Rapunzel and Stalyan jump, landing on the piece of furniture. Harmony grips the top of her platform that she made, Morgan hugging her neck from behind.

"Brings back memories."

"On three this time," Rapunzel smiles a bit.

"Count it, blondie."

"And this time, we'll listen," Morgan gives a little smile of her own as Harmony starts to swing.

"One, two, jump!" The two sisters count it off, all four of them jumping into the air. Malice hits the table, the two younger sisters kicking her from behind. They watch as she laughs woozily, and the table crashes over her. They cringe a bit and then Rapunzel simply pushes her down. Goodberry rings the bell.

"I don't believe it. You are all witnessing history, everybody! I present the new champions," He holds up their hands in the air. "The gals with gall, the sisters who can twister, the sweeties who bring the heat-ies, give it up for-"

The four step up to him, having had enough. "We'll be keeping the Eye," Stalyan waves it in front of him.

"And your horses," Rapunzel threatens him. "And by keep I mean borrow. If that's okay."

"And some food! I haven't eaten all day!" Harmony points to him.

"I like your style," Morgan holds out her hand, Harmony high-fiving her. They all leave a stunned Goodberry.

* * *

They ride the horses in silence on their way back to Pincosta. "...You know, now I get why he went for you," Staylan speaks up.

"And why Varian takes a shine to you. No pun intended," Morgan states, holding up a finger.

"Eugene?" Rapunzel asks Stalyan.

"I looked at him and I saw a thief. And you looked at him and saw a good person, which made him want to be a good person. And it...worked on us too."

"But don't tell anyone we said that," Morgan warns the two. "And I guess...that Varian wouldn't be who he is today without you. You give him hope, encourage him...and you make a mean surfboard too."

Harmony chuckles lightly, Staylan tossing Rapunzel the eye. "Tell Eugene and Varian we said hi. Come on, Mo."

"Wait," Rapunzel stares after them as they go in another direction. "You're not going to come and get your payment?"

They receive no answer and Harmony waves them forward. "Come on, we only have a few more hours!" The horses run as fast as they can.

* * *

Their friends are released as Varian hugs Harmony in relief. She smiles and hugs him back, her worries about him washing away. With his embrace, she can tell that he truly loves her and won't just give everything up for Morgan.

"You really lucked out with this one, Rider," Constable Lumph points to Rapunzel.

"Oh, I know," Eugene replies smugly.

"To the vault, men!" He then giggles as they leave. "Watch your grip, Lewis! You know I'm ticklish."

"I'm sorry you had to deal with Stalyan and Morgan," Eugene frowns at the sisters while rubbing his arms.

"They're not that bad. She didn't even take the payment we offered..." Rapunzel looks through her bag. "Wait. Where's my key?"

They open up the storage unit to see all the money is gone. "We've been robbed!" Hook Foot exclaims, Pascal eating a moth. Daisy sticks out her tongue in disgust. The only objects inside of the chest are a frying pan and a brand-new quiver with alchemy-equipped arrows...and even some shiny normal arrows as well.

Notes are attached to both as the sisters smile.

_You guys are a really good match, and I'm not gonna say that that's easy for me to deal with. But the gold will help._

_You're good for Varian, and that's the only time I'll admit that. Thanks for the gold, and...I think I'll go visit Vardaros while I'm at it._

The two sisters ride off into the sunset with their horses.


	41. Sisters and the Great Tree Part 1

**Angel: I was only gonna upload one part today, but then I thought what was the point since I'm finishing up the series XD So I'm still gonna upload special parts all in the same day whenever it's time for them to be uploaded, and that includes the series finale as well. Thanks to all of those who've reviewed with your support for the story, I really appreciate it ^^ After we've been going through, I'd rather all of us stay positive...**

**Especially since I finished the series finale last night...**

_Cass: Previously on Tangled..._

"_It's my first trip outside of Corona." Rapuznel and Eugene rolled down a hill, landing in mud. "It's like a whole new chapter of our lives has just begun. Aren't you excited to see where these rocks are taking us?"_

"_My name is Adira, and I am here to make sure you get to the end of this journey you're embarking on. The Dark Kingdom."_

"_This stone has destroyed too many lives," King Edmund paced around. "It stops today!"_

"_Your Majesty, please. You know the stone cannot be destroyed," Quirin tried to pull him away, but the moonstone knocked them back. "Our only hope is to keep its power from the world. Anyone who seeks out this opal, must be stopped."_

_King Edmund looked at the announcement of the newborn princess in Corona and looked towards the moonstone. He ripped the compartment out from the mantle and planted it in a box._

"_Harmony!" Frederic snatched away the moonstone, the symbol glowing on her left hand._

"_Eons ago, an evil warlock, Zhan Tiri, had a deep hatred for Corona," Xavier explained during the storm._

"_We want answers more than anyone." Rapunzel and the group reached the Keeper's Spire with Calliope. "I feel like whatever is waiting for us at the end of this road, is only part of why we're out here."_

_The Moonstone Opal glowed from its cage._

"_The stone and its destructive power must be kept secret from the world."_

_25 years ago..._

_King Edmund was lying in bed, tended by a handmaiden. "It is the Brotherhood's duty to keep that secret, it is King Edmund's dying wish," Quirin stated this to Adira outside the King's room._

"_There is another way!" She insisted to him. "If we could go out and find the sundrop-"_

"_Enough!"_

_They turned to the shadows at the new voice. "The sundrop is a myth, sister." A growl was heard from the same spot, two pairs of glowing red eyes appearing. They slowly stepped out to reveal themselves as big badgers. Adira slightly moved the door further so that Edmund wouldn't hear._

"_It's real, Hector, and its power could neutralize the moonstone!"_

"_Go, go, chase empty legends like a fool," Hector stepped out of the shadows, "But just know, if you come back, you ain't my fellow brethren. You're a traitor," He cupped her chin so that she could look at him in the eyes. "Sundrop or not, I'll end you."_

_Present Day_

Out in the forest, Harmony is riding Silver down a path. She's firing random targets set up by Varian earlier, getting a bullseye on each and every single one.

"Come on, Silver!" She encourages him, looking over her shoulder. Rapunzel is nearby, also wearing a quiver with bows inside while riding Max.

"Okay, bank left! Duck!"

Max does so and she fires an arrow. Then she loses sight of her sister. "Yeah! We lost them!"

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Cass calls out. "Watch your flank!" Fidella jumps over Max with Cass, the woman laughing. She pulls out her bow and arrow, firing quickly. Harmony suddenly appears in front of them.

"Nice moves!" Rapunzel smiles a bit.

"Thanks! It's just like old times," Cass smirks a little. Silver jumps over a log, Harmony firing in mid-air at a target hanging by a branch.

"Well, not quite like old times. We've never had an archery contest before!" Rapunzel grins, a squirrel dropping its acorns in alarm. The three jump over the log, all of them firing arrows in the process. They all hit the target, the squirrel chittering angrily at the trio. Fidella slips on the nuts, but continues forward.

"Archery while riding heightens your senses," Harmony calls out from in front. "I do this at least once a week!"

"I've gotten pretty good at horseback riding since Corona," Rapunzel says smugly to Cass.

"Great. Don't get cocky. I still got a trick or two up my sleeve," Cass brags, Fidella winking at Max. He whinnies happily, getting a little distracted as he kicks his legs up in the air. "Told you we had this." Fidella looks ahead in alarm to see a bunch of black rocks between the gap. "Oh, whoa!"

Fidella skids to a stop as Cass looks around for Harmony. "Phew. Thanks, girl. Harmi? Where are you?"

"Make way!" Rapunzel calls out as she approaches. "Don't worry, boy. You got this," She whispers as he continues running.

"Raps! Wait! It's too wide! You could..."

Max jumps over the edge, landing on the other side. Pascal gives her a raspberry. "Go splat," Cass smiles proudly.

"Ha! Best archery race ever!" Rapunzel exclaims happily.

"But I beat ya."

"Huh?" Rapunzel looks to her left to see Silver and Harmony approach, smirking.

"Black rocks," She gestures to the gap. "Pretty amazing, huh? I have so much control over them now!"

"Ah; once again the little sister beat us to the punch," Cass snaps her fingers. Daisy flies up to them, having kept score. She points to Harmony as the winner of the archery contest. The girl smiles, hands on her hips.

"You're speaking to probably the best archer in Corona."

"Guess no one has you beat, huh?" Rapunzel smiles a little, ruffling her sister's hair. "When did you start doing it, anyway?"

"When Aunt Willow visited. I think I was 7. After that, it was just natural to me," Harmony states as she adjusts her quiver.

"Hm," Rapunzel grins, digging something out of her pocket. "Well, with this, now everyone can know!" She plants a badge at the front of Harmony's belt. The girl looks at it to see the crest of Corona on it, along with a bow and arrow sign on it.

"Rapunzel!" She gasps slightly at it. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome, Harmi. I figured you'd love it. I'm so proud of you: you've proved that you're more than the Moonstone's power!"

The girl smiles softly, glad to hear that.

* * *

"After being cramped in that caravan for the last few months, it's so great to be out here in the open, just the three of us," Rapunzel states while leaning on her back on Max's saddle. They're all heading somewhere after having gathered up all of the arrows and targets.

"Yeah, it's great. But for the record, this was a scouting trip. No one officially said anything about it being a race," Cass points out.

"And that archery contest meant nothing?" Harmony snorts while leaning on Silver's neck with her back. They're up in front as she's leading them somewhere.

"Cass," Rapunzel sits up to lean on Max's head, to his slight annoyance. "Don't be a sore loser."

Cass chuckles at this. "Hey, I am not a sore loser. To be a sore loser, I'd have to have lost something."

Rapunzel gasps sharply as she looks up ahead, standing up. "There it is."

Harmony raises a brow and turns around, blinking. In front of them is a large greyish tree in front of a small lake. "The Great Tree."

"Oh...wow," Cass stares in shock at it.

"You know, Adira said the inside is hollowed out, and it's the fastest way through those mountains." She looks to her left.

"Ugh. Adira," Cass rolls her eyes at the mention of her.

"Just so you know...there's a reason _why _I was able to lead us here," Harmony speaks up, staring at the tree. "It means that something evil is down in that tree...but it is very faint and secured, so I think we'll be safe as long as we don't mess with it."

"Is it alive?" Cass wonders and Harmony shakes her head.

"It's not active, but it is dangerous to unlock."

"Okay, it'll be dark soon. We should head back to camp and set out here in the morning," Rapunzel looks over her shoulder.

"You're right. Race ya! And it's official this time!" Cass hollers as she takes off.

"Oh, it is so on," Rapunzel states as the two horses take off in the opposite direction. Two certain badgers watch them from nearby, growling at each other. Harmony stops in place, but the animals are not why she stops.

_Face your destiny..._

"What?!" Harmony whips around, bow and arrow ready, but she doesn't see anything out of the ordinary. She looks around in confusion at what just happened. Did she just hear a voice in her head? And it's awfully familiar...

She snaps out of it and snaps the reins. Silver turns around and chases after the other two horses.

* * *

The three girls have returned to the caravans. "Okay. The Great Tree is just over that ridge," Rapunzel smiles a bit. "But if we get lost, we have our trusty guide," She elbows Harmony, who giggles. Varian peeks out from the door of his caravan.

"She beat you, didn't she?"

"Yup," Cass smiles in amusement as Harmony approaches the door. Varian notices the girl's silence.

"Mona, is everything okay?"

"Hm?" She looks up at him. "Oh, uhh…yeah, I'm okay."

He raises a brow, getting the feeling that she has something on her mind that she's not ready to talk about.

"You know, I gotta say, when we aren't fighting bad guys, running from fish people or being turned into birds, life on the road can be pretty peaceful," Eugene's about to kiss Rapunzel's hand.

"Scissors beats paper!" Hook Foot shouts from inside the boys' side of the caravan. Harmony looks to her right from the noise.

"Of course, scissors beats paper. But this isn't paper," Lance holds up his right hand. "This is a karate chop. Used properly by an experienced practitioner, it can be the sharpest, most precise cutting weapon in the world," He slices the air, knocking Hook Foot into a pail. "Hence, karate chop beats...scissors."

"Guys! Guys! Guys! What is going on?" Eugene demands as he opens the door.

"We wanna see who's gonna clean our room by playing rock, paper, scissors, but he keeps tryin' to cheat!" Hook Foot looks up at Lance accusingly.

Lance gasps innocently. "Cheat? How dare you, sir! He's lying, Eugene!"

"Really?!" Hook Foot tries to stand up, the pail stuck. "Scissors always beats paper!" The pail finally drops onto the ground.

"And karate chop always beats scissors!" Lance replies smugly. Hook Foot throws a telescope, which he ducks from. "Hey!"

Cass catches it before it could hit either Rapunzel or Harmony. The two both sigh in relief. "I'm suddenly missing last night, when it was just you two and me," Cass replies as she hands the telescope to Rapunzel. Pascal, Daisy, and Ruddiger cover their ears in annoyance over all the arguing. "Speaking of last night, girls. That jump you both took-"

"Oh, you mean the jump that got us in second place?" Rapunzel smiles as she walks past her friend and sister.

"It wasn't a race," Cass smiles smugly. "But yeah, that one. It was kinda reckless."

"Reckless? Me?" Harmony chuckles in disbelief, gesturing to herself. "I grew up with lessons, studying books, and learning how to take care of myself all while being a princess, and I'm reckless?"

"Cass, you of all people should know we can handle ourselves pretty well out here. Don't you remember when we went to Calliope and Harmi had that portable tent? Which, by the way, was a brilliant invention."

"Aw," The girl smiles bashfully.

"We don't need someone to keep us safe," Rapunzel smiles, lightly touching Fidella's mane. Cass' eyes widen at the declaration, both of them walking away. She looks towards the ground. That...hurt a bit...she promised their father to take care of them, and all of that just seemed to crumble away...

Rumbling is suddenly heard as the horses nicker. The rocks start to jump a bit.

"Hm?!" Harmony looks up in alert, pulling out her bow and arrow. "Guys, we have a problem. Someone's following us."

And true to her word, Hector himself approaches, riding a rhino. All three of them cringe and Eugene steps out of the first caravan.

"Have no fear, the peacekeeper worked his magic-" He screams once he turns around and sees the intruder. Varian looks out the door, wincing.

"Umm...do we know him?"

The rhino roars as it lifts itself up. "Why are we just standing here?" Eugene screeches in fear.

"Grab the Moonstone!" Hector points to Harmony.

"What?!" Everyone shouts in surprise and he charges towards them. They all get in.

"Run!"

The horses take off as Harmony closes the door behind her.

A bluebird chirps, hooves thundering nearby. It flies away as the trees shake. The rhino breaks through a tree as it chases after the two vehicles.

"So I'm guessing you two haven't met," Eugene says to the megaphone to his left. It acts as a communication device between them and the second caravan.

"Uh, I think I'd remember a guy with a rhino and angry badgers that's out to get me!" Harmony exclaims into the megaphone in her hand.

"What does he want with you?" Varian screeches in shock as he looks out the window.

Max, Silver, and Fidella run as fast as they can. "Anyone else wanna take a guess as to who rhino man is?" Eugene calls out, Shorty peeking out a window.

"I am happy to hazard a guess."

"Anyone other than Shorty," Eugene deadpans to the girls.

"Wow," Rapunzel peeks over the roof. "A rhinoceros. Oh! I never thought I'd actually see one. I gotta say, if it weren't chasing us and our lives weren't on the line-"

"Blondie, it is and they are!" Eugene interrupts her.

"Uh, right!"

They sit back down as the rhino reaches the second caravan. Hector jumps and lands on top of the second caravan. He slices open the roof, Varian hugging Harmony on instinct. Their hair flies past as they look up at him in fear. He points his sword at the boy.

"Hand over your little girlfriend and I might let you live."

"Never!" Varian hugs her protectively, glaring up at the man, and he shrugs.

"Okay."

He jumps to the chain connecting to the other caravan, the two looking out the bars. "Oh no, he's gonna cut us off!"

Hector cuts off the chain, and the caravan goes out of control. The two scream as they wobble around.

"Harmi and Varian need our help, come on!" Rapunzel exclaims, the rhino ramming into the side of the caravan. Hook Foot almost falls out as the door bursts open, Lance pulling him back inside.

"We can't outrun it!"

Cass looks over her shoulder, seeing the teens' caravan swerving out of control. "Oh no!" Harmony shouts as they're jostled around inside. Hector crawls onto the roof of the caravan.

"Keep an eye on the road, I'll help Harmony and Varian."

She jumps onto the roof of the purple caravan, running over to the back and landing there. She's too far away to reach them without injuring herself. She looks at the distance between them and sees only one solution.

"You guys have to jump!"

"What?!" They both exclaim in unison. "Are you crazy?"

"It's the only way! Trust me!"

They look to each other skeptically, glancing up ahead nervously. She was right...there was no other choice. Hector lands behind them and Varian shields Harmony from him, the girl gasping.

"Hand me the moonstone!"

The boy turns around, Harmony hugging his waist. Ruddiger crawls onto the boy's shoulder. "Hold on!"

Varian jumps forward while holding onto the girl, grabbing Cass' hand. She pulls them up onto their feet.

"Oh…" He sighs in relief. "I was not expecting to do that today…"

They look back to see the second caravan tilt to the edge and fall off.

She opens the door, pushing both of them inside. "You two stay in here." Cass joins the two back up front. Up ahead is two paths.

"Maybe we don't have to outrun the rhino," Rapunzel smirks a bit. "I hope this works. Ready?"

"One..."

"Two..." Rapunzel pulls a lever. "Three!"

The caravan splits in half, Max sharing with Silver. Each half takes a path. "Come on, Max!" Eugene encourages him as he runs up the hill. Cass jumps onto the roof.

"Uh, Princess? Watch your flank," Cass warns her, the two badgers running after Eugene, who looks over the edge. The rhino can literally sense Harmony inside, who's hiding underneath her bed with Varian.

"I don't understand, why is he after me?" Harmony murmurs quietly, Varian hugging her in comfort.

"I don't know, but I promise, I won't let him take you, Mona."

She smiles at the comfort, hugging him back.

"He's still after them. We gotta get down there!" A badger jumps towards Eugene, tackling him. "Max, Silver, you keep up with the others. I'll take care of these...ooh, I wanna call them wolf-monkeys, right?" He kicks the animal off him and it rolls off the roof. The other shakes Shorty like a chew toy, throwing him also off the caravan. "Shorty!"

"Giddy-up!" He's fine as he's riding the other badger.

Hector pulls out a mace and throws it at the wheel. He pulls on it so that it stays in place. He starts walking on it to reach the caravan, Cass standing at the back. She throws a chest, but he takes out a sword and slices it in half.

"None shall enter the Dark Kingdom! The Moonstone must be killed!"

"This brings back memories!" Shorty states while the badgers chomp off a piece of wood, planting it at the wheel. Eugene pulls Shorty to the front.

"Gotcha!" Max slides to a stop, the half flying over the edge and spinning around. Eugene screams as the half lands upside down, with Max and Silver on top of Fidella.

"Hello, Blondie," Eugene smiles at his girlfriend.

"Hi."

Max looks at Fidella in embarrassment. Eugene looks through the window and Lance opens it. "Little help out here?" Hook Foot and Lance nod to each other, Hook Foot helping Eugene push the half back into place.

"Are you guys okay?" Lance checks up on Harmony and Varian.

"Besides being chased by a crazy rhino guy trying to kill my girlfriend?" Varian chuckles nervously. "...Honestly, not great."

Someone jumps off above them, slicing off the chain. Hector jumps and slides to a stop on the roof. Cass looks to her right, glaring.

"Adira."

"I see you've gotten yourself into another situation from which I must rescue you," She replies back.

"It's not our fault he's after Harmi!" Cass points to the back of the caravan. "He's trying to kill her!"

Adira narrows her eyes and lands in front of Hector. She clashes swords with him, doing a split between both halves. She lands at the door and slides into the girls' part of the caravan. They take the fight to the roof again.

"Adira? Yo. How's my hair?" Lance slicks the top of his head.

"You don't have any hair," Harmony retorts to him. Ruddiger holds his stomach as he chitters in laughter, earning a glare from the bald man.

Adira kicks Hector away and he lands on his rhino. "You can't protect them, Adira! The Moonstone is out to destroy us all! She cannot remain alive!"

"You know this guy?!" Cass exclaims, looking up at Adira.

"Why is he after Harmi? What does he have to gain from destroying her?" Rapunzel frowns in worry. The rhino rides up to her side, pushing the caravan closer to the edge.

"Guys, don't mean to be a backseat driver, but we're gonna run off the cliff!" Lance shouts, pointing to the unforgiving ground below.

"If we're gonna go, we're gonna go big," Rapunzel undoes her hair and snatches Adira's sword. "I need you to dig deep and put some distance between us and them," Rapunzel orders the three horses. "You can do it!"

They pick up speed as they get closer to the end of the cliff. Rapunzel looks on in determination and slices off the ropes that attach to the horses. They fall off the cliff, along with the caravan as her hair flies into the wind.

Hector and the rhino slide to a stop as the man jumps off. He walks over to the edge and looks over, seeing nothing. He grits his teeth at this.

Underneath a small ledge is everyone hanging onto Rapunzel's hair. Varian hugs Harmony while holding onto the hair, the girl having her eyes closed. Unfortunately, she couldn't save the caravan...

"Seriously, there had to be an easier way for us to hang out together. Am I right?" Lance speaks up.

* * *

Once they're away from the cliff, they reach the Great Tree.

"I'm...really sorry about this, guys," Harmony opens her eyes. "If I didn't have these stupid powers, that guy wouldn't have chased us..."

"That's not your fault, Brownie," Eugene bends down and hugs her, Rapunzel doing the same.

"We're just all glad that you or Varian aren't hurt," She runs a hand through her brown hair. The girl smiles, hugging them both.

"Two years ago, I'd call fighting jackal monsters on the back of a speeding carriage whilst a rhinoceros chases the woman I love absolutely bonkers," Eugene comments to Rapunzel as they're holding hands.

"Or that a crazy rhino man is trying to kill the girl I love," Varian looks to Harmony. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine," She grins slightly for his concern.

"But now we call those Tuesday," Eugene shrugs with a small smile. Pascal nods in agreement.

"Time to get some answers," Cass declares towards Adira, who's sharpening her sword.

"You, uh, probably didn't hear me, but I'm the one who told the princesses to run the caravan off the cliff. So really, I saved us," Lance boasts to her. "Don't feel like you have to thank me. But you can if you want."

Harmony and Varian roll their eyes in unison. Adira simply stands up and walks away, Lance laughing.

"I get it, I get it. You got stuff to do. You're welcome!"

"Adira, wait," Rapunzel runs up to her, holding Harmony's hand. "Who was that man that attacked us? Why is he after my sister?"

"And don't give us any of your cryptic runaround talk," Cass threatens her.

"Cass," Harmony warns the woman to be nicer. Adira was someone she looked up to and admired well for her skills and her instincts to help others.

"His name is Hector," Adira looks away with closed eyes before turning back to Cass. "And I don't think I appreciate your tone."

Cass gasps, hands on her cheeks. "Oh! I'm sorry I gave you the impression I care about the things you appreciate."

"Alright, alright," Rapunzel places her hands on Cass' shoulders.

"That's enough. Let's at least hear her out," Harmony crosses her arms.

"Who is Hector?" Rapunzel asks next.

"He's a member of the Brotherhood, a group of warriors sworn to keep any and all away from the Dark Kingdom."

"Dark Kingdom...?" Rapunzel goes through her bag to pull out the second scroll piece. "That's where we're headed."

"How many are in this Brotherhood?" Cass questions Adira.

"Not many. But you've encountered one before today. Quirin, your father," She turns to a shocked Varian.

"W-Wait. My dad was a member of the Brotherhood?" Varian stammers a bit, gasping lightly. "That's what he wanted to tell me. That's why he said I wasn't ready, I wasn't ready to learn the truth! A-And that's how you know him…"

He steps away a bit, holding his head. Harmony stares at him in concern. They can still remember him in the amber...

"Varian...?" Rapunzel holds out a hand.

"I need a minute," He whispers and Harmony frowns deeply. It's obvious that Quirin hid that part of his life away for a long time...even before Varian came into the picture. Adira gives him a sympathetic look. Ruddiger frowns at him in worry.

"But none of the brothers is as dangerous or sadistic as Hector."

Hearing that fact does ease Varian just a little...but he was still kept away from this part of his father's life. If he had known about this sooner, then maybe Quirin would've been saved… but even he know that's not true.

"And this is his domain...the Great Tree. He's sworn to stay here to ensure no one crosses these mountains."

"And how do you know so much about all of this?" Cass steps up to her.

"Let's just say some of us in the Brotherhood disagree on a couple of things," Adira grits her teeth, holding up the hand with the Brotherhood symbol.

"Alright, so we have to go through crazy rhino guy's house to get to this Dark Kingdom?" Eugene asks slowly. He steps up to Varian, placing a gentle hand on his back. Varian takes a deep breath, standing up. "It's gonna be okay, kid. That part of his life is done, you know that. He just wanted to protect you. He gave all of that up to have you."

Varian nods slowly with his eyes closed. "So...if he wants to keep people away from the Dark Kingdom...then that means-"

"He wants to destroy the moonstone...to ensure that no one ever goes there for the opal. He truly believes that killing her will stop the plague that the opal brought onto our king."

Harmony frowns up at her sister and Eugene. "Guys, we barely got away from this Hector with our lives, and now we're going to trust _her _and go through his home turf?" Cass replies thinly, stepping up to Adira with hands on her hips. "I don't like it."

"Well, like it or not, it's our only choice," Adira states to her, the woman glancing at everyone else. Pascal and Daisy are a little bit afraid of the tension between the two. Rapunzel looks to her sister, who places her hands on top of hers gently. Both of them know the answer here...

"Your call, girls," Eugene tells them.

"...We're going with Adira on this," Rapunzel says after a few seconds. Cass' eyes widen at their choice, glaring a bit. "Guys...let's go through that tree. But Harmi, you have to swear to me that you'll stay close. Varian too."

"We promise," They say in unison.

"Don't worry, Rapunzel," Varian takes a hold of her hand. "I'll watch over her."

Rapunzel and Adira smile at his declaration.

They walk past the angered Cass, rolling her eyes. "Fine." She doesn't like it, but they didn't have much of a choice. This tree was the only way to continue on...

They all walk inside, Rapunzel glancing around at the vines. Adira takes the lead. "The Great Tree," Rapunzel says quietly as they look around in awe. "It's...beautiful."

"Yeah, it's great. But we need to keep moving if we wanna stay ahead of Hector," Cass walks past the two sisters, who don't seem to notice her mood. Varian stares at her, wondering if she was okay.

_Embrace your path..._

Harmony shakes her head rapidly to get the voice out of her head. "Harmi, something wrong?"

"...This is gonna sound crazy," She whispers, looking over to Adira. "But there's a voice in my head. And it has to do with the Great Tree."

Rapunzel glances to Eugene, Cass, and Varian. "What does it say to you?"

"Facing my destiny, embracing my path...I wish I knew what it meant," She frowns a little. "And I feel like I know the voice too..."

"You think it has to do with the moonstone?" Eugene questions curiously.

"Maybe. Or maybe it's nothing important and it'll be gone when we get out of here..." She murmurs, getting a look from Cass.

"Voices in your head? You're kidding, right?"

"We've been through weirder stuff than that," Rapunzel waves it off. "Hopefully it'll come to you, Harmi."

"Oh it will," Harmony narrows her eyes in determination.

"Um, do you think Cassie is alright?" Varian asks her as she looks to the lady-in-waiting walking away.

"She's just really cautious and sour over the whole Adira and the Brotherhood thing...speaking about that, I'm sorry you had to find the truth about your father like that. But you heard her, he was only following the king, and not as sadistic as Hector. If he really wanted to hurt me, he had a bunch of opportunities to do it, like Adira herself. He never was a dangerous person, Varian...he was just trying to be a good father."

"But why didn't he just tell me, even if that was the case?" He murmurs quietly, looking away.

"He most likely didn't want you to get hurt. I mean, you saw Hector. That rhino is huge! Bigger than the caravans!" She holds out her arms to emphasize just how big he was.

The boy chuckles at her imitations, feeling much better now. He smiles softly at her, kissing her cheek. "Thank you, princess."

Pascal jumps off Rapunzel's shoulder, runs past Cass' feet, and stops her from moving further. "Whoa..." She notices that she was close to stepping into a bottomless pit. "Thanks, buddy."

Daisy flies up to the pit, looking down a bit nervously. Rapunzel sighs in relief. "That was close."

Cass says nothing as she looks away. "Guys, look!" Rapunzel points up to the large path in front of them.

"Uh, it looks like the only way across is to go all the way up one road..."

"And down the other," Rapunzel finishes for Eugene.

"Then I guess that's what we gotta do. Come on. This place gives me the creeps," Cass takes the lead this time.

"Ugh. Me too," Hook Foot adds in.

"That's probably because this tree was once known as the Tree of Zhan Tiri," Adira pulls out her sword and cuts away the branches behind her...to reveal the picture of the sorcerer on the wall.

"Wait, wait, wait," Rapunzel speaks up in alarm. "The ancient sorcerer whose magic caused a deadly snowstorm that nearly destroyed Corona?"

"And let's not forget his little art teacher buddy who turned you into a zombie," Eugene glances at his girlfriend.

"Wait, so maybe that's why you're hearing that voice," Varian turns to Harmony. "It's because this place...was the home of Zhan Tiri."

"You might have mentioned Zhan Tiri before you dragged us in here," Cass gestures behind her.

"It's perfectly harmless now," Adira puts her sword back, pulling out a dandelion. "Millennia ago, this tree was once a sentient being, a force for good. But it was corrupted by the evil sorcerer to destroy any who approached. It was Zhan Tiri's stronghold. Inside it, he was invincible. But Lord Demantius put a stop to the tree's magic using an enchanted spear. So you see, you have nothing to fear. The evil magic is long gone. But more importantly, you're with me."

"Whoa..." Rapunzel murmurs in awe at her sister. "So you were right! That evil magic must have been what you sensed from the tree!"

"You can sense it?" Adira asks the girl.

"It's because of the moonstone. Works great most of the time," Harmony crosses her arms in thought. "But sometimes other factors can make it difficult to sense clearly."

"Impressive, Turquoise," The woman murmurs at the young princess, who smiles bashfully.

"I was the one who taught her that," Lance calls out, getting a 'really' look from the young girl.

"Well, it is a long way up. We'd better get a move on," Rapunzel starts walking with Eugene. The others walk past the now livid Cass, who steps in front of Adira.

"Look, Adira, you may have sold my friends on you being the wise, but kooky, old mentor, but I'm not buying it. I'm watching you."

"Well, if that's what you want, be my guest," She walks away, the woman gritting her teeth. "But as a servant of the princesses, isn't it your job to watch them?"

"I'm not a servant," Cass retorts back.

"Oh, I thought that's what a lady-in-waiting was."

Cass gives her an annoyed look, arms crossed. She knew in her heart that she wasn't a servant...

* * *

Hector slides down to the water, noticing both caravans sitting on the lake. The second one had managed to float down to the first after falling off the cliff. He snaps his fingers as the badgers inspect both caravans. They tear it apart while looking and Hector opens up the door. He sees no one inside, and just destroyed items.

"Looks like our job isn't done yet..." He kicks the caravan out of frustration and watches them sail down the river. He looks up at the Great Tree...

* * *

Everyone continues walking up the path with Adira up front. Eugene and Lance lag behind as the man is picking flowers, sniffing them.

"You think Adira would like these?"

"Um...Lance, buddy," Eugene rubs the back of his neck. "About this whole Adira thing..." Lance shoves the flowers into his hands. "Let me see. How do I put this?" More flowers are put into his hands as Lance tries to get as many as possible. "But have you considered the possibility that maybe, big maybe, Adira might not be into..." He clears his throat, trying to put this delicately. "Interested in you at all?"

"Not interested?" Lance smiles over his shoulder. "Of course she is. Look at me," He flexes a muscle. "What's not to love?"

"Well, for one, you might wanna think about being a bit more...uh, how do I say? Honest."

Lance gasps a bit from hearing this. "Me? Not honest? Name one thing I've done that hasn't been on the up and up."

"Well," Eugene shoves the flowers into his face. "You took the last apple at breakfast and blamed Max, then you cheated playing rock, paper, scissors, also you took credit for saving the group from all of the things we've already done right now because you're a big galoot. Not to mention you claimed that you taught Brownie how to sense evil stuff when she learned that all on her own."

"Of course I'm not gonna seem honest if you point out all the times I lie!" Lance calls out, walking after his friend.

"Wait," Eugene looks around at the two paths in front of them. "Where are the others?"

The group are walking down the dark hallway. "Where is the war?" Cass asks towards all the armor from the walls. Max looks behind him to see that two people are missing. He looks up at Pascal, looking towards the group and then going back. Hopefully they'll assume that he went to go find them.

Cass, Rapunzel, and Harmony stare at the path in front of Adira. "It looks like there's something up there..."

"Hm...I can feel that something important is in that room," Harmony looks up ahead.

"What is it? Zhan Tiri? Hector?" Cass asks rapidly, glaring towards Adira.

"No, nothing like that. The only way to find out is to go in."

Adira cuts the vines in front of the door, and they all step inside to see a small lake and trees, along with writing above the entrance.

"What is this place?" Rapunzel wonders as they take in their surroundings.

"It looks like a storage room..." Varian murmurs and then they notice the writing on the walls.

"Eugene, look at—Wait. Where are Eugene and Lance?" Rapunzel looks behind Fidella and Silver.

"Where's Max?" Hook Foot notices he's not there as well.

"where's Pascal?"

"Where's Shorty?" Shorty calls out in alarm, not knowing who was where anymore.

"Okay, uh...we should circle back and-" Rapunzel stops short as Varian gasps at the writing.

"Rapunzel...Mona...those pictures..."

She digs into her bag, pulling out the first scroll piece: it matches exactly a part on the wall. "What does it mean?" Hook Foot looks over his shoulder to the three.

"No one knows for sure. But many have perished trying to unravel its mystery," Adira picks up a scroll.

"Well, someone translated some of it," Cass hands Rapunzel a scroll, pointing to the first few words.

"Wait, that's the healing incantation!" Varian exclaims at it.

"Flower gleam and glow, let your powers shine...he's right, that's the healing incantation for the sundrop. This must be where it came from."

"Wow..." Harmony murmurs in awe as they look up at the writing again.

* * *

"Blondie?" Eugene calls out as they're lost. "Cass? Brownie? Well, they must have taken the other path," He pushes past a flower wall, Lance walking behind him. They haven't been in this room before...something grows behind Lance.

"Hey, you think Adira would like this?" The flower opens up and sprays pollen onto his face. He coughs a bit...and then starts laughing for no reason.

"Lance, would you just-" Eugene turns around to scold him, only to be sprayed as well. Both of them laugh out of control, a few vines appearing. The two men run around like kids, Eugene catching his friend. "Gotcha! I am really sorry that I called you dishonest."

"Ah, forget it," Lance waves it off with a big smile.

"I really am."

"You were right," Lance grins up at him.

"I think you're just perfect," Eugene smiles at his buddy.

"Thanks buddy. You're my best buddy, buddy," Lance suddenly grows rabbit eats and a nose.

"No, you're my best buddy, buddy!" Eugene's eyes turn into eye butterflies.

**If you're feeling jumpy, lost or low**

They dance around a little.

**I hope you know I'm here**

The eye butterflies join together to turn back into a pair.

**L: Life's a little bumpy, call me bro**

Lance kicks around the eye butterflies. He takes them and puts them back onto Eugene's face.

**I'll always lend an ear**

He takes off his buddy ears, giving them to Eugene. "Oh, you mean literally!"

**B: Buddy**

**You're my best buddy**

They both appear in holes, with Lance having squirrel ears.

**E: When things get nutty**

Suddenly the holes move around so that Eugene is looking at him and Lance is hanging on, having a squirrel tail. "Nutty?"

**You're always there, mon frere**

Eugene grabs him and pulls him into the hole.

**L: Touche**

**B: And buddy**

Suddenly they're on a stage with canes and hats.

**Who cares if people think it's strange**

The top of the hats grow in length, and they put them on.

**You're my best buddy, bud—don't ever change**

They do a little dance, spinning around their canes as flowers are thrown at them. "I'm sorry I called you dishonest, Lance," Eugene holds out the flowers to him.

"Well, I can play a little fast and loose with the truth!" He admits while holding the bouquet. "But you wanna know one thing I never lie about? You! You're my closest pal!"

**L: When I need a wingman by my side**

He suddenly turns into a bird, like when they were dealing with Mother and Father. Eugene also turns into the same bird he was back then. They share a winged high-five.

**I hitch a ride with you**

They take to the skies, turning back to normal to lay down on the clouds.

**E: Ask for anything, man, I'll provide**

Eugene snaps his fingers, a crown appearing on Lance's head.

**It's no big whoop-dee-doo!**

A castle and fireworks appear nearby.

**B: Buddy**

**You're my best buddy**

They start ice-skating together, despite the fact that Eugene hates snow.

**L: When I feel cruddy**

He skates around Eugene, who jumps into the air...and lands in the ice. He ends up a frozen block.

**You set me straight, old mate**

Lance sets him free with a hammer and nail.

**B: So, buddy**

They slide in front of stars, sending one around them.

**No matter what the fates arrange**

They move the stars to be in their likeness from each other.

**You're my best buddy, bud—don't ever change**

They slide back away from their constellations.

"Check out these moves, man!" They don't seem to realize what danger they're in as the vines are moving towards them. Eugene just laughs as he spins Lance around, who does a split.

"Oh, Lance! Shall we?"

"Of course, take the lead!"

"We shall!"

They slide down large purple ones, a small black one moving towards them.

"Here we go!" Lance exclaims as they start doing the waltz.

**Buddy**

**You're my best buddy**

They jump in puddles of water as it rains above them. They leap towards each other and share a high-five.

**L: Though life gets muddy**

They slide forward, getting mud everywhere, but they wipe it off.

**E: This friendship's clean, old bean**

The two share a fist-bump.

**B: So, buddy**

The vines capture their feet.

**Whatever comes, however strange**

The vines lift them up in the air upside down.

**L: You'll always be my best buddy**

Lance hugs his friend tightly.

**E: More fun than the silliest putty**

**L: You're never, ever a bit fuddy-duddy**

A large flower opens up as they're heading right towards it!

**E: You're something else that rhymes with nutty**

**B: You're my best buddy, bud—don't ever change!**

The two still don't realize what's going on due to the poison.

* * *

Back with the others, Rapunzel gasps at something. "I don't believe it."

"What? What is it?" Hook Foot looks over her shoulder.

"It's another incantation."

"What?!" Both Harmony and Varian exclaim, looking at the scroll she's holding.

"This is amazing—a second incantation," Varian holds his head. "How many are there?"

"Is it another sundrop incantation?" Cass asks curiously.

"No...not the sundrop. The moonstone."

Everyone suddenly tenses up. "The sundrop's power was to heal. What's this incantation do...?"

They look up at the moon symbol, with the crescent moon from it the same shape as... They all look to Harmony, who has her eyes closed. Her moon symbol matches the crescent moon from the wall...

"Harmony…use it."

"…No…" She slowly shakes her head. "I don't feel good about this, Rapunzel."

"Have you seen this before?" Rapunzel holds up the scroll for her to see.

"No. I've never seen it before. When I was in Corona for 14 years, I chose not to do anything involved with the moonstone. Or at least...I tried to at that age. Sometimes I...just couldn't control it. What if that happens here?"

"We have to know what we're dealing with," Cass narrows her eyes. "And you're the only person we know associated with the moonstone." She pushes the scroll into Harmony's hands. "Use it, Harmony."

"I know you're scared," Varian wraps his arms around her. "But it's important that we know."

She sighs sadly, taking the scroll. Whether she liked it or not...

They were right.

The girl slowly steps forward, frowning towards the scroll in front of her. "...Wither and decay, end this destiny. Break these earthly chains, and set the spirit free," She recites slowly, but nothing seems to happen. She opens her eyes, looking towards everyone else. She then looks at her hand and her hair, taking a deep breath.

"Wither and decay, end this destiny." A flower starts to completely die. "Break these earthly chains, and set the spirit free."

The grass turns black, engulfing all of it. "Uhh, Harmi?" Cass calls out.

"Wither and decay, end this destiny."

They look at all the flowers dying in shock. "Harmi, now would be a good time to stop!" Rapunzel shouts nervously.

"Break these earthly chains, and set the spirit free."

Her eyes turn completely black as everyone starts to feel the effects. "Princess..." Hook Foot calls out weakly.

Cass kneels, her body getting weaker. "Okay, Harmi. You can stop now," She lets out a few coughs. "Harmony?" She lets out a weak breath as the girl lifts up her head from the scroll. Daisy and Ruddiger fall onto the ground, their energy getting lower.

**Wither and decay**

She drops the scroll and her hair turns entirely black.

**End this destiny**

Her hair comes out of her two braids and ponytail, flying in all directions.

**Break these earthly chains**

**And set the spirit free**

She looks up at the moon symbol on the wall.

**The spirit free**

The moon symbol then starts glowing as she enters her mind...She suddenly finds herself laying down on a black floor. Harmony opens her eyes as she sits herself up, looking around.

"What's going on...?"

_Embrace your power, Princess..._

She gasps sharply at the voice again, blue light forming in front of her. The girl slowly stands up, backing away as a little ghost girl forms in front of her.

"You!"

_Harmony giggled as she jumped up and down on her bed as a 5-year-old. The ghost girl stared at her. It had been one year that they met, and the girl still hadn't done any progress on what she wanted her to do...she already knew of the moonstone opal, and now it was time for her to strengthen that power._

"_Come play with me!"_

"_I will as soon as you realize what you must do."_

_The little girl blinked at the seriousness of her words, landing on her bottom on her sheets. "As the moonstone, you must wither all around you and destroy. If you cannot do that, then you won't be able to have a destiny."_

_The young princess tilted her head at her imaginary 'friend.' She knew that what she had wasn't like the sundrop, but...she just wanted to focus on playing. She never had a friend before now, she had been sheltered in the castle for 5 years now. Why should she focus on that when she had someone to play with for the first time?_

"_...But I just wanna play!" She exclaimed happily. The ghost girl blinked in shock as she watched the girl scramble onto her feet, running over to her toy chest. She pulled out a Rubik's cube, turning around to her friend._

"_Can we? I really like puzzles..."_

"_..." While she would react with impatience...she could use this to her advantage in the future. It was better to have an ally for now rather than an enemy. "Alright then...you said you like puzzles? Why don't you show me what you can do with that brain of yours?"_

"_Okay!" Harmony beamed, running away to get science kits. The ghost girl grinned evilly._

* * *

"_Where did you come from?"_

_The ghost girl blinked at the question as the now 8-year-old girl was drawing pictures of the lost princess. Daisy was sitting on her shoulder. She couldn't really answer that without diverting the princess' loyalty significantly._

"_Never mind that. What are you drawing?"_

"_My lost sister..." The girl gave a sad look. "She was born with magical hair from the sundrop flower, and because of that, a mean and selfish woman took her away...it was before I was born. They say that she's still out there somewhere...I want to see her again someday...whenever that is."_

_This was the first time she ever even talked about Rapunzel to anyone. She kept her drawings away from everyone in a secret compartment she built that attacked anyone who even touched it. During this time, the ghost girl still tried to get her to understand...but her attention was being taken away by hobbies such as inventing, archery, and baking._

"_You miss her dearly, don't you, dear?"_

"_Yeah..." Harmony looked away, smiling weakly. "But like Papa, I have hope that she'll come back someday and then we can be a complete family again. Sometimes it feels like...like my parents don't like having me around because of Rapunzel. And that I shouldn't have been born. Maybe things will get better when my big sister returns and then I can finally be out of the castle..."_

_The ghost girl blinked as the girl colored rapidly after admitting this. She never thought she'd hear an 8-year-old say that. Harmony was very intelligent, though..._

"_If you accept your destiny to wield the moonstone, then all of that can be yours..." The ghost girl floated in front of her. She looked up at her friend. "No more hiding. No more pain. No more sorrow..."_

_Harmony looked away again, the ghost girl grinning evilly. This was it, this was her chance._

"_...No thanks."_

_The ghost girl blinked as the girl got onto her feet. "I just wanna play...!" She feared that if she took the moonstone, then she'd lose a friend._

"_...Fine," The ghost girl gritted her teeth in defeat and Harmony beamed, running over to her bow and arrow that her aunt gave her. _

* * *

"_Harmony, it is time to stop playing games."_

_The ghost girl listened in to her father having a talk with the 10-year-old girl. "You're growing up, sweetheart. This...fantasy world with your friend, it must cease. You're growing older. Someday, you will be queen after your sister, and..." He looked up at the portrait of the baby daughter that he lost. "I don't want to lose you like I did with your older sister."_

"_But Papa-"_

"_Please understand," He bent down to her, holding her cheeks and caressing one. "It is your responsibility now to learn how to be a princess...for her."_

_She hesitated, looking over her shoulder. She knew that someday...she'd have to say goodbye and grow up...she was 10-years-old. She couldn't have her friend forever...as much as she didn't like it...maybe it was finally time to let go..._

"_...Where do I start?"_

_The ghost girl looked on, gritting her teeth. Because her powers were weak, she couldn't do much...but she would be back for Harmony._

_Whether she liked it or not. _

"...Where did you go?" Harmony tears up a bit upon looking at her. However...while she may be in her own mind, she can still sense something was very wrong, and that something bad is gonna happen soon.

"I had to go away. You were still too young. But now you can embrace that power, Princess...destroy all of those who have wronged you this past year."

"No way," Harmony denies immediately at this. "They're people I love, why would I turn against them?"

"Let me ask you something," The ghost girl floats around, the girl watching her every move. "Were you aware that your sister abandoned you by ordering an evacuation during the storm?"

"Yes and I understand why she did it," The princess narrows her eyes. Rapunzel told her about that a long time ago. Like she said to her sister before, she gets why she had to make those difficult choices. And besides, if anything, she was helping Corona evacuate than to spend time and possibly die looking for her. Which was something that she wouldn't want her sister to do regardless of whether or not Varian had found her in time. It didn't hurt her that her sister chose to stay behind at all. Harmony loved Corona and all who lived there, including Rapunzel.

"Oh really? But she's the reason why Varian turned out the way he did." Harmony squeezes her eyes shut at the memory. She can still see the guards taking him away, pleading for help. "She turned both of you away. Everyone had. And Varian...well, he hurt you as well, didn't he? And all of your friends in some way or another..."

Suddenly, that evil magic she sensed...she can feel it trying to take over her mind. Harmony holds her head at the awful memories she experienced flashing by. She opens her eyes as they're pure black again. All of those suppressed anger she had to everyone grows back to a level that she doesn't even want.

"But with me, you can be heard..." The ghost girl leans in towards her ear. "Now keep singing."

**Wither and decay**

**End this destiny**

"S-Something's wrong, she's not stopping," Varian stammers weakly behind the girl, crawling up towards her. Everyone else can barely move as the effects are too strong to battle for them. But Varian...inside he feels the strength and perseverance to do anything to help the girl.

"Mona? Mona, can you hear me?"

She makes no indication she heard him, but then she turns around with a glare directed towards everyone.

**Break these earthly chains**

**And set the spirit free**

**The spirit free**

Harmony floats up into the air, her hair growing to the length of Rapunzel's to extend her power.

"Mona!" Varian calls out, coughing. "Mona, listen to me! Why won't you stop singing? Wha..." He lets out another cough and it seems that there's no stopping her...


	42. Sisters and the Great Tree Part 2

Lance lets out a hearty laugh as they're getting very close to being eaten. "Hey buddy, you know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say we're about to get eaten by a flower."

"You are spot-on. And it looks like I'm going in headfirst," Eugene states in a happy tone in his voice. "Well, I guess this is goodbye, huh?"

"I mean, if you gotta go, I couldn't think of a better guy to go out with," Lance comments, to which Eugene laughs.

"Ha! Right back at ya, buddy."

Suddenly a neigh is heard as Max comes running in with Pascal. He neighs again, trotting up to them and leaving holes in the wood. The horse throws the chameleon onto Lance's shoulder.

"Max, Pascal! Thank goodness you guys are here," Eugene smiles widely.

"Yeah, I need help," Lance agrees with him, pulling out flowers from his collar. "Do you think Adira would like these flowers? I mean, not the one that's about to eat us," The vines start to block the entrance, Pascal squeaking in alarm. He crawls up to the vines, pulling on them as hard as he can. Max stomps on the flowers, but one of them opens up and sprays the pollen on him.

His eyes widen as they turn red, swirling around. Max sits down and then starts neighing in laughter. Pascal stares at him in confusion, before realizing what the pollen has done. He takes a deep breath and holds it, running over to Max. The pollen hits his face, but it has no effect on him. He reaches the horse, who hallucinates him being a little devil. He neighs in fear and turns around to face his friend, who is taunting him.

He narrows his eyes and chases after Pascal. He looks at the horse literally foaming at the mouth. Max imagines Pascal mocking him as he runs, now more determined than ever to stop him. Pascal dodges the hooves as they run around in a circle, the floor cracking with each step.

They're also right above the room that the others are in.

"Whither and decay, end this destiny," Harmony recites to them. "Break these earthly chains and set the spirit free."

"Harmi, it's time to end it!" Rapunzel lets out a weak cough.

"Harmi..." Cass calls out, almost out of breath.

"Princess..." Hook Foot holds his side, hoping she could hear all of them and stop herself.

"Turquoise, you have to stop!" Adira stands up, about to tackle her.

"Wait!" Varian calls out, suddenly having the strength to stand up, shaking from the power of the incantation. He can also see that Harmony has tears coming from her eyes. "Just wait, you can tell that something's wrong inside her mind. I-I can get through to her, Adira! I know I can."

She stares at his pleading look and nods slowly to let him try. Varian turns around to the girl he loves, clenching his fists bravely. Harmony continues to say the incantation, still floating in the air with an angry look directed at everyone. This was all of their fault. If they hadn't done with they did to her, she wouldn't be coaxed into doing this...but she'll make them pay.

_Continue, my dear. Don't let anyone stop you._

"Whither and decay, end this destiny."

"Varian, hurry! Please," Cass begs with him, dropping her arm.

"Harmi..." Rapunzel looks up weakly, upset that her sister is like this.

"Whither and decay, end this destiny."

"Mona, it's me, Varian," He speaks up, gesturing to himself. She simply stops and turns her head to look at him. "I don't know what's going on, but you need to stop. I know that you don't really wanna do this to us...I know we all did terrible things towards you, but we all didn't mean to hurt you. Please...I already lost my father...I can't lose you too..."

He closes his eyes sadly. His words reach her and then she finally stops, gasping. Her hair shrinks back down to her regular length as she slowly lands on the ground. She grips the grass as her hair is brought over her head, and then it turns back to brown with her blue bangs.

"What...what happened?" She lifts her head up and everyone looks to see that she's back to normal.

"Harmi?" Cass asks slowly, running up to the girl.

"Mona!" Varian bends down and hugs her, smiling in relief. "Are you okay?"

"What did happen?" Rapunzel runs up to the girl, bending down to her side. She hugs her sister in relief. "That was...unexpected."

"At least you're okay," Cass murmurs in relief as well. "I'm sorry, Harmi and Raps. I'm supposed to protect you both."

"It's fine, Cass," Rapunzel places a hand on her shoulder. "She's alright...but please tell us what happened. I need to know, Harmi."

"I don't know what just happened, I...I heard a voice and then she appeared and then I wasn't able to stop myself..." She looks behind the two and her eyes widen. Harmony scrambles onto her feet as she looks at the state of her friends. "Oh my god, guys! I...I didn't mean to, I..."

"It's okay, Turquoise...no one's injured," Adira holds up a hand. Daisy flies into Harmony's hands, perfectly fine. Ruddiger crawls back onto Varian's shoulder.

"Thank you for not hurting her, Adira," Rapunzel says gratefully. Cass tenses up at this, glaring towards Adira. She could've done something too...

Suddenly the ceiling crumbles above them as Max's running was enough to make a circle in the ceiling. Rocks fall into the water before the whole ceiling falls apart, with the large flower landing right in front of them. They all stare in confusion, wondering just what is going on. The flower opens up to reveal Eugene and Lance.

"Rapunzel, Harmony, what's up?" Eugene calls out like he's loopy, falling onto the leaf. Max and Pascal fall soon afterwards. The four cringe towards each other.

"Oh boy...they stumbled upon poisoned flowers," Harmony steps up to them. "That must've been where they ran off to."

"Is it permanent?" Rapunzel stares at them.

"Nah, they'll be fine in an hour or two."

"Was I dreaming, or did your hair grow?" Varian stares at Harmony, whose eyes widen as she remembers that part.

"It did...I think it only grows when I would want to extend power to something..."

* * *

Once the two boys have recovered along with Max, they continue to a clearing of the Great Tree. The boys fall onto the ground, exhausted from all the walking. Eugene looks over the edge to see the long path that awaits them.

"Whoo! Whoa. It's a long way down," He sits down on the floor.

"I guess this means we're at the halfway point," Rapunzel states, looking over to her sister. Varian has a hand on her back to comfort her as she's been silent the whole walk up.

"I suggest we camp out here for the night," Adira pulls out her sword.

"No way!" Cass denies furiously, "We are getting out of this tree as soon as possible."

"I'm not sure that's your call, kid," Adira crosses her arms.

"Cass..." She looks over her shoulder to Rapunzel and Harmony. "We could use the rest."

"Rapunzel, this place almost got us killed an hour ago," Cass protests to her friend.

"And thankfully, I was there to prevent it, with a little help from the son of Quirin."

He smiles softly at the recognition.

"You stay out of this, Adira!" Cass screams at the woman.

"Cass, we're in no shape to go down that long path," Harmony gestures to the edge.

"I think you should calm down," Adira warns the lady-in-waiting.

"You know what I think? I think you're playing us. I think you led us here on purpose, and for some sick reason, you wanted Harmony, a teenage girl, to find that incantation and read it. What are you trying to do? Lead us out and then destroy her when you have the chance?"

Adira just glares at the baseless accusations.

"Come on, Cass," Rapunzel walks up to her along with Harmony. "Listen to yourself."

"Cass. You're being ridiculously out of line. Adira saved us from the Forest of No Return and gave us a scroll piece. Why are you being so antagonistic towards her?"

"Rapunzel, Harmony, I'm telling you right now, we need to get out of this tree, but more importantly, we need to lose Adira before she gets us all killed," Cass insists to them.

"If Adira hadn't helped us in the first place, I'd be _dead _in the hands of that sadistic freak!" Harmony hisses as she points to where they were. "And we wouldn't have even gotten this far! Is that what you want?"

"Of course not, but you did use the decay incantation, so maybe you should go back to the entrance with Adira-"

"We can't do that, Cass," Rapunzel interrupts her.

"What do you mean you can't do that? Of course you can. Are you two that obliviously naïve that you can't see-"

"ENOUGH, Cassandra!" Rapunzel screams at her friend.

"You know what? Maybe we shouldn't listen to you talk bad about a friend, Cass! Maybe you aren't being a good friend if you can't see what you're doing here!"

Her eyes widen as her mouth drops open. Everyone looks on in shock at the exchange. Cass steps back, letting go of their arms. She couldn't believe it; her friends were angry at her, but she was just trying to protect them. Harmony also was the one who almost killed them.

"No one is getting rid of anyone! And we are not sending Harmi back now! She just lost control! That doesn't make her any less my sister or to be cut from the group for that! Is that clear?" Rapunzel yells at Cass defensively. Harmony stares up at her sister, holding her hand gently. Varian looks between her and Cass, not sure what to feel...

Cass looks towards the others, who are shocked by her tone. She squeezes her eyes shut, narrowing her eyes at them.

"Yes, your highness...I'll keep first watch." She walks past the two to be alone, Rapunzel wondering if she was alright. She thought of Adira as a friend as well...she helped out her sister, encouraged her to use her power for good...even if that seemed impossible to anyone else. She tucks a bang behind her ear, staring to where she left.

"Rapunzel...my mistake is why Cass is angry," Harmony holds her arm. "I should have never trusted that incantation..."

"No, Harmi," Rapunzel bends down to her, holding her shoulders. "It's my fault. I didn't protect you. And I'm sorry for pushing you to use it when you didn't want to. We just...all got a little carried away, that's all. We'll talk about it later."

She kisses her sister's forehead as she walks off to go set up camp. Harmony sighs slowly, trying to calm herself down. This is exactly what she didn't want when she held that scroll. Why would the ghost girl turn her against her friends like that out of her free will?

"Are you gonna be okay?" Varian whispers softly, stepping in front of her.

"I suppose..." She looks away, rubbing the side of her neck. "But from now on...I'm not using that incantation unless I absolutely have to...wait a minute!"

Her eyes widen as she steps back a bit, thinking to herself. "I can't believe we didn't see it sooner. Vari, that incantation...you experienced how powerful it was, right?"

"Yeah...?" He raises a brow, wondering where she's going with this. He gasps in realization. "You...you really think...?"

"Yeah..." She nods slowly, smiling weakly. "This could really free Quirin..."

"We...we found it!" He grabs her waist, spinning her around. Despite all that happened, she lets out a laugh anyway because he looks so happy. "Wait, wait, wait..." He puts her down to look at her in the eye. "But you hate that incantation. I'm not sure if I'm comfortable asking you to do it again."

"Yeah, but...you spent these entire 6 months trying to figure out the answer to free him, and you couldn't find it. Now that we have it...well, I'm willing to do that for you, Vari. I'll be fine using it."

He smiles at the girl, touched that she's making that sacrifice for him. "Are you...really sure, Mona? I know how much you feel about it..."

"...Yes," She smiles back at him. "I'll do it for Quirin."

He hugs her gratefully, turning towards the others.

"Guys, guys! That incantation could free my dad! If it can destroy anything, then it has to work!"

"You guys, you did it!" Rapunzel engulfs them in a group hug.

"Yeah!" Everyone else cheers at the news, Adira simply clapping. Sure, she might hate singing that song, but Varian deserved his father back. He already gave up focusing on his father back on the island, and now she gets to return the favor by doing this when they return to Corona.

And she's perfectly fine with that. Besides, it couldn't be any worse than when she had to work with Morgan and Staylan for Eugene.

"_This is amazing!" Rapunzel exclaimed inside the Corona castle. She was walking through the halls with Cass and Harmony, who had returned just yesterday. Harmony still had only her brown hair in a bun, but also had the moon symbol. However, it hadn't been active ever since her older sister returned. Rapunzel was holding a bunch of books from the library, where they stumbled upon the young princess. She didn't wanna come on the tour since she was reading, but her older sister begged her to._

"_You haven't seen anything yet, your highness," Cass stated to her. "This is just the east wing."_

"_I still can't get over that library. Are you sure that I can go anytime I want?" She looked past the books, Pascal on the top of her short, brown hair._

"_You're the princesses. You can do whatever you want," Cass looked over her shoulder. She led Rapunzel to her room, which was mostly unpainted walls for now. "Forgive me, your highness, but I couldn't help but notice you tend to collect...everything," She looked up at the birthday lanterns hanging from Rapunzel's ceiling._

"_I can't help it," Rapunzel smiled sheepishly. "It's all so new. Don't you love it, Harmi?"_

"_Perhaps," Harmony inspected the room. She had been calling Harmony that since this morning. Not that she minded, but she still had to get used to it. "Do you wish to paint this room once you have settled in, sister?"_

"_Of course I do! How's your first day being back in Corona?"_

"_It has been very exhausting unpacking, but I did miss home..." Harmony stated, Daisy nuzzling her cheek._

"_Well, I got you both something you might find useful," Cass held up a light blue bag and then a yellow one in the same style._

"_Oh my gosh, Cassandra!" Rapunzel threw her books up into the air. Two of them landed on Pascal and Daisy. "Thank you! I love it. This is so thoughtful. Look at it. I can put all kinds of things inside it. Books and fruit, and paint supplies, seashells. And they're in our favorite colors to remind ourselves of each other!" She gasped toward her sister._

"_Thank you, Cassandra," Harmony stated with a bow of her head, taking the bag into her hands._

"_Yeah, you can put whatever you want in it."_

"_Thank you so much," Rapunzel hugged her, pulling Harmony into it. Harmony hugged her as well, Cass feeling a little surprised._

"_Okay. Huh, sure."_

"_And not just for these gifts, but for everything you've shown me these past few days," Rapunzel pulled back with a grateful smile. "I am so, so lucky to have someone like you that I can trust and to help me adjust. Well, Harmi too with princess stuff. I don't know what I would do here without either of you. You're a good friend, Cassandra, and I couldn't ask for a better little sister."_

"_Call me, Cass, your highness."_

"_Only if you call me Rapunzel, Cass," Rapunzel winked at her._

"_And Harmony for me, please," Harmony gestured to herself._

"_You know, a little birdie told me that you like archery," Cass smirked a little at the young princess. "How about a match?"_

"_R-Really?" Harmony's eyes lit up and then she cleared her throat, realizing that she is still a princess first and foremost. "Yes, that is correct. I shall go to my chambers and gather my things to meet outside."_

Rapunzel still has that same bag around her right shoulder, and she had since customized it with flowers and keychains. She did the same thing with Harmony's bag for her 15th birthday, but it's decorated with stars instead, and a little archer charm.

They both look towards Cass, who's holding her sword with her head down. Eugene and Varian join their sides.

"I don't get it, Eugene," Rapunzel states in worry. "I have never seen Cass act like this before."

"I know she doesn't like Adira, but she took it too far this time..." Harmony sighs slowly, crossing her arms.

"Yeah. Angry, brooding, impatient, I'm stunned," Eugene rolls his eyes.

"You know what I mean," Rapunzel defends, frowning a little. "Ever since we left Corona, she's been...different."

"Because she is. We all are, Blondie," Eugene explains to her.

"Yeah...this trip has changed us. We're all trying to achieve our own goals," Varian smiles a little.

"We've all had to make some adjustments since leaving Corona. We're not the same people we were six months ago and, well, why would Cass be any different?"

Rapunzel sighs a bit. "It's just that ever since I've known Cass, it's like...she seems so...together."

"She's never been this...insistent on things," Harmony stares at the woman again. "I mean, telling me to go back to the entrance, knowing that this is the only way to continue?"

"You, of all people, should know things aren't always what they seem," Eugene gives a small smile. He gestures for the girls to go talk to Cass.

Varian helps Harmony up and gently pushes her towards them. "I'm sure you'll work things out."

The two sisters join Cass' side, staying in silence for a few seconds. "So, earlier...that got awkward, huh?"

"Huh. Which part?" Cass retorts back.

"I know. It's been an unusual day," Rapunzel looks away, Harmony closing her eyes.

"You know it's not just about Adira, right? I mean, she's a jerk and I can't stand her, but it's just...Since when did you stop trusting my judgement? Or understand that after Hector, I'm just trying to protect you?"

"Cass..." Harmony opens her eyes. "I'm not saying I don't trust you, but you have to understand that not everyone is an enemy." Cass raises a skeptical brow at her. "Okay, yes, sometimes you're right, but you need to understand that you're my friend just as much as Adira is! And I don't need protection 24/7."

"Cass, you are the closest thing that I will ever have to a big sister," Rapunzel sits in front of her. "But we're not those naïve girls fresh out of the tower or castle anymore. I am going to be queen someday. And I can promise you, I'm going to make decisions that you're going to disagree with, and I need you to be okay with that."

Cass smiles a little. "I'm sorry for what I said...but I'm not sorry for trying to grow up," Harmony whispers softly. "These powers taught me that I have to mature and fight for myself. I didn't come on this trip to have another person like Papa..."

The woman nods slowly in understanding.

"Well, we better get some rest," Rapunzel gets onto her feet. She lets out a yawn, looking at her friend. "I'm on the next shift."

The two walk off, Harmony joining Varian's side. He turns around and hugs her waist. A hum escapes his lips as he nuzzles into her shoulder.

_Guess we all are born with parts to play_

Suddenly the halfway point has little light except for the one over her. She looks over her shoulder to see everyone else asleep.

_Some of us are stars, and some are just in the way_

She walks past them, Owl flying over her.

_I know I was meant for glory_

_But that's never what my story brings_

Cass holds her arm, looking away. She takes a deep breath.

_And yet I keep on waiting_

_When you have the passion and the drive_

She lightly touches a stone depicting a great warrior on a horse.

_You expect your moment center stage to arrive_

She walks into a room full of warrior statues.

_I show up with heart ablazing_

_Ready to achieve amazing things_

Inside...she's frustrated and tired that she hasn't proven herself lately. Adira or someone else is always stepping in to do what she could do.

_But I'm left waiting in the wings_

_I hear my cue_

_And yet I'm kept there waiting_

She slowly pulls out her sword.

_Know what to do_

_And still I stand there waiting_

The statues light up, their spirits riding away just to show how overlooked she is.

_It's always someone else who sings_

She slowly lowers her arm, closing her eyes.

_While I'm left waiting in the wings_

_And so I keep on keeping on_

She raises her sword to the sky again, the spirits riding around her.

_My chances come and then I blink and they're gone_

_Always overlooked unfairly_

Cass plants her sword back in her hilt again.

_While pretending that it barely stings_

She gives a hurt look. She never spoke up because she doesn't want to hurt her friends, including Rapunzel and Harmony.

_But it stings, yes, it stings_

_And I'll shed no tears_

_I'll only keep on waiting_

She looks around at all the statues.

_If no one cheers,_

_Well, I can keep on waiting_

She steps up to the edge.

_Who cares how loud the silence rings_

_You'll find me waiting in the wings..._

She hugs herself, walking over to a pillar and pressing her back against it. She slides onto the ground, eyes closed. A snarl is heard and she looks up to see the two badgers. She steps away from them, only to be grabbed from behind to face Hector.

"You guys couldn't take a hint? Now I gotta finish you."

"Let her go, Hector," Adira speaks up and he looks to see her standing a few feet away.

"Heh." He tosses Cass away and she slides to a stop on the ground. The two glare at each other before circling around. Hector pulls out his sword, the sound getting the attention of the two princesses. They sit up, rubbing their eyes and looking up ahead to see what's going on.

Rapunzel gasps sharply, "Adira!"

"And just so we won't be interrupted or that the Moonstone is safe before I destroy her..." Hector gestures for his badgers to run towards Harmony. Rapunzel is about to push her away when a badger growls in front of her and she cringes. A badger chomps on Harmony's ponytail, dragging her backwards. Daisy falls off the girl in the struggle, chirping in a panic.

"No! RAPUNZEL!"

"HARMI!" She calls out, the others waking up.

"Mona, no!" Varian stands up in alarm.

Hector cuts away a large pillar, Rapunzel looking up at it. It lands in front of the group, Harmony brought in front of Hector. He forcefully grabs her arm and points his sword at her head, wrapping an arm around her neck. The girl struggles to pull his arm off, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Now then..." He runs up to Adira, swinging his sword at her. She moves out of the way from his attacks, swinging her legs around to kick him. He holds up Harmony as a shield and she has to hold back from hurting her. He smiles sadistically and punches Adira, knocking her back a few feet. She gestures for Harmony to elbow him and she does, knocking him back a bit. He flips and lands on his feet, laughing at them.

"Turquoise, go check on Short Hair."

Harmony scrambles onto her feet, running over to Cass' side. "Cass? Are you okay?"

Hector jumps onto a platform, spinning around to clash swords with Adira. She steps back while defending herself. "It's sad to see the once mighty Adira waste her life on a fool's dream and to protect the Moonstone."

She ducks her head and blocks weapons with him again. "Talk about wasting lives..." She kicks him in the stomach. "You and the brothers spent yours hiding something no one was even looking for. Until somehow, Princess Harmony got possession of it. And now she's trying to save the people she loves by harnessing that power for good!"

"The moonstone has the power to destroy the world," He gestures to Harmony. "Keeping its existence secret and to eventually destroy it was the king's wish." The others can hear the conversation as a badger is growling at them, keeping guard. "And to do anything otherwise is treason!"

He smiles wickedly, running towards Adira. She stands up bravely and blocks his blows. She moves away from a pillar, which Hector cuts. It falls as the two continue to battle. Adira takes hold of Hector's arm, throwing him onto the ground.

"I've seen the sundrop's power firsthand, Hector. And so will you when we return to the Dark Kingdom," She smiles, holding out her hand to him.

"That'll never happen," He grabs her hand and throws her into the wall.

"Adira!" Harmony holds out a hand, worried.

"I'm sorry it came to this, sister..." He walks right up to Harmony. "You're coming with me."

"Never!"

She tries to run, but he kicks her in the back, knocking her onto the floor. He wraps his arm around her neck, jumping onto the pillar. He points his sword at her head again, Rapunzel gasping.

"Harmi!"

"Let her go!" Varian glares at him, about to step forward.

"One more step and I'll end her right here."

His eyes widen as everyone glares at him in hatred. As much as they want to help Harmony, they know better than to question Hector right now. After all, he has a sword pointed at her head.

"And now..." He lands in front of them. "For the so-called moonstone. Witness at firsthand, sundrop."

Harmony squeezes her eyes shut, lip quivering in fear.

"Leave them alone."

They look to the side to see Cass standing there bravely, holding her sword.

"Brave child," He walks up to the woman. She grips her weapon, glaring at the man. "Stupid, but brave."

"You want the sundrop and moonstone? You gotta go through me first. Now put. Her. Down."

"...Kay," He lets go of Harmony, pushing her onto the ground.

"Harmi," Rapunzel runs up to her, pulling the girl into a relieved hug. Varian smiles gratefully that she's not hurt or worse. Cass runs up to Hector, jumping up with her sword raised in the air. He ducks his head as she swings, kicking her backwards.

"You wanna try that again? Well, come on," He knocks her onto the floor, her sword sliding to a stop at the edge. She grunts as she tries to move, falling back down. "Tell me, lady-in-waiting..." He steps in front of her, stomping on the hand that was reaching towards her sword. She glares up at his sadistic smile. "What are you waiting for?"

"Funny you should ask," She throws sand into his face, distracting him. She pushes him all the way to the edge and throws him off. He screams as he falls, the badgers running up to her.

"Cassandra!" The two sisters shout. She jumps past them as they fall to their master, apparently gone. Cass pants a little, a bit dirty with soot. Hector falls through the vines and lands on the ground below. He looks up and sees something up ahead.

"The heart of Zhan Tiri's tree..."

He gets up and recoils back his sword. "Forgive me for unleashing the evil that sleeps within, and for allowing the moonstone to live a minute longer!" He steps up to the heart, where the enchanted spear is still stuck in like it has for all these years. He pulls out the spear. "For King Edmund."

The heart starts to turn green, the vines wrapping around him. He stabs at them, but the vines grab his arms, wrapping around his body. His eyes widen at what's happening...and then his skin turns a pale green, his pupils pure white. The vines start to lift him up.

Harmony gasps sharply, her eyes opening as she looks at the edge. "Guys...we have a problem," She looks at the walls.

"I can see why. You hear that?" Rapunzel asks as wind is blowing.

"Yeah, in my experience, growing rumbles never lead to good things," Eugene walks up to Lance and Varian.

"It's big..." Harmony murmurs slowly as the walls glow green, the vines coming to life. Some move away to reveal Hector himself holding the spear.

"Oh no, he didn't," Harmony backs up a bit. "He touched the heart of the Great Tree! He unleashed its power!"

"He did what?!" Varian screeches in shock, staring at the man.

"See? He has the enchanted spear Adira told us about," Harmony points up at what's in his left hand. "And what's worse, the evil magic has possessed him!"

He looks up and growls towards them. "All who enter the Great Tree of Zhan Tiri shall be destroyed!"

They take off into a run as the vines start to attack them. Max joins the group as they're surrounded. "The tree! It's alive."

"Do you remember when being chased by a rhino was the weirdest thing we had to do this weekend?" Eugene comments, a vine appearing in front of him. He jumps out of the way and Lance slices it to pieces. Eugene starts doing the same, the three horses running away from the edge. Cass pushes back a vine as hard as she can, the sisters ducking their heads.

"Cass!"

Another vine appears behind Cass. "Watch out," Rapunzel tosses her hair, capturing her friend. She pulls Cass to safety as Harmony throws up her hands, destroying the two vines with black rocks. "Gotta watch that flank." She winks and Cass smiles.

Adira jumps from a vine, running up it and slicing another in half. She kicks the spear out of Hector's hand, and it touches the bottom, turning part of it black. Cass notices this and realizes that the spear could defeat him!

Hector grabs Adira's foot as a vine knocks her away. She presses a hand to the ground, sliding safely to a stop. She watches as more vines wrap around Hector. Several try to grab Adira, Rapunzel snatching them into a bundle. She pulls it down and Harmony destroys them with some black rocks. The others are defending themselves as best as they can. Cass gets knocked away by a vine.

"Cassandra!" Hook Foot's leg gets captured and he's lifted up into the air.

"Hook!" Eugene screams and a vine wraps around Varian's waist.

"Help!" He shouts as he's taken away.

"Varian!" Lance yells, but the two men are captured as well.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel rushes over to help and gets knocked into a trunk.

"Vari!" Harmony gets the same treatment, and when they get up, they see that Max, Silver, Fidella, and Adira can't hold on much longer. They look to the others as they're trying to get out, but they can't. Rapunzel stands up, looking to her sister.

"Harmi...there's only one way to stop him."

She looks up at her in confusion and then realizes what she's asking her to do. "Rapunzel, I can't control it. What if it happens again?"

"You can do it, I know you can! I believe in you."

Her eyes widen as she hesitates. If she uses it again...she might hurt someone. But she had to save her friends too.

"I'm sorry to have to ask you this, but...you need to do the right thing," Rapunzel places a hand on her shoulder. "Please understand the situation we're in right now."

"...I...understand," Harmony closes her eyes. "I'll do it."

She stands up and walks over to the base. She touches it with her hands and Cass gasps, realizing what she's doing.

"Raps, wait! She can't do that incantation again," Cass calls out, almost to the spear.

"I don't have a choice in this, Cass," Harmony looks over her shoulder. "I don't like this anymore than you do."

"Please, girls. That spear can kill it. Let me try and grab it. Trust me," Cass reaches her hand out to it and the vines squeeze Eugene and Varian.

"Eugene..." Rapunzel looks up in worry from his cries of pain. "She has to do this."

"No!" Cass cries out and Harmony looks up at Hector. She braces herself and closes her eyes.

"Whither and decay, end this destiny. Break these earthly chains, and set the spirit free..." Her hair turns black and 70 feet long again, wrapping around the base and vines. She opens her eyes as they're now black with green pupils. The ceiling starts crumbling down on them. "Whither and decay, end this destiny. Break these earthly chains, and set the spirit free."

Everyone is free from the vines except for Cass, who's still staring at Harmony. "Whither and decay, end this destiny," She continues to recite. Eugene looks up to see Rapunzel getting a bit weak.

"Rapunzel!"

"Mona," Varian murmurs in worry. Lance and Varian help Eugene up.

"Break these earthly chains...Lance, Varian, Rapunzel, go!"

"But Princess..." Lance cringes a bit at Harmony.

"I can't just leave you here!" Rapunzel protests to her sister, who turns around to them fiercely.

"Now! Go!"

The two boys nod as they get Eugene out a hole, Ruddiger and Daisy following. The vines finally break from Cass, who grabs the spear and runs past everyone else leaving. Adira is also set free and runs away from the wall.

"I got this, Cass. Go! Take my sister and get out of here!" Harmony tells them.

"You heard her. Let's go," Adira places a hand on Cass' shoulder.

"No. I'm not leaving her. Harmony, please let go," Cass walks up to her.

"Cass, no! Wait!" Rapunzel calls out.

"Break these earthly chains...I can't leave now! And set the spirit free."

"What are you waiting for?" Cass asks the girl, who turns back to them.

"I have to see this through. This tree can't stay like this any longer!" She protests to Cass, looking up as Hector's vines start to turn grey. Cass touches Harmony's arm...and then her glove burns off. She screams in pain at the burn.

"CASS, NO!" Rapunzel screams, tending to her side. Harmony finally stops upon hearing her cry of pain, running over to them.

"Cass, I told you I had it!" Harmony shouts, holding her head in horror at her hand.

"I-I could have stopped it. You should have let me try."

The two say nothing as they stare at her burn.

"Listen," They look up at Hector. "Your friend is right. Adira is lying to you."

Adira glares up at him. "You shut up!" Harmony points up at the man. "You tried to kill me!"

"She...she might have you think she's helping you to find your destinies, but if you go to the Dark Kingdom, you're doomed."

Rapunzel could only stare as the base crumbles and he falls. "No!"

"Rapunzel, Harmony," They look up at Adira. "Stay on the path. All our destinies lie within you." And with that, she takes the spear and jumps off the platform.

"Adira!"

"No!" Harmony cries out, both of them looking up. A large rock heads for them and the two grab Cass, running towards the exit. The walls start to crack inside as the three jump to the other side. The Great Tree crumbles and sinks to the ground. Rapunzel looks over the edge as Adira removes a piece of tree, looking up at the two princesses. They smile in relief, the badgers taking their masters away. Adira follows after them...

They know she'll be back.

"Mona!"

Harmony turns around and sees Varian running towards her. "Vari," She murmurs happily as he engulfs her into a big hug.

Cass groans and the two stare at her. "Oh, Cass. Your hand. Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," She grits her teeth.

"I'm so sorry!" Harmony blinks back tears. "But I told you-"

"I said I'm fine!" Cass turns to the girl sharply.

"But you're hurt..."

"I know," She states to Rapunzel, looking behind them. The three look in her direction to see pieces of armor laying around. "But it won't happen again."

They look at her one last time before walking away and she looks at the armor.

"So...what now?" Eugene asks with both Pascal and Daisy on his shoulders.

"What should we do?" Varian stares at Harmony and for a few seconds, neither of them say anything. They stare up ahead at the black rocks. Rapunzel dusts away some sand to see a black rock pointing forward.

"It's your call, girls."

They turn around to Cass, who's changed into the armor. She tosses their bags to them and they look to their friend.

"This path has been laid out for us...There is no turning back," Rapunzel places her bag over her shoulder. "We are going to the Dark Kingdom. But before we leave, I think it's time we all have a talk..." Rapunzel looks to her sister, who holds her arm, eyes closed. "Harmi...can you explain what happened the first time?"

"How?! I don't even know what happened!" She gestures to herself, so confused still. Why would the voice who told her to come here try to turn her against her friends?

"Were you just caught up in the song that you couldn't stop yourself?" Eugene asks softly, as he's been told what happened.

"What reason would I have to do that?" She asks incredibly. "A voice spoke to me and then told me what Rapunzel did during the storm about the evacuation, but I wasn't mad. She tried to turn me against you for what happened last year, but I didn't want to do it. I swear, I'm not angry for the storm or Varian or any of that!"

"Wait...you mean when I ordered the evacuation while you were still out in the storm?" Rapunzel wonders slowly. "Did you recognize that voice?"

"Yes...it was my imaginary friend," Harmony nods slowly. "She...tried to get me to continue the spell and then suddenly...I-I felt those tiny suppressed feelings I had after the storm coming back again, but I didn't want to feel any of it again. I..."

Cass is looking on furiously, clenching her right fist. She almost killed them and her excuse was that she has an imaginary friend? She has deep injuries because of that incantation! She pushes past Eugene, glaring down at the girl.

"Or maybe it was because you still harbor anger towards your sister for what she did?"

"What?" Harmony is baffled by her questioning, wondering if this was an interrogation. "No!"

"Believe me, I regret that decision still, but Harmi wouldn't turn against us," Rapunzel places her hands on Harmony's shoulders from behind. "She said so herself: she forgives us for what we've done. She's had a year to think about her feelings and how to handle things from now on."

"Tell that to my arm, Rapunzel!" Cass holds up her right arm, Harmony wincing as she remembers clearly what happened. "You wouldn't stop singing because you still hate us for what happened. We all turned you away, and you did this to get back at us."

"No, I would never!" Harmony says furiously, the others looking at each other and then at the two in concern. Cass seems to be going a bit too far, and it might be because it's personal. And Harmony might have been angry at first for last year, but having negative feelings towards her sister wasn't going to help her get to the Dark Kingdom. She realized that long ago, and she loved her big sister. Her relationship with Rapunzel was more important than something she already got over.

"Cass, I think you need to stop," Eugene calls out before she said something she might regret.

"Then why would you continue the incantation if you didn't want to betray us?" Cass grits her teeth, ignoring Eugene. "You're the smartest girl we know and yet all you can chalk it up to someone only you could see? That's not a reason, it's a lie to save face for your intentions to stab us in the back. Why did you do it, Harmony?!"

"Cassandra," Rapunzel holds out a hand as Harmony grips her hair, squeezing her eyes shut.

"I TOLD YOU I DON'T KNOW!" She sobs uncontrollably, shocking all of them. "I don't know anything anymore!" She looks at her hands through her tears. "I-It's like it's suffocating me and I can't figure out what to do for the first time in my life!"

"Okay, okay, shh..." Rapunzel calms her down, kneeling in front of the girl. She pulls the girl into a comforting hug as she continues to cry into her sister's chest.

"Rapunzel..." She looks up at the blonde, eyes slightly red as the tears stream down her face. "Am I a bad person? Am I...am I really evil?"

The others look on sadly and with sympathy. The wielder of the moonstone is just a little girl...she shouldn't have to shoulder this alone, or to have to wonder who she really is. They know Harmony...she wouldn't do this of her own free will.

"Of course not, I love you," Rapunzel holds her cheeks, wiping away the tears. "You just lost control, that's all. We can help you, little sister...trust me, you can control this. You don't have to worry about who you are with us."

"Okay..."

"That's not who you are, Mona," Varian says softly, stepping up to them. "You know exactly who you are...don't ever forget that."

He gets onto his knees and hugs her from behind.

The boys and animals give Cass a look for what she did. Harmony might have hurt them earlier, but she just lost control. And yet Cass was making it seem like she's this evil person inside that really wants to hurt them...

Cass clamps her mouth shut and storms off. Eugene narrows his eyes and goes after her. Once they're at a safe distance away from the others, he grips her arm, stopping her in place.

"What was that?" He demands angrily. "Cassandra, you looked like you were about to hit her. Harmony's just a kid! A good, sweet kid. And you know that. All she wants to be normal again."

"Who did this!" Cass removes her glove to reveal the burnt arm. "Do you really believe her?"

"Yes, I do," Eugene states, sure of himself. If Harmony said that a voice was trying to get her to turn evil, then he had no choice but to believe her. She's the closest thing he has to a little sister, and he just wants to make her happy like a big brother does. And by her horror and crying, she truly regrets what happened the past two days.

"I may not understand how it happened...but she's not a liar, no matter how crazy it seems. With all the things we have been through, it's not impossible that this kind of thing would happen with Harmony! That look in her eyes..." He glances away, remembering the tears that came out of her face with the Great Tree. "This is more than she bargained for. And as her friends, we have a choice to help her get through this. I just hope you make it too."

He goes back to comforting Harmony, joining Rapunzel and Varian in hugging her. Cass watches as Eugene strokes her hair softly. True, they have been through a lot...but only she heard that voice, and she made the choice to continue singing and to use that incantation after the fact. After all this...

She's not sure what to believe.

* * *

Later that night, everyone else is sleeping on the grass in a forest nearby a lake. Varian, however, can't sleep. The truth of his father is still in the back of his mind...he couldn't fathom it. At one end, his father wasn't as ruthless as Hector in the Brotherhood, but on the other end, he also didn't bring any of this up before he was trapped in the amber...

But he could never be angry at his father now that he gets a sense of _why _he didn't know. And something in his mind tells him that he won't be confronting his father with this information until he was ready to talk about it...which was fine with him.

He glances to his girlfriend laying down on the grass, surrounded by little daisies. Her hands are on her stomach as she looks up at the stars. He can tell that she can't get any sleep either...

Varian gets onto his feet and approaches her. She doesn't seem to have heard him as she doesn't look his way. He lays down in the grass next to her, taking the same position that she is.

"Hey."

"...Hey," She replies so quietly he almost didn't hear. He turns his head to look at her.

"Are you okay?"

She snorts, closing her eyes. What a ridiculous question to ask. "Not really. Cass is pretty much furious with me...I endangered everyone's lives...and for the life of me, all I can ask myself is why my imaginary friend from 5 years ago would do this."

He clamps his mouth shut, looking back up the sky. He watches as a shooting star flies past the crescent moon. Drumming his fingers against his stomach, he takes a deep breath.

"Mona...I know you're upset, but...you know I don't think of you as...well, you know..."

She opens her brown orbs, a bit hesitant. "Thanks...for saying that."

"I wanna let you know that you're not alone in this," He places his hand on top of hers, interlocking their fingers together. Despite him having his gloves on, she can still feel the sincerity and warmth from this boy... "I know it's hard. It's almost like what I'm going through with Dad..." He closes his eyes, shaking his head. They may have the answer now, but Quirin must be suffering in there...not even knowing where his son...or how he's doing. "But...I have you. And you have me. So...if you ever need to, just talk to me...whenever you want to, of course."

"I… I'm not sure if I really want this kind of power anymore," She squeezes her eyes shut. "When I started this trip and had so much control, I thought I could use them for good…I guess that was foolish thinking."

"…No," Varian opens his eyes. "I get it. That's what you tried to do for my father when I…" He doesn't finish his sentence as they didn't have to say it out loud to understand what exactly he's trying to say. "Anyway… I think that's a first, trying to use it to help others. That's definitely something you would do…try to make the best of things no matter how bad it can be."

Both of them chuckle lightly.

"Yeah…but after what happened…I'm not sure if I want to keep these powers after we reach the Dark Kingdom. Maybe it's better off to give them up after I free your father…"

"If that's what you end up doing, then…I support you, Mona."

She squeezes his hand slightly, and then she finally turns to look at him. He tilts his head to see those same eyes staring into him, and a small smile appears on her lips between all the flowers surrounding her face. They don't even compare to her features. He smiles back too and bites his lip.

"Um..." He clears his throat. "Wanna dance with me?"

"You?" She raises a brow. "Now this I have to see. You haven't danced since my birthday."

"Hey," He replies in a fake hurt tone. "If you haven't noticed, we've been traveling to the Dark Kingdom for six months!"

Harmony lets out a small chuckle and he helps her onto her feet. "I take it that's a yes?"

She steps forward and gently takes hold of his hand. "Yeah...I'll dance with you."

He smiles sweetly as his other hand moves onto her waist. The night falls sweet around them, stars joining together as if to give them a single spotlight by the lake. Together, they dance in slow movement which they don't seem to mind.

Harmony then starts humming and Varian hums along with her. They move away from the others so as not to disturb them. After going through so much, both of them feel like in this moment, they don't have anything weighing on their shoulders. No decay incantation, no hidden lives, no pain...

Varian spins them around slightly, Harmony almost doing a little hop. Heels click together in the grass as they feel like they don't even need to look at their feet. Almost like the moonlight is giving them everything they needed right now: a reason to move forward with this trip.

He stares into her eyes as they continue humming in tune. No particular song, and they didn't care. It matches perfectly with the dance. Varian spins them around again and again until he holds her hands, lifting her up as they continue spinning. She lets out a laugh as she feels like she's flying and then he puts her back down.

He presses his forehead to hers. Together, they could move on...together they could handle anything that comes their way. She gives him the strength to try and make himself a better person—not just for himself, but for everyone.

"I love you," He whispers softly to her.

"...I love you too," She hums, giving him a brief kiss. He wraps an arm around her waist as they continue to dance the night away.

Sure, they'll be tired to walk the next morning, but all that matters right now is them.

**Angel: The idea of Harmony being angry towards everyone came from reaperking100. No, this does not mean Harmony will turn completely evil. If anything, this incident with her was more like suppressed feelings she had. I kind of got the dance from Steven Universe, you know, when Ruby and Sapphire first met. I thought it'd be good for the two, they really needed it after everything.**


	43. The Brothers Hook

Hook Foot is leaning against a tree, snoring as an apple is on his head. Cass is trying to get the arrow onto the bow, but with her recent hand injury, it was getting a little difficult. She blows a bang out of her face and is about to fire when Eugene walks by and takes it.

"Aha. Ah, thank you."

"Huh?" Hook Foot blinks, waking up.

"Hey, that's our last apple," Cass protests to the former thief.

"Then why are you using it for target practice?" He asks in disbelief.

"I use these breaks to stay sharp," She retorts back. Max and Ruddiger stare at the apple from behind the tree.

"Good. Stay sharp with your own apples," He's about to take a bite.

"I'm sorry, but shouldn't the concern here be that someone was about to shoot an apple off my head?!"

Lance snatches the apple away. "Lance, that's our last apple," Eugene frowns a little as the man shines it with his chest.

"Heh, then someone got here just in time," He's about to take it when Max bumps into him from behind, snatching it in his mouth. "Apple usurper!"

Lance jumps onto the horse, who neighs and wrestles with Lance for it. "Oh, come on!"

Ruddiger takes a hold of the apple, trying to have it for himself. "I want my apple back!" Eugene runs towards them, Cass joining in. Hook Foot just looks on at the fight, arms crossed.

"Don't think just because you got horse slobber all over it, I'm not still gonna eat it," Eugene calls out as Max is balancing the apple on his tongue. Cass is pushing him away from the fruit so that he can't get to it. "It's about principle now."

Rapunzel, Harmony, and Varian look up from the berry bushes nearby. "Uh oh, guys. Sounds like another apple brawl," She rolls her eyes. Pascal squeaks in agreement, grabbing a berry. He tries to eat it, but it bursts, landing on a poster nearby.

"I know, Pascal, but I can't blame them. We've experienced some pretty heavy stuff out here."

"Yeah, but there's always going to be more apples," Harmony rolls her eyes. "We can pick some more when they're ripe again. I'm more of a berry person anyway."

"I like apples as much as the next person, but I'm not getting involved in that one," Varian chuckles, pointing to the group. Daisy shakes her head at them all. Pascal holds up something, getting their attention. Rapunzel opens it up so that they can read it. She gasps at what the poster says.

"Oh, Pascal, this is perfect!" She hugs the poster.

"I dunno..." Varian says skeptically at the paper.

* * *

"Great news, everybody!" Rapunzel announces to their friends. "We are going to see Hook Hand in concert." She holds up the concert poster Pascal gave to her.

They simply stare, glancing at each other. They are still in their fighting positions. "Not only will seeing some real live entertainment give us a chance to unwind and get our mind off the road..." Max drops Eugene onto the ground. "And each other, it will be a Hook Brothers' reunion!"

"He's the one who wanted to become a piano player, right?" Harmony looks up at her sister, who nods eagerly. Rapunzel had already told her the whole story when the younger princess came home. She steps forward and hugs Hook Foot.

"Wow. Thanks, Princess," He clasps his hands together. "Seeing my big bro perform sounds delightful. Hmm, oh crackers! This concert's tomorrow and it's all the way in West Ipsil, that's at least three days on foot. We'll never make it on time. Oh well. What's for dinner?"

Rapunzel stares after them. It seems like Hook Foot really doesn't want to see his brother.

"Unless there's a river that can get us there in time, you wouldn't make it," Harmony raises a brow, Hook Foot nodding rapidly in agreement.

"She makes a good point. I knew I liked her."

"Don't worry, Foot," She stands in front of them. "I already have it all figured out. We have plenty of time. All we have to do is leave now, not stop to eat or drink, and walk twice as fast as we normally do. Oh, and no sleeping."

Everyone groans at this as she runs off. "Come on, guys. We have a show to catch!"

* * *

Hook Hand is just finishing his set as Rapunzel runs through the entrance, a bit exhausted. "There he is."

Firecrackers appear around the man as he turns to the crowd. "It's so good to be back. Good night, everybody!"

The others appear behind her, more exhausted than she is. "Let's go say hi," She runs off to go meet him, the others slowly following. "That was incredible!" The woman exclaims as they arrive at Hook Hand's caravan.

"We-I mean, we only got to hear two notes..."

"And they were incredible," Rapunzel states to her boyfriend, knocking on the door. "Hook Foot, you must be so proud of your brother. Foot, are you okay?" She jumps in front of him, noticing his sad expression.

"Okay? Yeah, I'm better than okay. I'm thrilled," He replies sarcastically. "Just, uh, tired from all the walking. I got, uh...walk lag!"

"Alright, alright! Who's knocking?" Hook Hand asks irritably, seeing the group standing there. "Hey, Rapunzel!"

"Hook Hand!" She exclaims happily.

"I can't believe you guys came all this way just to see my show," He hugs the woman.

"Of course. We couldn't miss it."

"Oh, and this must be the little sister!" Hook Hand nudges her slightly, causing her to giggle.

"It's finally nice to meet you! Your friends back at the Snuggly Duckling and Rapunzel have told me a lot about you," She holds out her hand, but he gives her a bear hug instead.

"Come here! Any sibling of Rapunzel's is a friend in my book!"

"Wait, you know who she is?" Varian chuckles a little.

"Sure I do! I get letters from my buds about her! And I got somethin' for her that she's gonna like!" He holds up a box, putting it into her hands.

"Oh, thank you, you didn't have to get me—oh my gosh, it's blueberry pie!" Harmony beams at the dessert once she's opened it.

"I played for a town that claims they got the best blueberry pie for miles! Figured you might like one, so I saved it for ya if we ever had the chance to meet."

"Aw, that's so sweet!" Rapunzel beams at him.

"Hey, Hooky. I gotta admit, I kinda-sorta missed seeing you around Corona," Eugene greets him.

"Oh yeah? How about a shake?" He holds up his golden hook.

"Oh! I forgot. That's right, you hate me, and you have a really sharp hook hand. So, I'll just wave, from over here," The former thief slowly backs away. Hook Hand was the one who suggested that they turn in Eugene in the first place...

Then Hook Hand sees Hook Foot. "Wait a sec. Razzle Dazzle, is that you?"

"Razzle Dazzle?" Both Eugene and Lance ask in confusion.

"Bring it in, little bro," Hook Hand pulls him into a bear hug like he did with Harmony.

"You know, it still hurts when you use the hook," Hook Foot says in pain.

"You still dazzlin' everybody with that silly dancin'?" Hook Hand lets out a laugh.

"Whoa. Hold on a second," Rapunzel stares at her friend. "Dancing? Hook Foot, you're a dancer?"

"No," He denies, looking away in embarrassment.

"Ha! Yeah, right," Hook Hand noogies the top of his head. "Dancing was this guy's dream. You believe that?"

"Seriously? How did I now know this?" Rapunzel gestures to him in surprise.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Harmony smiles a little.

"Alright. Actually, dancing was my dream," Hook Foot gets out of his brother's hold. "But not anymore."

"Probably for the best, right?" Hook Hand nudges him with his left elbow. "Now, who wants a tour of my new digs?" He leads them inside, but Hook Foot lags behind. There's a reason why he hasn't visited his brother.

"Hook Foot, you coming?" Rapunzel looks over her shoulder.

"Why? So I can listen to the jerk that crushed my dreams, brag about how he's living his?" Hook Hand points towards inside. He storms off. "Sorry, Princess. It's just, when I was a kid, dancing was my everything." He holds a pole, swinging around it. "It was my dream, but not everyone was happy to let me have that dream," Hook Foot lands in a puddle, looking up at the poster of his brother behind him.

_Hook Hand laughed after his brother was done dancing. "You kiddin'? Dancin's for losers."_

"_Then I find out he had a fancy dream of his own. And when I asked him if I could join him, he just laughed in my face."_

_Hook Hand laughed at the tiny little slip of the two. "Only losers dance, Razzle Dazzle," He ripped it to pieces and left him behind at the Snuggly Duckling, which was where he had been all that time. _

"_That's when I gave it all up."_

"Oh, Hook Foot, that sounds awful," Rapunzel places a hand on his shoulder in sympathy.

"Why is he so against letting you have your dream?" Harmony frowns in disapproval.

"Siblings are supposed to encourage their dreams...like they do," Varian gestures to the two sisters.

"I mean, we've only ever had one fight, and that was back when I sent Varian away," Rapunzel states, wrapping an arm around her sister. The two smile and hug each other. Compared to them, the Hook brothers don't seem that close.

"Eh, it's ancient history, I guess," Hook Foot shrugs a bit. "I'm just glad this little visit is over and the Brothers Hook can go our separate ways yet again."

Hook Hand suddenly opens up the door behind them. "Got some good news for ya. Turns out, we're headed in the same direction. You guys are ridin' with me."

All four humans and pets glare towards him.

* * *

"We're headed to a very important event," Hook Hand explains as they're on the road. "It's a glamorous destination wedding for my patron. He's a king, and he makes sure I get everything I need, so everything's gotta be perfect."

Basically everything in his caravan is either gold or has a gold color. Lance and Shorty are in the hot tub while Cass is enjoying a drink.

"It doesn't get more perfect than this," Lance clinks glasses with Shorty and then with Hook Hand.

"My brother...king..." Hook Foot mutters under his breath. He's been like that ever since they left the previous town. Harmony, Rapunzel, and Varian all join his side.

"We know you're upset about the way he treated you, but people change over time," Rapunzel whispers to him. "Haven't you changed since then?"

"I guess. I mean, I do groom myself now," He lightly touches his hair. "And I can read math."

"May I?" Hook Hand holds out Cass' chair for her.

"Uh...okay," She sits down, watching him offer a napkin to Daisy, Ruddiger, and Pascal. All of them are sitting on top of fruit as he wipes their faces for them.

"Everybody deserves a second chance."

"...Maybe you're right," Hook Foot smiles hopefully. "Maybe he has changed."

Hook Hand takes Eugene by the back of his collar and places him on the hook. "That's the spirit," Rapunzel smiles encouragingly, Hook Hand slamming the door.

"I'll give it a shot," He stands up, walking towards his brother.

"You got this, Foot," Varian gives him a thumbs up.

"Like ripping off a bandaid," Harmony snaps her fingers. He looks towards the three, who gesture for him to do it.

"Gotta hand it to ya, big bro, this sure is a class joint ya got here," Hook Foot decides to compliment him first.

"Yup. 'Cause to be the very best, one must have the very best," Hook Hand places the hook on his shoulder, pulling him forward a little. "And the best is what ya get when you're livin' the dream." He shoves the cupcake in Foot's mouth, getting glares from all four of them. "Of course, we ain't all cut out for greatness."

He pulls out an axe from the back of his shirt. "Are we, Razzle Dazzle?" He throws the axe at the accordion player, who starts to play.

He starts playing the piano, shocking the four. Was he really doing this?

**I had a dream**

**My dream came true **

**Yes, I got what I deserve**

Harmony rolls her eyes in disbelief.

**And so did you**

He gestures to his younger brother, continuing to play. His hook wiggles around to play some notes. Hook Foot glares at him as a curtain is placed in front of him. A puppet of Hook Foot appears from a little stage.

**I'm rich and famous and completely respected**

Money surrounds him, and then a couch appears behind him.

**And I'm livin' the dream**

His puppet lays down on the couch.

**My digs are snazzy and my agent's connected**

**And I'm livin' the dream**

Puppet Hook Hand signs a contract before going over to a big red piano.

**I'm making millions playing national tours**

The puppet rolls down a map.

**Decked in the latest from my head to my drawers**

Puppet Hook Hand steps out of a little shop dressed in a pink cloth with jewels over it.

**Guess you could say my life is better than yours**

Puppet Hook Hood pulls a puppet Hook Foot onto the stage, who looks sad and pathetic compared to his brother puppet.

**Brother, I'm livin' the dream**

Varian, Rapunzel, and Harmony glance towards Hook foot, who crosses his arms with an annoyed eye roll. Then the two puppets walk through a door, two puppet ladies arriving.

**The ladies love me and the critics adore me**

**Yeah, I'm livin' the dream**

Surprisingly, a puppet Harmony appears as Hook Hand gives her the blueberry pie. The accordion player struggles to hold all of them up.

**I hit a pub, they roll the carpet out for me**

'**Cause I'm livin' the dream**

A red carpet rolls down from a pub.

**My fans surround me waving autograph books**

Puppet Hook Hand signs some tiny books with his name on them, pushing away Puppet Hook Foot.

**They ooh and aah about my stylish good looks**

Hook Foot just looks on with a very angered look on his face.

**While I endorse my line of signature hooks**

Tiny little hooks surround them. "Don't touch, those are diamonds for artistes only!" Hook Foot looks at all the hooks his brother has.

**Face it, I'm livin' the dream**

**Your dreams were lame, stupid, poor dreams**

**But hey, we don't all get to be a talent like me...**

Puppet Hook Hand appears on top of a cake, surrounded by piano keys.

**Everybody!**

Puppet Hook Hand pulls Pascal and Daisy on stage, and they dance in a line.

**This former low-life is enjoying the high life**

**And I'm livin' the dream**

Puppet Hook Hand appears at the very top, basking in the glory.

**Livin' the dream**

**Too bad that your life ain't as awesome as my life**

**You know what I mean?**

The tiny little spoon that was acting as Puppet Hook Foot's foot falls off. Pascal runs up to it.

**He's livin' the dream**

**Look what I got from simply paying my dues**

Pascal makes the puppet dance along.

**The fame, the fortune, the designer tattoos**

He flexes his left arm, which has a tattoo of him playing the piano.

**I bet you'd love to spend one day in my, uh...shoe**

**Shames your career's out of steam**

He flicks away the Hook Foot puppet, to the pets' shock.

**Me though, I'm livin' the dream!**

Hook Foot places a hand on his cheek as he stares at the window, more annoyed now than ever. "I can't believe he treats you like that," Rapunzel approaches him from behind. The door holding Eugene suddenly opens, surprising all of them.

"I can," He says thinly, gritting his teeth. Hook Foot helps him down.

"And here he thought he could get on my good side by giving me my favorite," Harmony huffs, picking up the box of the blueberry pie he gave her. She hasn't even touched it. The girl narrows her eyes and tosses the box out the window.

"Wow. You must be really mad to throw out a blueberry pie," Varian blinks at her.

"We need a better strategy."

"Ooh, I got it. Revenge," Eugene smiles widely. He'd love to see Hook Hand be knocked off his high horse after what he did to him. "I'm talking about shock and awe."

"Eugene," Rapunzel warns the former thief.

"Sorry. What are we, barbarians?" Eugene nudges Hook Foot. "But you actually are a barbarian, so-"

"Still no," Harmony deadpans at him. "Besides, that's petty. What's revenge gonna solve?"

"The only thing it would do is make him more mad at _you_," Varian points to Eugene.

"They're right. No revenge," Rapunzel speaks up. "It's time to be direct. You need to tell Hook Hand how you really feel. I mean, if it was me and Harmi...well, bad example since I would never make her feel bad in any way on purpose. But if it was the two of us, she would definitely tell me."

"...You really think it would work?" Hook Foot turns to the younger princess.

"Communication is key," Harmony smiles a little. "I tell my big sister everything—cautiously, sometimes because she tends to meddle in my life."

"For good reason," Rapunzel defends herself, holding up a finger. She wasn't going to apologize for trying to make sure her sister had a better life than she did in the castle. "Meddling got you and Varian together, didn't it?"

"Yes and no," Harmony points out.

"We're here! Everybody out!" Hook Hand announces to everyone.

"It's now or never," Rapunzel declares to Hook Foot. "What's it gonna be?"

"Go for revenge," Eugene whispers to the man. "Sweet, sweet revenge."

"Shh! Eugene," Rapunzel gives him a look of disapproval.

"We're not doing that," Varian whispers to him.

"Why not? You two could help him easy!"

"We do not use our intelligence for mediocre things like that," Harmony scrunches up her nose, hands on her hips. "That's basically an insult!"

Hook Foot adjusts his belt, to help him feel brave enough to face his older brother. "Hey, big brother. I got a bone to pick with you." Hook Hand seems to be looking at himself rather than paying attention. "I never liked that nickname 'Razzle Dazzle.' And another thing. I don't like the way you made fun of my talents and interests growin' up. And you know what else? I demand an apology."

Hook Hand scoffs, meaning he was paying attention, he just doesn't care. "Apologize, to you? Get over it, Razzle Dazzle. It's ancient history."

"Uh, I..." He stammers, as he wasn't expecting that reaction. He thought Hook Hand would at least listen and be a little more understanding. He opens the door and storms off.

"If he wants to act like a baby, let him," Hook Hand shrugs it off rather carelessly. "I got a show to do and my patron does not like to kept waiting. He can be a real jerk," He puts make-up on his face.

"How big of a jerk do you have to be for Hook Hand to call you a jerk?" Eugene wonders to the others.

* * *

"You are three minutes late, you impunctual, lumpy-faced melody pirate!"

The patron is King Trevor himself...

"Ohhh...him," Eugene narrows his eyes in hatred, the others doing the same.

"King Trevor," Varian looks at him in disdain. He's heard about how he can be, but to witness it at firsthand...

"Everything must be perfect for Trevor Jr's destination wedding. EVERYTHING!"

Hook Hand winces at his screaming.

"I have had it with bullies," Rapunzel clenches a fist. Pascal seems to agree.

"Now, look, I know you're upset, Blondie. But this is a workplace dispute between Hook Hand and his employer, and you're already on your way to interfere, that's fantastic," Eugene sags his shoulders as Rapunzel walks up to the man.

"King Trevor, I don't believe we've met," She places her hands on her hips.

"Who do we have here? Let's see. Impossibly long golden locks, a green shoulder slug. Princess Rapunzel, I presume? And you must be Princess Harmony, what with the dirty pirate look and the ugly duckling on your shoulder."

Harmony gasps sharply, Daisy turning red. She flies towards him, but the girl catches her by the wing. "Calm down, girl...if we do anything drastic, he'll drop Hook Hand as his client." She did have the strong feeling to strangle him, though.

"Oh, and your felonious boyfriend and the boy who almost destroyed Corona! You're still wanted in Equis, you know. And he's a dangerous criminal!"

Eugene clicks his tongue as he doesn't regret that prank. Varian glares at him, clenching a fist.

"But I shall spare your necks the noose, for it was your thievery what led Trevor Jr into the flippers of his true love, Lucille," He gestures to the two seals nuzzling each other.

"Those two seals are getting...married?" She notices all of the sea-inspired food, his and hers collars, and some fishes. "This is a seal wedding?" Rapunzel gasps a little. "Most adorable thing ever!" She then steps back to glare at King Trevor. "This is not over. Congrats, you two." She hugs the seals, Harmony shaking her head slowly.

"Listen well, buffoon," King Trevor turns back to Hook Hand. "This is the most important performance of your measly career, do you understand me? When the ceremony has ended, I will gift the happy couple with a dance, representing the glory of their love. For as you know, I'm regarded as a world-class dancer."

He rips off his shoes to reveal golden ones with rubies all over them. "More like a world-class loser," Harmony whispers to Varian and they both snicker. Eugene fist-bumps both of them, trying to hold his laughter.

"Should one foul note find its way into my Trevor Jr's ear flaps," He leans in towards Hook Hand with a glare on his face. "It is back to the Stinky Weasel with you. Is that clear? Not one foul note!"

Hook Foot hears this and looks out the window of his brother's caravan. King Trevor walks past someone pouring fish into buckets. And then he got an idea on how to teach his big brother a lesson once and for all...

"Not one foul note, eh?" He smiles widely at all the fish. He looks at the silver piano that Hook Hand would be playing tonight.

"Revenge," The accordion player waves the Hook Foot puppet, wanting to see Hook Hand get what's coming to him as well.

* * *

Hook Hand changes his hook to a bejeweled one. Rapunzel and Harmony approach him from behind. "Recognize this?" She holds up the hook he had when she met him.

"Ha. That old thing? Yeah, it's what I wore when I was a nobody."

"It's your old hook," She narrows her eyes. "And you wore it when all you had was a dream. Of all people, you should know what it feels like to have to hide your dream."

He frowns, looking towards his golden hook. "Why would you do that to somebody else?"

"'Cause dancin' is dumb," Hook Hand declares to her.

"Listen, I don't care who you are, but you do not get to treat your own brother like this! It's not right," Harmony points in his face, gritting her teeth. "Do you realize how much it hurts him for you to dismiss his dreams like this? My sister talked so much about how you changed, but I don't think you really did! How careless do you have to be to do this to someone?"

"His dreams are lame! What's he gonna do, pirouette to stardom?"

Rapunzel grabs him by the collar, pulling him forward. "Wrong ans-" She notices the height difference between them, clearing her throat. "Pascal? Daisy?"

She gestures to a stool. Daisy flies Pascal over and together, they push the stool to her feet. She stands on it to look down on him.

"Wrong answer, bub. Just because you're bigger than someone, it doesn't mean that you can look down on them. You should support your brother. If it weren't for us supporting your dream, you'd still be wearing this," She holds up the old hook, handing it to him. She walks off and Harmony lingers, looking to her sister.

"Can I?"

"...Just a little one," Rapunzel relents to her sister. Harmony runs up to Hook Hand and kicks him in the leg lightly.

"Ow!" He holds his foot, hopping up and down. His hook gets stuck and he falls onto the floor.

"Unlike your brother, I still have a foot to kick your butt with if you don't get your act together!" She points to him, pointing between her eyes and at him, meaning she's watching him. Harmony backs away while still doing this action.

* * *

The wedding occurs soon after, lively chattering behind heard. Hook Hand is in front of the crowd, sitting at his piano. Hook Foot places down the last fish in a bucket, peeking behind a tree.

King Trevor is doing a little dance in front of the steps that lead to Hook Hand. "And now," He spins around, both Harmony and Varian rolling their eyes. "I shall favor the couple with my dance. Maestro Hook Hand."

He looks towards the others, everyone except Lance angry with him because he's eating...but he does think about what the two sisters said to him. Harmony and Rapunzel have such a close bond...while him and his brother really don't. They were right; he shouldn't be discouraging Hook Foot's dreams. And if it wasn't for Rapunzel, he wouldn't even be here right now.

"Enough dawdling, fool. Play!" King Trevor orders impatiently.

Hook Hand simply stands up, clearing his throat. "Ladies and gentlemen, and seals. I got somethin' to say."

Hook Foot comes out of hiding. "Playing the piano for people like you was always my dream. And I'm living my dream because people that could've laughed at me, didn't. But the truth is, I haven't always been as supportive of other people's dreams as I should have."

Hook Foot frowns a little. He's never heard Hook Hand so sincere in his life...

"Enough of this sentimental hogwash. It is time for my dance," King Trevor announces, the crowd cheering. Lance sniffs the air.

"Uh, does anyone else smell fish?"

"Always thinkin' with your stomach," Cass rolls her eyes.

Hook Foot gasps, seeing the fish tail peeking out from the piano, which his big brother doesn't see. "No...!" He tries to stop him, even pushing away a food table, but it's too late as Hook Hand plays a foul note. "No!"

The fish fly out of the piano, Hook Hand looking in horror. The two seals stop nuzzling, turning to the piano player as the guards gasp. Shorty, however, sticks out his tongue at the fish and holds up silverware.

King Trevor spits out his water upon hearing it, wiping his mouth. He grits his teeth and storms up to Hook Hand. He taps a note, wondering what could've happened.

"You are a failure. And as of this moment, I am revoking my support of your music."

Hook Hand's face drops onto the piano out of sadness. "Guards," King Trevor snaps his fingers. "Remove this leather-clad, silly mustached gremlin from my sight."

"Hold on," Hook Foot stops the guards before they could move further. "Hold on. How dare you talk to _my _brother that way?"

As much as a jerk his brother was to him, he didn't deserve to get the same treatment. Especially after he apologized when he had dismissed it earlier when demanded to do so. Deep down, he supports his brother's dream.

"He's got more talent in that one hand of his than you got in your entire body."

Hook Hand opens his eyes at his little brother's words.

"Who are you to judge talent, you chipmunk-faced meat hook?" King Trevor looks at him angrily for the insult.

"Who is he?" Rapunzel speaks up, getting everyone's attention. "Uh, he just happens to be the best dancer in Corona. He could dance you under the table any day. Unless you don't think you have what it takes."

"Boom!" Varian points to Rapunzel, and King Trevor just laughs.

"_This_ ruffian is the best in Corona? Ha."

Hook Foot pulls Rapunzel in front of him. "Rapunzel, I don't think this is such a great idea," He rubs his neck. He hasn't danced in years.

"You can do this," Rapunzel encourages him.

"If it's a dance-off he wants, it's a dance off he shall have," King Trevor moves his legs up and down, doing a split. "The stakes? If I lose, I shall double my contributions to this sad sack's piano career," He jumps into the air, jerking a thumb to the saddened Hook Foot. "But if I win he'll never play another note, ever again."

The crowd murmurs in shock as Harmony faces him bravely. "And if we win...you also have to admit that he's the best dancer in Corona, and apologize to Hook Hand for being a jerk to him!" Harmony points to Hook Foot.

"You drive a hard bargain...fine, I shall accept these extra terms...but they're not going to happen!" King Trevor chuckles boastfully at her. Hook Hand gives his brother a thumbs up, having faith in him. "Let the dance-off commence!" King Trevor starts first, dancing with his guards.

"Um, a little problem here," Hook Hand calls out. "My piano is full of fish."

"Problem solved," Shorty throws up the fish bones as he ate all of the fish that was in there. He lets out a burp.

"For once, Shorty's appetite actually helped," Varian blinks at him.

"I could use some accompaniment?" Hook Hand gestures to Rapunzel, who starts playing the guitar. Varian plays the tambourine as Harmony plays the flute. Hook Foot stretches his arms, Cass looking on with her arms crossed. Lance just continues eating.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Eugene asks the trio skeptically. "I mean, betting Hook Hand's entire future on that guy's ability to dance?"

"You can't achieve a dream without first risking failure," Rapunzel pinches his nose, causing him to grin.

"He's got this," Varian jerks a thumb to the man. Hook Foot's pants rip and Hook Hand stops playing.

"...Hopefully," Harmony admits after a few seconds, blinking slowly.

A spotlight falls on King Trevor. "You shall listen as I proclaim the dance-off rules. The first dancer goes, and the second dancer shall match and embellish. After which Lucille shall choose the winner." He moonwalks over to the couple.

"All these people here and you pick the seal to be the judge?" Cass facepalms at this.

"Of course. That is, after all, her official title. She is...the Seal of Approval."

The crowd groans at the joke, Cass shaking her head. King Trevor starts first, of course. "Step, change, pas de bourree." Hook Foot's eyes widen at his dance moves.

"Jete. Jete. Jete. Jete," He throws off his cape and it lands on Hook Foot. He pulls it off in annoyance, stepping up to the stage. He trips in front of the steps, causing the crowd to laugh at him. King Trevor laughs as he jumps onto a chair. "It does look like the best dancer in Corona isn't up to the challenge."

"Oh, you bet he is up for it!" Harmony glares at him.

"Just watch," Varian spits at him. Hook Foot spins around, clapping his hands as he copies the exact same moves, angering King Trevor.

"Your majesty," He challenges the king. He walks past Hook Foot.

The dance-off continues as they do the same moves.

"Woo! Alright! Get down, Hook Foot!" Lance cheers for him. They shuffle their feet around, King Trevor spinning around a pole. Hook Foot does the same and when they lift themselves up, King Trevor has a simple rose and Hook Foot has a bouquet. All of the guards start to cheer as King Trevor does the worm. The seals clap while barking.

Hook Foot does a little Irish jig on stage, King Trevor staring at him in shock. Pascal and Daisy tend to him as he warms up.

King Trevor kicks his feet while kneeling. Hook Foot spins himself around...but when he does a stomp, a clang is heard and he cringes. The whole crowd gasps at the sound. He looks at his hook to see that it's bent.

King Trevor chuckles as he rubs his hands, thinking he has the win. Hook Foot hobbles over to Rapunzel, Harmony, and Varian, sighing.

"That's it for me. I can't do it. Not without my hook. Maybe he's just too good..." He looks to King Trevor having his shoulders massaged.

"We are not losing to this jerk!" Harmony points to the ground.

"Are you just gonna let him have his way?" Varian gestures to the man.

"Hook Foot, I..."

"Guys...let me talk to him," Hook Hand approaches, gesturing to himself. The three step back a bit as he kneels in front of his younger brother. "Come on, Dazzle. I need you to dig down deep, and find them guys and show this chump what real talent looks like."

"But even if I wanted to, my hook..." He looks at his busted hook, looking down sadly.

"Maybe this'll help," Hook Hand holds out his gem-studded golden hook. "It's only for true artistes. Now get in there, and live your dream," He gives the hook to his brother, pushing him away.

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Rapunzel gives him a kiss on the cheek.

"But how are you gonna play for him?" Varian gestures to Hook Foot.

"With this," Harmony smiles, holding up the old hook. Hook Hand takes it with a grin. The gems from the gold hook shine as Hook Hand starts to play. The others keep playing their instruments, Hook Foot tapping his right foot to the beat. Cass, Eugene, Lance, Max, and Shorty look on as the horse shakes his tail. Hook Foot snaps his fingers, stepping back. He starts spinning around, Lance nudging Eugene, who had his eyes covered. The former thief smiles at his friend. Hook Foot slides across the room.

The four instrument players all smile along, continuing to play. Hook Foot slides to the side, pieces of floor landing on an annoyed King Trevor. A few baby seals bop their heads to the beat. Hook Foot spins around and jumps into the air, a shine appearing from the hook while he's in the air. He lands safely and King Trevor actually starts crying.

Hook Foot presses his hand against the wall, leaning his head back. He then jumps up to the ceiling, reaching the top. He spins around using the hook, sparkles flying from him. King Trevor opens his mouth in shock, Pascal and Daisy cheering along with the crowd.

The four play to their content as Hook Foot lands safely on the ground, the crowd cheering. "Okay, that's enough," King Trevor stops everything as he approaches the stage. "Lucille shall now choose the winner."

She smiles, jumping up the stairs. Two horns are brought in front of her, one for Hook Foot, and one for Trevor. She looks between the two.

"You know what to do," King Trevor whispers to her. She glances between the two men...and chooses Hook Foot. He cheers, pumping up his fists.

"That's my little brother!" Hook Hand gestures to him. The guards lift up the thug past a shocked King Trevor.

"This challenge is not over. Do you hear me? It's not over!"

"Suck it and pay up, you deadbeat loser!" Harmony points at him, grinning. He growls at the insult, and she doesn't regret saying that at all. Hook Hand hugs the four.

"You enjoy twirling, do you?" King Trevor crawls up to the top. "Well, get a load of this!" He tries the same trick Hook Foot did, but slips and lands in the cake. Everyone laughs at him, Varian chuckling a bit.

"Wow! He did that one all on his own, huh?"

"Oh, what utter humiliation..." King Trevor murmurs, "Smathered in tartar sauce, icing, and mackerel. I don't deserve this!"

Trevor Jr places the cake topping on him, nuzzling his wife.

"A deal's a deal, I suppose…Hook Foot is the best dancer in Corona…and I…humbly apologize for my callous behavior."

The group smiles, and Rapunzel makes a mental note to draw this moment.

* * *

"It was so great getting to see you again, Hook Hand," Rapunzel hugs the piano player.

"You too, Princess. And it was great to meet your little sister," He pats the top of Harmony's head with his right hand. She hugs him instead and he returns it, smiling. "Thanks for everything."

"I'm really gonna miss you, big brother," Hook Foot smiles sincerely.

"Well, I ain't gonna miss you," Hook Hand crosses his arms, confusing not just his brother, but everyone else as well. It seems like he's back to his old self again... "I mean, how am I gonna miss you if you're on the road with me?"

He pulls down a rope, revealing the same sign that Hook Foot made before his brother took off.

"Really? You mean it?" He steps up to the sign, he couldn't believe that his brother recreated it... "But...my friends. I'd have to leave them," He rubs the back of his neck.

"Hook Foot, we love having you with us," Rapunzel states with a soft smile. "But this is your chance to follow your own destiny. Go. Live your dream."

"This isn't just a chance to live your dream, but to experience it with your brother again," Harmony smiles, putting a hand to her heart. "If it were me, I'd make the decision to go too."

"Thank you," He hugs the two princesses happily. Hook Hand joins in on the hug. "I don't think I've ever been more happy."

Eugene tries to join the hug too, but Hook Hand growls at him. "Okay..." He backs away slowly. "I thought the moment brought us over this emotional hump. My bad. Misread."

Hook Foot leaves with his brother, everyone waving. "I'm gonna miss that guy," Lance tears up a bit.

"Me too," Cass couldn't help but admit. "...Maybe."

"Yeah, underneath their rough exteriors, the Hook Brothers are really sweet and thoughtful guys," Rapunzel clasps her hands. Varian looks towards the ground, thinking about her words. "...Except for the fact that they left us in the middle of nowhere without transportation."

Everyone groans upon hearing this. "No groaning, people. We've got destinies to discover. Now, move out!"

"...Princess?"

Rapunzel looks to Varian, who bites his lip. "I realize now that...what happened with my father was my mistake. And...I'm really sorry for everything I've done. To all of you. Until I have to return to Corona...I just want to spend it with you all. I don't wanna have to hide my feelings like Hook Foot did."

"Varian..." Rapunzel smiles softly, pulling him into a hug. Harmony looks on happily. "We'll gladly honor that wish."

He returns the hug, finally letting go of his grudges...but he does know that all of Corona won't forgive him for what he's done.

How was he going to pull that off...?


	44. Rapunzel: Day One

**Angel: No, I didn't skip this episode, because it's supposed to be right after The Brothers Hook. And I know this fact since Hook Foot isn't in this episode because he's already left with his brother, which happened in the previous episode. Only Disney+ has this episode before the previous episode, for some reason. All other sources I've seen have this episode listed after The Brothers Hook, which is the correct order.**

**I know that they should've talked about Cass and her injury in the previous episode, but I can't just change the order because it would make no sense to just write off Hook Foot before they showed us why he's not there. Continuity, Unknown XD**

Cass is swiping left and right with her sword towards a bush. Lance and Shorty are sitting on rocks nearby. She continues cutting the leaves when her sword goes flying out of her right hand and into the dirt.

"You wanna gave it a break?" Lance calls out while eating a sandwich. "That shrub can only take so much."

"Thanks to Rapunzel, Harmony, and her little trick at the great tree," Cass tosses her sword into her hand. "I have to relearn everything using this hand, so breaks aren't really an option. Plus, we all need to be on our A-game. This is Westrabbit Woods. There are wild boars." She slices off leaves again, to which Lance scoffs at. "Slayer Wolves."

"Heh. Double," He scoffs twice and then she smirks.

"And...jumping spiders."

His eyes widen as he drops his sandwich. "Wha?! Spiders?!" He shrieks, jumping off the rock. He pulls out his dagger, trying to kill any spiders nearby.

Rapunzel is in a makeshift hammock using her hair, Harmony laying down next to her. Varian is sitting across from them. All three are in their old outfits.

"I get why Cass is mad at us—she told us for Harmi not to use the decay spell back at the tree, and she did, and Cass hurt her hand," Rapunzel continues to draw. Pascal squeaks a bit in worry for all three girls. "And then she lashed out at Harmony."

"Well, Cassie had her reasons..." Varian rubs his neck. "Not that I'm saying she was right to yell at Mona, because she wasn't. But…she did all that for something, right?"

"But if she had just listened to us and stayed out of it, this all could have been avoided!" Rapunzel looks towards Cass. "And I feel like we could work things out, but she refuses to talk about it!" Rapunzel grits her teeth, drawing furiously.

"Um...sis?" Harmony points to the right page and the blonde looks at it.

"Wow..." She's staring at a picture of an angry Cass with a clawed hand and sharp teeth. "Ugh, I didn't mean to make her look that angry..." Pascal cringes a bit at it, Daisy landing on Harmony's head, holding some blueberries between her wings.

"Aww, Daisy. Thanks," Harmony smiles as she takes some into her palm, eating one.

"You two can't stay mad at each other forever..." Varian raises a brow towards Rapunzel. Pascal nods in agreement while Ruddiger chitters, nodding his head. "None of us had any idea how powerful that incantation would be..."

"He's right. We're best friends with her, Rapunzel. I don't condone what she did or also what she said to Adira and me, but maybe if we spoke to her...we could find out why she did it."

"You're right, guys. I gotta find a way to get her to talk to us," Rapunzel frowns a bit.

"Rapunzel!" Cass calls out, and she rips the paper out of the journal. "They're back."

Eugene and Max walk up to the group. "You'll never guess what yours truly spotted with his gorgeous, brown eyes!"

Max just huffs, looking away. The three glance to each other and eventually he leads them to...

* * *

Rapunzel gasps at the two caravans. Both of them had taken a lot of damage thanks to Hector and his badgers. "The caravans!"

"Yep, found it myself," Eugene brags to her, "Well, Max helped."

Max huffs at him again, this time angrily. Eugene clears his throat. "Max found it. But I was instrumental in that I did not get in the way."

"You guys, this is amazing!" Rapunzel hugs them both.

"Now we won't have to walk the rest of the way there!" Harmony smiles a little.

Together, they get the caravans out of the water and in place...but one half falls down. A wheel from the second falls clean off.

"Uh, allow me," Shorty walks up to a lantern and plants it back in place for the other half...which also falls onto the grass. "I believe my work here is done."

"Ugh," Harmony facepalms at him.

"How are we gonna get these two back together without Hook Foot?" Lance gestures to the split caravan.

"Not to mention we have to fix the other one..." Varian looks at his caravan.

"Don't worry, buddy. We'll figure something out," Eugene places a hand on Lance's shoulder. "It's just gonna take a little TLC and a lot of glue."

"And a whole bunch of parts..." Lance looks at two planks. "Hey, blueberry! Got something to help us out?"

"Umm, maybe, if I take a look in the other caravan," She steps up to the second caravan, peeking inside. Rapunzel stares at Cass and gets an idea.

"No problem! Cass, Harmi, and I are on the case. We'll go get supplies."

Cass narrows her eyes in annoyance at this, knowing fully well what Rapunzel is trying to do. She sighs in defeat.

"Sounds good to me." She walks off on her own, Harmony looking up from the door.

"Pascal, Daisy, um, you two stay here, okay?" Rapunzel smiles as he sits on her hand. Daisy flies off Harmony's shoulder. "We need a little one-on-one time with Cass."

He gives a thumbs up in understanding, Daisy chirping with a nod.

"I'll make a list..." Harmony walks away from the caravan to get some paper. "Vari, can you check your caravan for me? I have an invention that might just work to help get everything back together."

"Sure thing, Mona," He smiles sweetly. "You're talking about your Fixer-Upper, right?"

"Yes, exactly! Thank you," She kisses his cheek, grabbing her quiver and putting it over her shoulder.

* * *

"So, lately, I just can't seem to stop thinking about Attila's cupcakes," Rapunzel tries to make polite conversation as she runs after Cass. Harmony walks besides her sister. "It's like when you have a song stuck in your head. But it's a taste that's stuck in my head, isn't that funny? Anyway...what about you, Cass? Anything on your mind?"

"Piranhas," She states simply.

"Really? Oof, that's upsetting, maybe we should talk about that," Rapunzel steps forward, Cass pushing her back a bit.

"No." She holds up an apple and throws it into the water below. A bunch of piranhas tear the fruit apart, one of them even eating the core. "Really big piranhas."

"Eep!" Harmony steps back a bit in alarm.

"This place is called Westrabbit Woods. Okay, that's a little disingenuous," Rapunzel comments as they walk off.

"Yeah, it's supposed to be irony," Harmony explains to her sister. "No one overlooks the name until they notice all the danger."

Cass looks up at some trees crossing over the river. "We'll have to use these trees to get across."

Rapunzel grips a branch with her hair, swinging across with ease. Harmony steps back a bit and runs towards the lake. She does a handstand and then pushes herself to soar into the air. She lands on the other side, dusting her skirt off. Cass simply climbs the branch, her feet slipping. She still has trouble because of her hand.

"Cass! Uh, let me help you-"

"No!" She shakes her right hand. "I'm fine, girls. Really."

The two give a sad look as Harmony ties her sister's hair back into a braid. She continues to climb until she reaches the other side. The princesses offer their hands to help her, but she jumps off. She stares at the two sisters, who say nothing about it.

"Looks like there's a town just over this hill," Rapunzel is holding a map, walking down the path.

"Let's be sure before we climb it," Cass whistles with her fingers and Owl flies into view.

"Ah, Owl's here," Rapunzel notices that she took the time to bring him, when the two didn't with their pets. "You know, I kinda thought this could just be the three of us."

"Oh, right," Cass replies awkwardly. "He-he just wanted to stretch his wings, so..."

Owl flies off to go check it out.

* * *

"Oh wow," Rapunzel murmurs as they arrive at the town, which is pretty much deserted. "Looks like the black rocks pushed everyone out of this village."

Harmony hugs herself sadly and Rapunzel places a hand on her back for comfort. She looks up at the blonde, who offers a gentle smile. The young girl returns it, glad that her sister is here to help her through this...

"Nothing we can do now. She still can't control it."

Harmony flinches upon hearing this. Cass holds up a box with a skunk inside and she tosses it over her shoulder. "Come on, we've gotta look through all of this before the sun sets."

"Look at this, Cass!" Rapunzel calls out as she's inspecting a cart. "It's an apothecary cart! It's got all kinds of tonics and powders and-" She gasps at something. "Oh, wow, a snow potion!"

"Eugene would hate that," Harmony chuckles a bit.

"Girls, come on. None of this junk works," Cass dismisses it, but is surprised to see that it actually does work. Harmony laughs in awe as she spins around, the snow getting into her hair.

"I wonder if there's a recipe book for these! I'd love to do this myself," She searches the cart. Owl opens his eyes as he's covered in snow, shaking it off.

"Oh, touche. But we're not going to fix the caravans by freezing them." She takes a book from the cart that has the Saporian symbol on it. "Wand of Oblivium...hmm. Erases what you wish to forget."

"I wouldn't touch that thing then," Harmony shakes her head as Rapunzel stares at the wand with a red ruby on it.

"Ooh, a memory wand!" Rapunzel takes it into her hand. "I wonder if it works?"

Cass rolls her eyes as Rapunzel puts it back, then she has a look of interest again as she takes it like she did before. "Ooh, a memory wand! I wonder if it works?"

Then she does the same action again: puts it down and looks at it. This earns a look of concern from the duo. "Ooh, a memory wand." She smirks at the two, elbowing them. "Did I get you?"

"Punzel! I can't believe you did that," Harmony lightly punches her in the arm with a small pout. "You actually did get me!"

"Ha ha! Sister prank!" Rapunzel pokes her cheek.

"You are _such_ a jokester sometimes," Harmony slightly pushes her away, causing the blonde to laugh.

"Very funny," Cass snatches the wand from her, putting the wand and book back where they found them.

"Too bad there's not an 'open-up-to-your-best-friends-about-the-thing-you-guys-are-fighting-about' wand, huh?" Rapunzel murmurs to herself, hugging her arm. Only Harmony heard it as she steps forward a bit.

"What was that?" Cass looks up at them.

"Cass, we know you're mad at us. But we both did the right thing. We didn't have a choice," Rapunzel turns around to face her.

"Look, if you two feel that way, then it's fine. We're good," Cass looks away, "Come on, we should set up camp for the night."

Harmony sighs a bit. Getting Cass to talk was going to prove to be harder than they thought...which, in hindsight, they should've expected. She's not the one to talk about her feelings much.

* * *

Owl is sleeping on the cart that night Harmony looks up at the crescent moon, holding up her left hand against it. She looks between the moon and her hand, having a sad look on her face. She knew that she had to destroy the tree, but...

At what cost?

Not to mention, that interrogation from Cass was still hard to stomach. She sighs, a bang blowing out of her face. She could get why she reacted like that: her hand was hurt. But she had no right to accuse a teenage girl of being evil. She wasn't like Zhan Tiri! Not that she knew of, anyway...but she does know who she is: an intelligent, rational princess who had no choice but to use the incantation. And she didn't care what happened or what people would say, but she _will _try with every fiber in her being to use her powers for good.

Rapunzel tries to get comfortable with her hair as her pillow, but she opens up her eyes a few seconds later. "I can't sleep."

Cass opens her eyes, a book near her face. "Rapunzel, it's only been two minutes. Give it some time."

"Cass, I need to talk about what we all know is going on between us," Rapunzel sits up, glancing to Harmony. She nods and leaves to give them some time alone.

Cass opens her eyes again. "Raps, there's nothing to talk about. I never said I was upset."

Owl wakes up upon hearing them. "You don't have to."

"Oh yeah?" The lady-in-waiting challenges back. "What makes you so sure you know how I'm feeling?"

"Friends just...have a way of knowing," Rapunzel looks away. Owl looks between the two. Cass darts her eyes around, letting out a small sigh. The last thing she wanted to do regarding what happened is to talk about it. She can't face Harmony after her own words towards a vulnerable teenage girl.

"Raps, I said it's fine."

"And you keep saying that. But it's okay if you're mad at us. We're mad at you, too. We told you that we had it under control and you didn't listen. And then you yelled at my little sister. So if you're upset, then just tell me."

"And I told you I'm not upset-" Cass sits up, hitting her head against the shelf. "Ow!" The wand falls into her right hand.

"Please, Cass, I just want things to get better between us. We can't just push this aside and forget it, like it never happened! You got angry with Harmi for something that she decided to do on her own!" Rapunzel looks at her pleadingly.

"You know, I wish you _would_ just forget about the whole thing!"

Suddenly, the gem from the wand starts to glow. The wand is surrounded in pink and then there's a flash before it's dark.

* * *

Neither of them knew how long it had been before blonde hair pulls a chair forward. Cass wakes up to see that she's tied in the chair.

"What?" She looks at the blonde hair everywhere, struggling to get out.

"Who are you...and how did I get here?" Rapunzel demands while holding a frying pan tightly. Cass and Owl stare at her in shock.

"Answer me!" Rapunzel points her frying pan at them. "How did you get me out from my tower?"

"You really don't remember?" Cass cringes up at her.

"Was it magic? Did you do magic to me?" Rapunzel questions in defense, circling around her. "It has to be magic. I mean, Mother said people will try anything to steal my hair. I was just in the tower two seconds ago, and now I'm here, so magic is really the only possible explanation."

She lets out a gasp as she paces around. "Oh my gosh! Mother must be so worried, and Pascal too."

Owl turns to Cass. "Hey, don't give me that look, okay?" She whispers to the bird. "I didn't mean to erase her memory all the way back to the tower!"

Rapunzel, having heard this, points her frying pan again. "So, you did use some kind of magic on me, didn't you?"

"Uh..." Cass glances to the wand. She can't really tell her the truth; it'll crush her! "No, no, I didn't use magic on you. But the reason you don't remember leaving your tower was because...ruffians." Owl hoots in surprise. "Ruffians used magic on you."

"Ruffians?" Rapunzel recoils back in alarm. Owl tilts his head at Cass, who bites her lip nervously.

"Yep."

The blonde gasps sharply. "Mother told me to watch out for those! And quicksand, uh, snapping turtles, molten lava, poison ivy, puppets, guys on stilts, the plague, riptides, wooden shoes—ooh, pointy teeth." She gasps yet again, facing Cass. "Did those ruffians have pointy teeth?"

"Oh! They're the pointiest! An-and they were after your hair, of course, and so-so they put you under a sleeping spell so they could steal you from your tower. But you see, we...we rescued you from the thieves."

"Who's we?" Rapunzel looks around for someone just Harmony reappears.

"Guys, you've been taking forever, what-"

She sees the situation, glancing between her sister and Cass. "...Um...wow, didn't mean for the talk to go that far..."

"Is she a ruffian?!" Rapunzel points her frying pan at the girl, who holds up her hands in defense.

"What are you talking about, Punzie?"

"How do you know me?" The blonde demands to the young princess.

"Look, look, look, look, look, we're on your side!" Cass protests to Rapunzel before she could knock Harmony unconscious. "You have to get back home to your mom, right?"

"What?" Harmony murmurs in confusion, completely astounded as to what's happening.

"We can take you there, you just have to untie me first," Cass smiles anxiously, hoping this word work.

"How do I know I can trust you?" Rapunzel asks cautiously as she steps up to the woman.

"I promise. And when I make a promise, I never break it," Cass tells her seriously.

"Me neither. Promises mean a lot to me, too," Rapunzel looks away. "I never break them, ever." She releases Cass, offering her hand to the both of them. "I'm Rapunzel!"

"Cassandra," Cass shakes her hand.

"W-Wait, what is going on here? Rapunzel, it's me, Harmony," The girl gestures to herself.

"It's so nice to meet you both! But...I don't think we've met," Rapunzel tilts her head at her sister. She points her frying pan at them both. "You two try anything funny, and I will pan you." She spins the frying pan, hitting herself in the head with it. She catches it with the other hand, gesturing to the two that she's watching.

"Can I talk to you?" Harmony leads Cass aside. "Okay, so thank you for not being hostile to me, and as you can see, I'm perfectly calm..."

"Yes...and I'm glad that you are," Cass smiles nervously.

"Cool as a cucumber..." Harmony takes a deep breath and then starts freaking out. "But what the hair is going on?! Is my sister okay? What happened to her?" She points to Rapunzel furiously.

"Um...so here's the thing...I kinda...erased your sister's memory."

"WHAT?!"

"Shh!" Cass looks towards Rapunzel, who doesn't seem to be paying attention to them. "I'm sorry! The memory wand fell into my hand and I didn't even notice! So then she wouldn't stop trying to talk to me, and then I said I wish she'd forget, and then...she did! She only seems to remember being in the tower."

"Cass, this is a big problem," Harmony whispers to her in concern. "If she doesn't remember anything, how are we gonna continue to the Dark Kingdom? We have to tell her the truth."

"...Here's a second thing...I don't think we should tell her...at all," Cass glances at the blonde. Harmony takes a deep breath, rubbing her temples.

"Okay, did you drink Xavier's mood potion again?" She mutters at this. "Because that's crazy, Cass. Do you really think my sister deserves to be stuck like this?"

"I'm not saying to leave her like this forever. Of course we're gonna get her memory back. I just...don't think we should tell her how it happened, that's all. Or that you two are sisters. It might be too much for her to handle."

"So you basically wanna lie right to her face and ask me to do the same?" Harmony stares at her in disapproval. "Cass..." She sighs deeply. "That's not healthy."

"I knew you wouldn't understand-"

"Understand what?!" Harmony hisses at her. "You erased the mind of my sister! She doesn't even remember us! And hiding the truth from her isn't the right thing to do! Not only that, I have to pretend that we're not related? If you keep this up, she'll take it really hard."

"I know, I know," Cass groans, placing her hands on her shoulders. "I get it, just...let me tell her on my own, okay? I promise I'll do it."

"I hope so...because if you don't, I will."

* * *

They walk after Rapunzel and then the next morning, they check the apothecary cart. "Okay, there's gotta be something here that can fix her memory," Cass checks the shelves.

"There has to be a recipe for a potion to reverse the effects somewhere," Harmony murmurs as she checks the other side.

"So are you gonna take me home or what?" Rapunzel calls out to them.

"Uh, just a minute, packing a few things!" Cass yells back, Owl hooting in disapproval. He doesn't like this anymore than Harmony does. "Again, no, I'm not going to tell her what happened right now! It'd turn into this whole big discussion about our feelings, and I don't do touchy-feely."

Harmony gasps sharply at this, stepping back a bit. "Cass! It doesn't matter what you do, you can't avoid it forever! I can't believe you!"

Rapunzel holds a box of potions, holding one up. "Ugh, the thought of opening up makes me queasy, Harmi," Cass shudders a bit. Harmony blinks at the nickname, which she hasn't used for the past few days. Behind them, Rapunzel turns her hair rainbow.

"Even so...you mind-manipulated my sister," Harmony narrows her eyes in defense.

"Right...so sorry about that, by the way," And she really meant it. The two sisters are very close and she didn't mean to break that up by having Harmony lie about who she really is. "Now, both of you help me do this!"

Harmony grunts in defeat. Rapunzel gets another head.

"Ah!" Cass notices something as Rapunzel then grows in size. "Here," She smiles at the little blue book that came with the wand. Owl hoots in surprise at Rapunzel and by the time Harmony turns around, Rapunzel has turned herself back to normal. She shrugs it off and turns back around to Cass, who's opened up the book.

"Hmm...the wand of oblivium can be reversed with a simple potion as follows..." She flips through pages...but there's a lot of ingredients listed. "I might have called it simple if it had 52 fewer ingredients, but hey, to each his own."

"They need to remind themselves of what simple means," Harmony rolls her eyes.

"Trust me, collecting them while we 'lead her home' is our best bet," Cass whispers as they stare at Rapunzel carefully putting the box down. "I'll undo the spell, and she never has to know. And remember, you can't tell her you're her sister."

"Sure, more lying to my big sister," Harmony says sarcastically as she places her hands on her hips. "That's ideal to our problem."

Owl flies after her and Harmony lags behind.

* * *

Rapunzel hesitantly lifts her foot above the grass. She's standing on the small stone wall that leads into the woods. Cass looks over her shoulder as Harmony stares at the woman. Then she remembers that her sister had never stepped outside the tower until she met Eugene, so this was almost the exact same thing for her.

"It's just...I've never walked on grass before..."

Cass stares at the ground. "Well, I'm sure you'll do great," She waves her forward impatiently. They need to find those ingredients, and fast.

"Cass, be a little more understanding," Harmony whispers to her friend, stepping towards Rapunzel. She offers her hand and the blonde suddenly felt this...feeling that she and this girl had a stronger bond...she takes the brunette's hand and with her help, Rapunzel touches the grass on her feet. She wiggles her toes, beaming as she picks up her skirt.

"Come on," Cass pulls her forward.

"Wait!" She lets go immediately. "There's no lava around here, right?"

"No, you're good. Lava-free," Cass smiles in amusement.

"Doesn't even exist in these woods, anyway," Harmony waves it off. "You'd have to get deep between the Earth's core and the mantle."

"Wow! You're pretty smart," Rapunzel smiles at her.

"Now, come on, let's keep moving," Cass grabs her hand, pulling them away.

"Do you read books? I love books! You must read a lot of them to have that level of intelligence!" Rapunzel starts talking Harmony's ear off, not that she minded. She deals with that on a daily basis almost.

"I read a lot," Harmony smiles weakly. She can't mention the fact that Rapunzel would read books with her, though...

* * *

Cass looks at what seems to be a carrot from the book, plucking one. Then she has to grab weeds, Rapunzel letting out a scream.

"Rapunzel!" Cass takes out her sword and rushes over. She cuts away a shrub, only to see that Rapunzel is pointing to a bunny.

"It's so cute!"

Cass puts away her sword with a deadpan look on her face. "Look, look!" Rapunzel wraps an arm around Harmony to bring her closer, pointing at the bunny. A small smile escapes from the girl.

Cass then plucks some plants with yellow leaves.

"Look at this! Oh my gosh, look at this one!" Rapunzel is admiring all the trees. "Oh! Look at this one!" She's about to touch some leaves.

"Whoa!" Cass grips her wrist, stopping her. "Poison ivy."

Cass climbs a tree, reaching out to a bird's nest.

"This is so fun!" Rapunzel exclaims, alerting the bird. It pecks at Cass, causing her to fall out of the tree.

"Told you to wait until the bird left..." Harmony sighs slowly at the lady-in-waiting.

Cass looks up from the book, taking some flowers. "Woo-hoo!" Rapunzel shouts as Harmony is drawing nearby. Rapunzel is swinging around a tree with her hair, just like when she was exploring with Eugene. "Best day ever!"

Cass smiles softly. She didn't think she'd ever see Rapunzel like this...

"What's that you're drawing?" Rapunzel stops swinging for a second to look over Harmony's shoulder. She quickly snaps the book shut as she was drawing her melancholy look towards her memory-erased sister.

"Stuff."

Rapunzel suddenly appears from a tree in front of Cass and Harmony, startling them. "Whoa! What's that?"

"Oh! It's, uh...i-I-it's a cookbook! We're making soup." Both Harmony and Owl give her a look. "A really super special soup." She pushes away Owl, giving Harmony a look to keep quiet.

Rapunzel gasps at the explanation. "I love soup, too! Mother always makes it for my birthday," She lands in front of the two. "Oh! We need to get you this special spice Mother uses, it's called minne. It has this bright, blue flower and it's so good!"

"No, no, no, that'd be too much trouble," Cass gets onto her feet. "We don't want our soup to hold you up from getting back to your tower. You do wanna get back as soon as possible, don't you?"

"Of course I do!" She smiles at the two, grabbing Harmony and running off in the other direction. Owl flies up to Cass, who slices part of a tree to get sap from it. She collects it with her dagger and places it into a small bottle.

"Oh, don't give me that look," Cass glares at Owl. "We did it, didn't we? That's the last of the ingredients. Raps! Harmi! Let's get going...Rapunzel? Harmony? Oh, no. Where did she go now? And with Harmony too?"

Harmony frowns up to Rapunzel as she's climbing a mountain to get some minne.

"I really think you should get down from there!" Harmony calls out to her.

"I know, but I have to get it! I suddenly have a strong feeling to tell you this, but I wanna get it for you both!"

"That's sweet, Rapunzel, really, but-"

"I almost got it..." She reaches out her hand and grabs it. "Got it! Cassandra will be so surprised!"

A goat suddenly chews the flowers off from the stems, chewing on them. "Hey! That's my minne!"

Harmony sighs, a hand on her forehead. The goat's eyes widen, looking to the minne then Rapunzel. He doesn't seem to care as he keeps eating it. Rapunzel groans at him and then slips a bit. Harmony gasps in alarm, sighing in relief when her sister doesn't fall.

"Rapunzel! Please, just forget the minne and come down."

"But I can do this, Harmony!" She looks towards the goat, glaring at him. "Bad goat!" She looks around and sees more minne to her left. Harmony follows her gaze, her heart dropping.

"Oh no...Rapunzel, don't."

She smiles and climbs towards it slowly. She loses her footing for a second, but continues scooching over to the left. The goat notices where she's headed and jumps above her, sliding down to the minne. He looks to the flowers.

"No! Aah! No..." She warns him as he's about to eat it. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no! No, you're not a bad goat, are you? No, no, you're a good goat! You're a good goat, and you're gonna let me have the minne, so Cassandra and Harmony can make a good soup."

Harmony frowns a little as she's still unsure about allowing her to believe all of this...

The goat eats the minne anyway, and she groans in frustration.

"Raps? Raps!" She notices Harmony looking up at something. "Harmi, where's your sister?"

She points upwards at the blonde. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me..." Cass slowly shakes her head. "Why didn't you stop her?!"

"I tried! She insisted on it! I even offered to get it myself so she wouldn't have to do it!" Harmony protests, gesturing to the mountain.

"Give me my minne!" Rapunzel snatches the other end with her hair, and it becomes a tug of war between the two. The goat climbs around her, pulling. She pulls him off the platform, sending both of them flying. Rapunzel lets out a scream as she falls until a hand grabs her arm just above the grass.

"Let's get out of here, shall we?"

"Shoo!" Harmony gestures for the goat to leave, snatching the minne from his mouth. His eyes widen at her and then he makes a break for it. "You naughty little goat..."

* * *

"I'm so sorry," Rapunzel grips the minne in her hands as they're walking down the path. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble. The minne was right there, and I just really wanted you both to have it since...you've been doing so much for me."

"It's not a big deal, Raps, really," Cass looks over her shoulder.

"Honestly, I'm just glad you're safe," Harmony hugs her sister.

"No, girls. Saving my life is a big deal. Thank you so much. Not just for this, but...for everything. I am so lucky to have people like you that I can trust. I don't know what I'd do here without you."

Harmony stiffens a bit since they're still keeping her from the truth, and she still thinks that Rapunzel deserves to know. Cass glances at the girl, Owl hooting. "...Okay, well...that's enough for one day, don't you think? We'll head north to the tower in the morning."

"Mm," The princess narrows her eyes in annoyance. "Cass, when are you going to tell her? You can't really expect to keep up this charade until her memory is fixed. We can't go back to the caravan with her like this!"

"Shh," She shushes the young girl. "Tonight, okay?"

"You better. I'm tired of having my sister not remember me..."

* * *

Cass throws the minne in the potion that night. It has to sit for 24 hours or else it won't fix Rapunzel's memory. The blonde walks up to the two, having gotten firewood.

"Hey, soup smells good!" She tosses the sticks in a pile. Cass reads the book, Rapunzel leaning against her arm. She plays with her fingers impatiently.

"It needs to simmer overnight, remember?" Cass closes the book. "We can taste-test it in the morning, and then we'll head to the tower."

"Sure. I just...maybe a small part of me doesn't wanna go back to the tower."

Harmony says nothing as she stares at Cass expectantly.

"Oh, wow, it feels good to get that out," Rapunzel sighs in relief now that she's said it. "The world is just such an amazing place, and...I don't know if I'm ready to give it up. I feel so bad saying this because my mother only wants what's best for me, and the world is kinda dangerous, but...isn't that what makes it exciting? And I feel so close with you, Harmi," Rapunzel turns to the princess across from them. "It's like we're...sisters."

Harmony coughs a bit awkwardly.

"Why are you telling me this?" Cass turns to the blonde.

"Because we're friends," Rapunzel smiles at her. "That's...what friends do, right? They tell each other what's in their hearts."

Cass looks away with a frown. If she hadn't wished to never talk about what happened, Rapunzel wouldn't be like this right now...

"Well, goodnight," She stands up, taking a hold of Harmony's hand. "Come on, we can have a little sleepover!"

Harmony smiles weakly, following after Rapunzel. Cass looks up at Owl, who simply turns away. She then looks to the teenage girl, who has sagged shoulders over the whole thing. She knew that Harmony was hurting because of their situation, but...she also knew that eventually, they'll have to talk things out. Like friends do...

"...Raps?"

Rapunzel glances over her shoulder. "Goodnight..."

Harmony sighs slowly at this, walking off with her sister. Cass looks to the fire as Rapunzel places her hair down. She spreads it out so that Harmony can sleep with her. They both lay down and look at the stars.

"Oh, wow! The stars are so bright tonight! Do you know any constellations?"

"Sure, that's the Little Dipper right there," Harmony points up at the stars, drawing the constellation with her finger.

"I have got to chart these!" She pulls out a certain piece of paper...and then realizes something. "...Wait..." She sits up slowly, confusing Harmony. "So, if the North Star is there..."

She gasps sharply. "We're going the wrong way!"

"Oh no," Harmony pinches her nose in disbelief. She knew this was going to come back to bite at them; did Cass really think that Rapunzel wouldn't notice the stars?! Then she sees the picture she drew of Cass earlier, whipping around to Harmony.

"Did you know about this?"

"Um, Cass? I just wanna say that I was right!" Harmony backs up a bit as Rapunzel storms up to her. They back up all the way over to Cass.

"You two aren't taking me back to the tower, are you?" She demands to Cass.

"What are you talking about?" She feigns innocence.

"You said we were heading north, but we're not," Rapunzel glares at her. "I chart stars, I know."

Cass chuckles nervously at her. "Rapunzel, look. I can explain."

"And why don't I remember drawing this?" Rapunzel holds up the drawing she made of Cass. She then snatches the book from her 'friend.' "You guys did use some kind of magic on me, didn't you?"

"Not me!" Harmony gestures to herself.

"No, no, Raps, that was the ruffians! We saved you from them, remember?" Cass gestures to herself.

"Cass, this is getting out of hand. We have to tell her the truth!" Harmony insists to her.

"No!" Cass hisses at the girl.

"Maybe you did, but only because you wanted my hair for yourselves. And what is she talking about?" She points to Harmony, who glares up at the handmaiden.

"Cass erased your memory and made me lie about who I was. I'm not her partner, I'm your sister."

"Harmi!" Cass yells at her.

"Liar! And to think, I risked my life getting you that spice. Mother was right about everything!" Rapunzel swings her hair at them.

* * *

Owl hoots in front of the two, who are tied up upside down. "Okay, okay, so I shouldn't have lied to her! And I shouldn't have made you lie to her either," She looks towards Harmony, who says nothing. She cuts them free, turning to the princess. "Harmi...I'm really sorry I made you do this. You were right, we should have told her. But I need your help."

"...You made me hide the truth when in reality, you just wanted to make this go away," Harmony closes her eyes, arms crossed. "Are you really that willing to not talk about things that you were gonna let her go around not knowing what really happened? My sister and I have never lied to each other. Ever...and now when she gets her memory back, she's gonna hate me for doing that!" Harmony covers her eyes, starting to cry.

"No, no," Cass tries to get her to stop crying. She hated seeing that from the girl, and she's already done it to her three times... "That's not true. She'd understand...Rapunzel loves you a lot, Harmi. She would never hate you. And I'm sure that when she's back to normal, she'll forgive you."

"This wouldn't even have happened if you had just TALKED to us!' Harmony whips around to her, a bit angry. "I wanted to tell her the truth! I wanted to avoid this!"

"i know, I know...but you're the only one who can find her so that we can fix this. Please help me. We've got to find her before she gets herself into trouble!"

She looks up at Cass, and by her look, she wants Rapunzel back just as much as she does. "Cass...I wouldn't even know where to look. This is her before the tower, and I don't know that Rapunzel..."

"Can't you use your senses? You're the moonstone, you can sense the sundrop! They're connected, and it should be possible."

"Maybe, but I've never tried it..." Harmony takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. Her hair starts to glow blue, which has never happened. She opens up her eyes and takes off towards the right.

Rapunzel pushes past leaves as she runs. "Everything's gonna be okay, I can find the tower myself. I'll be okay, as long as I don't run into any-"

She stumbles upon Shorty, Varian, Eugene, and Lance, screaming. She slides to a stop in front of them. "Ruffians!"

"Where?" Eugene asks in fear as Lance hugs him.

"Ruffians!"

"I think she means us," Varian whispers to them.

"I will not let you steal my hair!" Rapunzel grabs her hair, running off.

"...You could probably stop hugging me now," Eugene states to both Lance and Shorty.

"Something's wrong with Rapunzel," Varian glances behind them.

Rapunzel continues running while holding her hair.

"Blondie!"

"Princess!"

"Long-haired girl whose name I can't recall at the moment!"

"Rapunzel!"

She's hiding behind a tree as she glares at the four looking for her, gasping at something on Eugene's shoulder.

"Princess!"

"Rapunzel!"

"They have Pascal!" She doesn't seem to notice his look of worry on his face. "They are not gonna get away with this!"

"No time for details," Cass and Harmony run up to them. "We have to find Raps, she lost her memory, she thinks she never left the tower. We'll cover more ground if we split up."

They look to each other before splitting up. "Oh, boy, that's a lot to take in. I'm gonna need a moment."

"And for the record, it's Cass' fault!" Harmony tells him.

"Ha ha!" He laughs at her boastfully, the girl recoiling back a bit with wide eyes. "Yeah, nice one, Cass! ...No, strike that, that proud moment's not helping."

"Eugene! Focus!" Cass calls out.

"Right! We need to find her! But hey—this is fresh-out-of-the-tower Rapunzel, right? She's inexperienced. We've got the upper hand!"

Or so they think...

* * *

"Alright, Shorty," Lance stands to the tiny man. "Keep your eyes peeled."

Shorty looks around for her, only to get snatched by blonde hair from the tree above him.

"...Shorty?" Lance looks to see that he's no longer there. "Shorty?"

Leaves rustle, alarming him. "Shorty?" His voice is now high-pitched out of fear. The leaves from the tree continue to rustle and he whimpers, backing away. This was just as bad as spiders! His foot touches a trip wire. This sends a rock to another round one, which rolls down some logs that are cut up to make a ramp. It rolls to a domino-like pile of stones, and once they've all fallen, they go to a pile of sticks. The sticks hit a hammer with a cut stone tied to it, which cuts up a nest. The egg goes flying, hitting more stones and then a log. The log rolls down and cuts off another rope, sending a flying log towards Lance.

He screams as he runs away, but ends up getting trapped inside. "Oh...ow."

A spider web appears right behind him, with what looks like to be a large spider appearing... Lance turns around to see that it's just Rapunzel with claws, a headdress made of a skull and leaves, and mud on her face. The spider web was actually made out of her hair. She screams at him and he screams too. This goes on for at least a few seconds before she chases him away.

Lance babbles in fear in the log, running right past Eugene. "Lance?" He falls down, breaking the logs into pieces.

"And then, and then, it's, like, it just came out of nowhere, it was like a stealthy, jumping sp-p-p-pider ghost!" He stammers, hiding behind his friend.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down, what happened?" He asks in concern, and Lance grips his collar.

"Shorty! She took him! She took him...!"

"Lance, he's right over there," He jerks a thumb to Shorty, who's leaning against a tree.

"Yoo-hoo! Hey, fellas. Quick question: how good are you at untying knots?" He's tied to the tree, shocking both of them. They both gasp, their feet getting tied up by hair. They end up dangling in the air.

"Upside down, we're upside down." Rapunzel slides onto the ground from the tree. "Okay, Rapunzel, maybe I should have given you a little more credit. I mean, this is an awesome trap, but you can stand down."

"I can't now...especially with your ruffian friends!" She pulls down another part of hair, Varian, Harmony, and their pets landing near the tree tied up.

"So...she's as smart as I am..." Harmony smacks her lips. "That's something I never expected from her getting her memory erased."

"She probably got it from you!" Eugene accuses her.

"Eh, if she did, I'm impressed," Varian shrugs a bit. Rapunzel holds up a clawed arm, smiling widely. They all cringe...and then the piranhas arrive in the water. Harmony opens her mouth in shock. Lance babbles in fear.

"Let Pascal go, or I will drop you!" Rapunzel threatens them. "And then your little friends can be next!"

"Oh...shoot," Harmony closes her eyes. She forgot Rapunzel left Pascal with them.

"Look, Sunshine, Pascal's just fine, but he's not with us, he's actually looking for you-"

"No! I don't believe you! Mother said everyone is a liar and a thief out here...and she was right!"

"Rapunzel!" Cass calls out as she runs up to the blonde. The two are dangerously close to the piranhas.

"You! You lied to me, too, along with her!" Rapunzel points to Harmony. "Don't try to deny it!"

"Is it possible for this conversation to happen when we're on the ground?" Eugene shouts to them.

"If I get out of this, I promise I will never eat another fish as long as I live!" Lance pleads with his life. "Except for tuna. And salmon—aah! Okay, just tuna!"

"Alright, alright! Yes, yes...you're right, Rapunzel, we did lie."

"I would never lie. I was forced," Harmony points out to her.

"And...I did force Harmony into it. I did use magic on you, and this potion will bring back your memories," Cass holds up the bottle.

"Memories...?"

"I erased some of your memories. I didn't mean to, I...Look, I'm not big on talking about feelings, and I didn't wanna tell you or Harmony how mad I really was about what happened at the tree. And I guess I was so angry that I took it out on Harmi. So, I...I kept it all in...until I lost my temper."

Harmony and Varian both stay silent.

"And how do I know you're not just lying again?" Rapunzel glares at her.

"...Friends...just have a way of knowing," Cass smiles a bit. Harmony grins up at the woman. Cass holds up the potion as Rapunzel stares at her softly. She slowly walks up to her, lifting up Lance and Eugene.

"Oh, thank goodness."

"So long, evil fishes!"

Rapunzel takes the potion, smiling...but the branch snaps and the two fall in anyway. Harmony and Varian both cringe, looking away.

"Tell my story!"

"Oof, ouch," Harmony winces at them.

"Probably should've set them free before you took the potion..." Varian murmurs quietly.

* * *

Fidella, Silver, and Max push the now repaired caravans back into place with help from Lance, Eugene, and Varian. Luckily, Harmony's Fixer-Upper helped them out…once she fixed it from almost beyond repair, of course. On a rock nearby, Rapunzel is back to normal, she and her sister finally talking to Cass.

"And I could have beaten the tree without the decay spell if you two had just trusted me. And I definitely wouldn't have lost my cool towards you, Harmi. So, that's why I'm still angry, girls. But still, I never should have even touched that wand, or ask your little sister to lie."

"It's okay, Cass. I get it," Rapunzel smiles softly. "And I'm not mad that you asked her to do that."

"But, girls...? I won't always be mad at you. I'll get over it...that's what friends do."

"I'm sorry for using that dumb spell and for lying..." Harmony hugs herself. "I know that these powers don't define who I am, but I need to learn how to control this better...my whole life..."

Rapunzel takes their hands and hugs them both. Harmony smiles into the hug, returning it. Together, the caravan is restored, Pascal pulling the lever and wiping off his forehead. Eugene and Lance's clothes are a bit tattered due to all the piranhas.

"Phew! See? I told you we'd get 'em back together."

"Yeah," Lance laughs a little. Rapunzel lets the two down, holding their hands.

"Harmi...you will always be my little sister. And I will never...forget that."

Harmony smiles and Rapunzel gives her a big hug. "Sister hug!"

"Punzie!" She giggles, feeling so glad that this whole memory ordeal is over...

Varian looks on with a small weak smile. They may have forgiven him, but Corona…not as much by the time they get back. His actions were his own to place blame on…he just has to find a way to make them all forget what happened. That was the only way he sees it now. If he could just create a way to spread it through Corona…then it could work.

And he'll do it on his own. Without telling anyone.


	45. Mirror Mirror

**Angel: Okay, I am getting way too many suggestions for a show that I'm done writing at this point. Seriously, every episode has been done. I do not need more ideas to go back and rewrite episodes for XD Please, do not leave me any ideas, and save it for the one-shot story. I'm sorry, but I'm not going back and changing an entire episode, because I have other things to write.**

It's a rainy day as the horses trudge through the path. Thunder booms as Rapunzel is drawing, her quill squeaking with each stroke. The caravan is leaking from all the rain, a rain drop landing on Pascal. He shakes his head at the second one.

Cass is balancing an apple on her sword. She glances towards Rapunzel in annoyance, throwing up the apple in the air. She cuts it up quickly into even slices. "Eight perfect slices. Ugh," She drops the apple, irritated by the squeaking. "Raps, do you mind?"

"What?" Rapunzel asks, oblivious to the squeaking.

Meanwhile, Varian and Harmony are in the second caravan, and they're getting leaks as well. Harmony puts a hand to her cheek in annoyance as Varian has caused another explosion behind her.

"Vari...do you have to do that now? We already have the answer to your father's amber," She glances over her shoulder while hammering something together.

He flinches at her voice, giving her an annoyed look at the noise. "And I thought I told you that I prefer my peace and quiet..."

Suddenly they hear whistling, and the girls do too. Pascal covers his ears in annoyance as Rapunzel sighs at the sound. Varian places his face into his desk with a groan.

Lance is whistling on top of his bed, but the megaphone is on, meaning the other caravan can hear them. Eugene is looking at himself in the mirror, Shorty bathing himself with the rain water. Rapunzel opens up the first part of the door, both girls looking annoyed with him.

"Lance, please." She glares at him.

"Yes, please, the song is awful," Eugene replies while plucking at his eyebrows.

"And we thought we made this clear: turn off the megaphone if you're gonna whistle!" Harmony shouts from the megaphone, piercing Lance's ears.

"Speaking of awful, I see you're looking at yourself again, pretty boy," Cass smiles teasingly and Rapunzel sighs slowly.

"Well, it beats looking at you," Eugene retorts back. "Besides, without proper brow maintenance, the smolder cannot work to full effect."

"Not again with that..." Harmony pinches her nose.

"If the effect you're going for is to make me nauseous, I'd say it's working perfectly," Cass steps into the caravan, Rapunzel storming off towards the desk. Harmony and Varian step into the boys' part in annoyance.

"Well, it wasn't what I was going for, but since you are nauseated, let's call it a happy accident."

Lance continues whistling, Rapunzel looking up at him and groaning, covering her eyes. Varian mixes more chemicals together and it almost hits Harmony's quiver on her back.

"Hey! Watch where you do that!" She warns him.

"This is delicate work, Mona," He glares at her.

"Ooh, this is delicate work," The girl mocks him.

"Like yours is more important! What are you even building now anyway?"

"I'll show you a happy accident," Cass retorts and hits Eugene. "Oops, my bad." Pascal covers his ears with Rapunzel's hair. Daisy and Ruddiger hide underneath the table in irritation.

"See that? Even the frog, badger, and goose can't stand your whistling anymore," Eugene retorts to Lance.

"Oh yeah? And what do they know about music?" Lance looks at them. "They don't even have ears."

They all squeak in frustration, glaring up at him. Rapunzel looks up at Lance and continues to draw.

"And you with the scratching," Cass grits her teeth at her. "What could you possibly be drawing in that journal now?"

Rapunzel looks down to a picture of all of them fighting. "Well, I would try to explain it, but you clearly know nothing about art," She argues back to her friend, realizing what she just said. "Ugh, okay, that was mean. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, look. I know our little ticks are getting on each other's nerves, because we are all stuck in here together. But on the bright side, we're all in here together. So, let's just have some fun with it."

Lance starts whistling again and she slams a fist on the table. "Lance, if you do not stop whistling, I will throttle you!"

"Wow," Harmony blinks at her. "But Vari's one to talk with all of his explosions almost destroying my things!"

"Hey!" He points at his girlfriend. "Says the one who loudly uses her tools! Like your work is anymore important than mine!"

She gasps sharply, clenching her fists. "You take that back!"

The others wince at their argument.

Suddenly, a tree falls in front of the horses, causing them to neigh in alarm. The caravan tilts a bit as a wheel is stuck in the mud. Rapunzel looks at the wheels, a cloak over her head. She steps back inside to inform the others.

"Well, it's official. We are stuck."

"I guess we'll just have to wait out the storm in here," Cass mutters as Rapunzel looks outside. She sees a house up ahead.

"Or maybe not..."

Cass sees the same house. "Raps, I know what you're thinking, but that place creeps me out."

"Hang on, I wanna have a look," Eugene pushes past her.

"Ugh, could you be any more annoying?" She growls at him.

"Hmm, let me see," He plucks a hair from her head.

"Ow!"

"Ha ha! Would you look at that? I can be," He retorts to her and Cass crosses her arms.

"Look, Raps, I can see where this is going. You're going to say something like that shell house looks like a warm, dry place. And then I say, let's not rush into anything. We should be careful-" She looks up in shock to see that everyone is gone. She sighs towards outside. "And they're gone."

A bunch of rain water falls over her.

She reluctantly follows them outside, where Rapunzel uses the doorknob to knock. Harmony looks up at her sister.

"We should turn around. There's something evil hidden in that house."

"What?" Rapunzel asks in alarm. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah...I'm sure," Harmony stares at the door.

"But we don't have anywhere else to go, Harmi...We're wet, cold, and we're out of food."

"Oh, honestly, would you just for once ignore it?" Eugene rolls his eyes.

"No, I can't, because it doesn't work like that," She argues back, glaring up at the man. "Are you sure this is the only option-"

The door opens and Rapunzel waves at the man. "Hello! We are so sorry to bother you, but our caravan got stuck in the mud."

The man slowly opens the door further. "A carriage stuck in the mud, is a carriage that's quite a dud," He speaks in a French accent.

"Um...okay," Varian blinks at the rhyme. They glance to each other weirdly.

"It's a rhyme," He chuckles as they don't seem to have gotten it. "Look how wet all of you are. Do you suppose that's because of the rain?"

"Uh, could we come in?" Rapunzel smiles nervously.

"Of course, of course. My name is Matthews, and you are all welcome," He gestures for them to come inside. "Except the horses. They shed too much and leave 'oof prints in the carpeting. Oui? It's the stable for you!"

"I'm sorry, Silver," Harmony pets his mane. "I promise I'll check up on you after dinner."

He neighs, nuzzling her before following after Max and Fidella. The others step inside as Matthews glances around before closing and locking the door. They look around at the shell-inspired house, a fire already crackling nearby.

"Wow! This place is amazing," Rapunzel looks around in awe.

"It is, yes, but so are pockets," He walks past her. "You can put anything in one, so long as it's smaller than the pocket itself. You know, I like to put my hands in mine."

"Cass is right on the creepy part, though..." Harmony murmurs as she glances around the room. She suddenly gets the bad feeling again, looking towards the stairs. "Um, while this is nice and all, I can still sense the evil here..."

"Ah, there is nothing evil here," Matthews pats her back. "I'm sure it's just the rain."

"Right, okay. So, this place is made entirely of shells?" Rapunzel asks curiously as they walk up the stairs.

"I see you've noticed. Let me guess. You must be the genius of the group, oui?"

"Heh heh, no," Varian gives a deadpan look.

"And as one of the geniuses, I'm 100 percent certain that there's evil here," Harmony places her hands on her hips.

"Indeed, a large shell house in the middle of the forest doesn't seem to belong, but then again, neither do you," He gestures to the two sisters. "And yet, here you are. There are refreshments in the lounge and rooms enough for all of you."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Matthews. And, don't worry, you won't even know that we're-"

"Shorty, put those down!" Eugene snatches a ball ornament. Lance giggles as he juggles them. "I said, put those down!"

"No, you said Shorty, put those down," Lance points out.

"You are ridiculous," Eugene snatches them back.

"Stop scolding him," Cass crosses her arms.

"Thank you, Cassandra," Lance grins at her.

"Stay out of this, Lance," Cass looks away, Eugene groaning.

"Really?" Harmony rubs a temple.

"Yeah, we're not people who tend to stay out of sight," Varian looks up at Mr. Matthews.

"Um..." Rapunzel chuckles awkwardly, hoping to change the subject. "Mr. Matthews, it's so beautiful here. What is this place?"

"It's called...The House of Yesterday's Tomorrow," He gestures to the hall and Harmony flinches, staring at the mirror up ahead. That feeling is definitely coming from that mirror...

"Yesterday's Tomorrow...So, then, today?" Rapunzel smiles a bit.

"I never use one word where two will do, right, correct?"

"Sure...I guess."

Matthews chuckles at the blonde. "Oh, you're just milking it now. Here are the guest bedrooms. Please, enjoy your stay...however long that may be," He walks past them down the hall. Harmony turns around to everyone.

"Guys, whatever you do, don't look in that mirror," Harmony warns them. "Something's not right about it."

"What do you mean? Like something could happen?" Cass asks her and she nods.

"I don't know what exactly, but just don't look into it."

"If you say so," Rapunzel smiles slightly and walks off with Cass to share a room. And since Eugene, Lance, and Shorty, that leaves...

Varian and Harmony stand in front of the door, both of them feeling awkward. Not because they're sharing a room, they already had shared a shelter together. But because of that fight...they weren't sure how they would do this.

"Um...so should I just sleep outside or...?" Harmony rubs her arm, looking towards the ground.

"Why would you do that?" Varian blinks at her.

"Well...because you might be working again and since you prefer your solitude..."

"Oh...oh!" His eyes go wide as he remembers their fight, rubbing his neck. "Oh Mona, I am so sorry I said those awful things to you."

"And I'm sorry for what I said too," She looks up at him, a guilty look on her face. "I didn't mean it, I just...dealing with everyone's tendencies, including yours, has proven to be a bit...difficult lately. And I didn't mean to bug you with my inventing..."

"And I didn't mean to almost destroy your things," He frowns a little, perking up a bit. "Hey, how's this? I'll work on my things less and help you organize your stuff in a safe place. And then we can figure out a way to silence your tools."

"Really?" She smiles softly at him and he cups her cheeks.

"Really really," He pecks her lips. "Besides...this means I can teach you more about alchemy like you've always wanted!"

She giggles and he opens the door for her.

* * *

Eugene holds up a towel, watching Shorty eat a yam. "Here, Shorty, at least wipe your face," He tosses the towel on him.

"Not my style," He throws it off, eating the yam. Eugene wipes his face as across their door, Rapunzel is adjusting her hair.

"Something's not right," Cass states to Rapunzel.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, why is this huge place just sitting here, in the middle of nowhere? And that guy, or inn keeper, or whatever he is, just takes in, offers us food and a place to stay for the night, without asking for a single coin? I think Harmi's right on this, Raps."

Rapunzel turns around, unsure of all of this herself...

Harmony hums a bit as she brushes her ponytail, having washed up already. Varian is braiding her hair back to the way it was in the ponytail. "I didn't know you could do hair."

"I don't, but I watched you do it for months, so I'm just doing it from memory. It was just easy to figure out from there..." He suddenly has a worried look on his face and she drops the hairbrush, staring at him through the mirror. "That mirror in the hall...you're sure on that?"

"Mhm," She nods slowly. "I don't know what it is, but as long as we all stay away from it, we should be fine."

Shorty steps out into the hall, stepping up to the very same mirror that Harmony warned about. "Hello, handsome. Can you tell me where to find the dining hall?" He takes another bite of his yam, but drops it. He bends down to grab it, his reflection grinning evilly. Shorty looks up and eyes his reflection.

"Hey...don't I know you?" He eyes the mirror, the reflection's eyes glowing red and reaching out to him.

"I'm telling you, it just doesn't make sense," Cass insists to her friend.

"Look, Cass, I know this is weird, but you gotta admit, this isn't the weirdest thing we've seen on the road," She smiles a bit, the door knocking. She opens it up to see Eugene standing there with Varian and Harmony.

"What're you two waiting for? Dinner's ready."

Rapunzel grins towards Cass, who rolls her eyes. "Fine..."

* * *

All of them sit around the table, Lance eating some chicken. Rapunzel feeds Pascal some mashed potatoes from her plate as Varian offers Ruddiger and Daisy some bread. Harmony pokes Daisy's stomach and she chirps in laughter.

"Cone on, would you put that thing down?" Cass demands Eugene, who's looking at his reflection through a knife...

"And why would I? You never put your sword down or Harmi with her quiver."

"Don't bring me into this," Harmony warns him, pointing her fork at him. "And I don't always carry around my quiver, thank you very much," She takes a bite out of her ham. The chair next to Rapunzel is pushed back as Shorty sits down. He puts his napkin on his lap, and actually starts using silverware to eat! He wipes himself with the napkin, the teens looking at him in surprise. Rapunzel looks to the shocked three.

"Shorty, you're using a napkin instead of...nothing," Rapunzel points out.

"Oh, so I am, huh. Please, pass the bread," He states in a polite way, Cass giving it to him. "Thank you."

"Thank you?" Rapunzel murmurs to herself. Shorty's eyes widen as he looks at her, then at the yam in his hand.

"Uh...beard, yam!"

The others glance at each other, wondering just what is going on with him. Lance just continues eating his meat.

"Shorty, are you feeling okay?" Rapunzel asks in concern and he slowly turns his head to her. Pascal crawls onto her shoulder as she looks to Eugene. His eyes widen at her and then she gestures for him to go into the hall.

* * *

"Um, what do you mean exactly when you say something's wrong with Shorty?" Eugene wonders once they're away from everyone else.

"Didn't you see him at dinner?" Rapunzel whispers to her boyfriend. "Harmi might be right! Perfect posture, impeccable manners, his breath wasn't...stomach-churning. Something is off."

"He didn't even smell, Eugene. And he usually stinks, badly," Harmony gestures to the dining room. He just takes another bite out of his food.

"Whatever is going on, it's definitely weird," Varian rubs his chin. "He was fine before dinnertime...as fine as Shorty could be."

"You're all beginning to sound like Cass."

"We're serious," Rapunzel says in a pleading voice for him to listen. "Shorty isn't...right. It's almost like he was somebody else pretending to be Shorty."

"Maybe it's got to do with-"

"Wait, here he comes, quick!" Rapunzel interrupts Harmony. "Quick, in here," She pulls all three of them into the closet. Shorty appears in the hall, walking up to the mirror. They watch him from the closet. "What's he doing?"

"I don't know, it's Shorty," Eugene whispers to her.

"Well, Shorty doesn't do manners, and yet here we are," Harmony hisses, gesturing to the man.

"He probably thinks he made a new friend. Look, I'm not seeing anything out of the ordinary," Eugene eats again, and the three peek through the cracks.

"Hey, Shorty," Lance greets him as he approaches.

"Well, if it isn't my stalwart companion, Lance Wardington. You're looking extraordinarily dapper. Take a look for yourself," Shorty gestures to the mirror behind them.

"I literally wear the same thing every day, but thanks for noticing—aah!" Lance is pulled into the mirror by his own reflection, shocking all four of them. Then a fake Lance steps out.

"Wha...?" They stare at each other, baffled looks on their faces as the doors close in front of them. "We have to find out what these impostors, or doubles or whatever they are, want. But we have to be careful. Wait, why didn't you sense it, Harmi?"

"I can only sense the mirror, and not the doubles," Harmony frowns slightly. "That's why I didn't notice the Fake Shorty at dinner."

"Huh...the mirror copies...seem to have a different sense that you can't detect," Varian theorizes, causing them to stare at him. "Maybe because their physical body make-up are different than regular people. Only the mirror is evil, right?"

"So I guess you can't sense what's fake..." Rapunzel hums a bit. "And now because of that fact, we have to be extra careful."

"Careful, got it," Eugene mutters, pushing the doors open. "Alright, half-pint," He rolls up his sleeves, but Shorty grabs him. "Wha...? Aah!" Shorty spins him around above his head, throwing him into the wall.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel exclaims at him.

"Okay," Varian chuckles nervously. "So not only can't they be sensed by Mona, but they have super strength too..."

"He must be working out," Eugene says weakly.

"You are messing with the wrong people!" Rapunzel threatens as they get out of the closet. "Cause if you think we're scared of a couple of living reflections with crazy strength, well, think again!" She looks up at the chandelier and undoes her hair. "Harmi."

She looks up at the chandelier above them and pulls out her bow and arrow. Rapunzel grabs it with her hair and pulls it down. Varian gives Harmony a pink orb, attaching it to her arrow. She fires it and traps them in goop. The four smile at each other.

* * *

Later, they bring the doubles to the dining room, having tied them up as well just in case. "Okay, so explain this to me again?" Cass asks the four. "Lance and Shorty aren't Lance and Shorty?"

"Look, I don't get it either, but that is not Shorty," Eugene points at him. "I mean, this Shorty knocked me down. I once saw the real Shorty lose a fight...to a trout...on dry land."

"So, where are the real Lance and Shorty?" Cass rolls her eyes.

"I'm not sure. But, somehow, I think they're trapped inside that mirror from the hallway. You know, the one that Harmi warned us about?" Rapunzel jerks a thumb behind her.

"Okay, this is just insane," She states plainly.

"It is insane! Don't believe her, Cassandra. I'm the real Shorty," Fake Shorty insists to them.

"Okay, okay. Shorty knowing who Cassandra is, is fishy, but him knowing who he is? There is definitely something to this imposter thing," Eugene crosses his arms.

"That mirror's scientific properties make it so that you're switched with an imposter," Varian narrows his eyes. "If this continues to happen, the real Shorty and Lance could be trapped in that mirror forever."

"Of course, the question becomes if they're not really them, how do we know the rest of us are who we say we are?" Rapunzel wonders, looking at everyone else suspiciously.

"Any one of us could have looked that mirror at any time," Harmony frowns a bit. "And what's worse, if there is another imposter among us, I can't sense them!"

They all stare at each other, as thunder crashes. Rapunzel paces in front of the others. "Okay, if we're gonna get our real friends back, we have to know how to trust. So, I have to conduct some tests to prove there are no more imposters."

"Hold on, you're going to conduct the tests?" Cass points at her. "Well, you could be a mirror person too."

"Ugh, you're right. How do you wanna test me?" She smiles at them, but Harmony wasn't sure by that smile that her sister has even looked at that mirror. Eugene slides a cold plate of turkey, peas, and mashed potatoes to her.

"The real Rapunzel can find the art in even the dullest situations. Turn it into something beautiful," Eugene challenges her.

"Okay, okay. Alright, let's see..." She rubs her chin, grinning when she thinks of something. Food flies everywhere, the others blocking it off. Pascal catches some with his tongue and Rapunzel has used up all the food to make Corona., Pete the Guard, Monty, Old Lady Crowley, and Harmony. "And...voila!"

"Wow," Varian chuckles as he and Harmony clap.

"A diorama of Corona. I am impressed," Eugene smiles slightly.

"Ooh, look! It's a little me!" Harmony points to the tiny little self that has blueberry eyes and made out of cheese.

"But any respectable artist would be able to create a completely edible replica-" Rapunzel simply holds up a finger and squishes the Monty model. "Aah! Uncle Monty!"

"Yeah, that's her," Cass cringes a bit as she still doesn't like him.

"Now who's next?" She grits her teeth at them.

* * *

Pascal pumps up his fists, ready. "Okay, Pascal, show me the colors of the Corona flag," Rapunzel asks him. He turns purple with the sun and moon symbol on his belly. "Good. Now how about the color of a bimberry?" He turns a bright pink.

"Ooh! Now do the color that Lance turned when he got poisoned by that spider bite," Eugene grins a bit and Pascal turns a sickly green with spots.

"You know, I'm not even the real Lance, but that's messed up," Fake Lance comments at this.

"You shut up!" Harmony points at him from the table.

"Alright, rapid fire. Old Lady Crowley." He turns exactly into the woman. "Ulf!" Then he turns into Ulf. "Ulf's favorite color!" Pascal turns invisible. "My favorite color!" He turns into all the colors. "That's right! Because all of them are equally amazing in their own way."

Pascal drops onto the table in exhaustion and she picks him up. "He's the real Pascal! Next text."

* * *

Rapunzel paces in front of Eugene. "Okay, Eugene, just a couple of questions."

"Fire away, blondie."

"First, what is Maximus' favorite food?" She questions him.

"Apples."

"What is Pete the Guard's middle name?"

"The! Also, Stan's middle name."

"Correct," She eyes him, hiding something behind her back. "Now, which of these posters is an accurate representation of the real Eugene Fitzherbert, aka Flynn Rider?" She asked Varian and Harmony to draw the posters.

"Ooh..." He stares at both of them closely. "Trick question! No artist can accurately capture all of this."

Harmony rolls her eyes at this.

"That's Eugene!" Rapunzel smiles brightly.

"Harmi, you're up!"

* * *

Harmony is handed her bow and arrow, with a few targets set up about 200 feet away from her. "Okay Brownie, the real you would know how to get five bullseyes towards these targets...all at the same time."

"Pfft. That's it?" She waves it off. "I can do that no problem." She looks up at the ceiling and the table, and then at the floors. She thinks about what to do and nods to them, signaling for them to move away from the targets. She puts five arrows on the bow at the same time, pulling back slowly. She points upwards towards the ceiling and fires.

Suddenly, all of the arrows ricochet around the room, causing everyone to duck. They hit the table, then the wall, and then hit each target at the same time.

"Ha!" Varian stares up at her, impressed. She simply looks at her fingers.

"Was there ever any doubt in the best archer of Corona?"

"That's her," Rapunzel smiles, hands on her hips. "The real Harmony is smart enough to calibrate the right angles."

"Vari, your turn," Harmony turns to him.

* * *

Just like with Rapunzel and Eugene, he has to be asked questions by Harmony.

"Okay...the real Varian would know this," The girl holds up a finger. "When's my birthday?"

"October 8th."

"What's my favorite past-time?"

"Oh, trick question," Varian crosses his arms. "You don't have one because you have a lot of interests."

"Okay..." Harmony rubs her chin. "Then when was our official first date?"

"When I took you stargazing on Tirapi Island, duh," He scoffs a bit.

"Yep, it's him," Harmony smiles in relief.

* * *

Daisy stands in front of Varian. "The real Daisy can fly through anything. So I built this little obstacle course to test you."

"And Ruddiger, he has to get this apple from Pascal without him noticing," Harmony gestures to the chameleon who holds up the apple.

She glares at all the food in front of her. "Ready...get set...go!"

The little duckling flaps her wings, flying through hoops, swinging meat, a wall of mashed potatoes, and getting peas shot at her by Harmony who uses a spoon. Ruddiger chases after Pascal on the ground. Soon, Daisy reaches the end triumphantly, panting in exhaustion.

Pascal is no longer holding the apple as he looks up to see that Ruddiger has somehow snatched it away without him looking.

"Next test!"

* * *

The fake Lance frowns deeply as the fakes look on. "Now, I was going to write in my journal to see if the noise bothered you, but I must have left it in the caravan. However, I did find this apple," Rapunzel throws it up into her hand. "So, Cass, chop this into eight perfect slices," She hands Cass the apple.

"Now?"

"Yes, right now," Rapunzel tells her. Harmony and Varian glance to each other. Cass wouldn't turn down a challenge like that...

"Well, I'm...I-I could break something."

"You got room," Rapunzel gestures to the spacious dining room.

"Did you see this rug? It'll make a mess."

"Cass!" Rapunzel exclaims at her stalling.

"Alright, alright, alright. Alright," She pulls out her sword, the four staring at her. She throws it up into the air...and then turns around to free the Lance and Shorty doubles! She turns around, her eyes now red.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go with not Cass," Eugene states as they step forward. Rapunzel grabs the chair and puts it in front of them, running off with the others. The fakes chase after them, running down the hall. Rapunzel looks over her shoulder to see them on their tail.

"What do we do?!" Harmony exclaims in a panic. They end up in the living room and hide in the corner. The doubles run past without a clue, and then they run up the stairs, hiding back in the closet, panting.

"Okay, we're back in the armoire again," Eugene states out of breath.

"That was close..."

"Are you okay? Where's the chameleon and duckling?" He asks, shocking all three of them.

"Wait...did you just call Pascal a chameleon? And Daisy a duckling?" Eugene never calls them that ever.

"Wait!" He steps forward, her journal landing in front of them.

"So there's my journal!" She gasps as Harmony and Varian step away from him in horror. "That's how you know our secrets!" She steps out of the armoire with the duo, backing up.

"No! I was just holding the journal," He explains as he comes out into the hall. "You dropped it, and, uh..."

"No, she left that in the caravan; you went back and stole it!" Varian points to him.

"Do the smolder," Rapunzel demands 'Eugene.'

"Uh..." He scratches his cheek. "Ay!" He points to them with a big smile.

"Y-You're not Eugene!" The blonde stammers in disbelief.

"You were a double the whole time?!" Harmony screeches at him.

"Okay, but you gotta admit, I had this Eugene guy down pretty well, right?" Fake Eugene chuckles as they stare at him, beyond shocked. "I mean, I was way better than the other doubles." He coughs into his fist. "Shorty."

"But how? When?"

"Oh, Rapunzel, Eugene was the first of you to gaze into our mirror..." _The others stepped into their rooms while the real Eugene stepped up to the mirror. "Oh, come on, you can't be surprised." He admired himself a little._

"_Ah, looks like a little hair out of place-" Fake Eugene grabbed him and pulled him into the mirror. Fake Eugene stepped out, adjusting his collar and his hair._

Their mouths are open, remembering something. "But Shorty threw you..."

"Well, I had to keep up appearances until we could get you into the mirror."

"That's why you kept trying to dismiss the fake Shorty!" Varian gasps in realization as the other fakes show up.

"What have you done with our friends?" Rapunzel grits her teeth at them.

Fake Eugene simply growls as his eyes turn red. They all step forward towards them.

"Oh, this is not good..." Harmony murmurs under her breath.

* * *

The real four are in a world parallel to their own, but everything is grey. Lance, Cass, and Eugene all yell as they rush to the mirror, trying to barge through. However, they are unsuccessful as they fall onto the ground.

"I said we shouldn't come to this place, but did anyone listen? No," Cass says knowingly to them.

"No, we did not," Eugene gets onto his feet, dusting himself off. "But in our defense, we never listen to you!"

"You know what, Fitzherbjerk, I've had about enough of your-"

"Guys, guys!" Lance steps between them, pushing them away. "Is all this bickering solving anything? I mean, we've been doing nothing but getting on each other's nerves for the last three weeks. And look where it's gotten us."

"I really hate admitting this," Eugene looks away, "But Lance is...right. This isn't helping. If we've got any chance of getting out of here, it's got to be together."

Lance crosses his arms proudly at the recognition. "Exactly. So, let's see if we can find a less painful way to get out of here? Come on, Shorty."

He runs after them.

* * *

"What are you?!" Rapunzel questions the fakes, backing away in front of the teens. "Stay behind me, you two."

"Rapunzel, Harmony, Varian, don't run from us," Fake Eugene states creepily.

"It's so much better this way..." Fake Cass continues.

"No annoying qualities," Fake Lance smirks a little.

"No bickering..." Fake Shorty finishes, Harmony giving a look of horror towards them.

"We share the same mind," They all say in unison. "It's bliss."

"We want our friends back! They're not perfect, but that makes them who they are!" Harmony shouts to the group.

"Guys, run!" Rapunzel tells everyone and all the pets scatter. However, she pushed the duo right into...

A fake Varian and a fake Harmony grab the two from behind. "Rapunzel!" Varian cries out as they're dragged into the mirror. The fake Harmony snatches the real one's quiver.

"Let us go!" Harmony screams as they both disappear and are replaced.

"No! Varian! Harmi!" Rapunzel turns around as Pascal, Daisy, and Ruddiger hide underneath a table. She's pushed towards the mirror, where a fake her appears in the reflection, grabbing onto her from behind. Rapunzel is sent into the mirror, but the two Rapunzels push everyone back as they're back in the hall. They wrestle each other until one of them is pushed back inside. The Rapunzel inside slams against the mirror, Fake Eugene looking up as one of the Rapunzels stands up. He's not sure which one it is until she turns around with an evil smirk.

He smirks back as she narrows her eyes.

* * *

It's still raining as all of the doubles have taken over... "With no one left to oppose us, we will remain free forever," Fake Eugene explains to his comrades.

"What of the lizard, goose, and raccoon?" Fake Cass asks him.

"Leave them to me," Fake Rapunzel states, searching around the hall. "Here, lizard, goose, raccoon. Where are you? Come out and show yourself."

Pascal comes out of hiding from the wall, Ruddiger and Daisy opening up a door from the room they were hiding in. They step towards Fake Rapunzel, who turns around and smiles.

"Pascal? Ruddiger? Daisy?"

They stare at her skeptically, about to run. "Guys, it's me!" Rapunzel gestures to herself, smiling. They beam at her, jumping up and down happily. "I knew you three would know it was the real me!" She holds out her hands and they jump on.

"Come on, we have to figure out how to free our friends," She places Ruddiger around her neck and Daisy on her head.

The fake Rapunzel is actually in the mirror world, slamming against the mirror. "They got you too, huh?"

She turns around to the others as they walk up to her. "Remember when we weren't all trapped inside a mirror? That was great," Eugene comments as they sit in a circle in front of the mirror.

Shorty spins an orb on his finger.

"Ugh," Varian lays himself down on the floor. "This is just great. If we stay in here any longer, we might never get out!"

"Yeah, this really is the pits," Fake Rapunzel states with her fist to her cheek. Eugene and Harmony glance to each other.

"Did you just say the pits?" He asks in confusion.

"Whoa, you don't think anything is the pits," Cass narrows her eyes and Harmony's eyes widen. "You even call cherry pits fruit rocks."

"Wait...guys, get away from her. Now!" The teenage girl pulls up Eugene and Varian urgently.

"What? Why?" Lance looks up at her.

"No, no, no. I-I meant this is not the pits," Fake Rapunzel chuckles nervously, smiling nervously.

"Harmi can sense evil here." Cass' eyes widen as she looks between the girl and the fake Rapunzel. "She can sense evil in here! So in here...she knows who's who!"

"You are not Rapunzel!" Eugene accuses the fake.

"Yeah! What are you?" Lance demands, hands on his hips.

She slowly smiles evilly. "I could tell you. But it would probably be better to show you," Her eyes suddenly turn red. Her fingernails turn into claws and she twitches her neck. They yelp in fear of her.

"Exactly how is showing us better than telling us?" Lance asks in terror. Fake Rapunzel growls as she runs up to them.

Rapunzel looks around the hall to find it empty, stepping up to the mirror. "My reflection's gone. I wonder if the guys figured out it's not me."

Lance cries out as Fake Rapunzel crawls up the wall, holding onto his leg. "It's definitely not her! It's definitely not her!"

"Brownie, attack her with your black rocks!" Eugene points up at the fake. Harmony looks at her hands, hesitant. She knows it's not really her, but...it still looks like her big sister. And if she did it to her, then...

"Oh, come on! No, no!" Fake Rapunzel lands on the ground with Lance, throwing him into Cass. Eugene cringes towards her, turning to Harmony.

"I know you don't wanna hurt her, but it's not really Rapunzel. Varian, got anything to stop her?"

Varian pats himself, eyes widening. "...Um..."

"Your double took 'em, didn't he?" Eugene deadpans to the boy, who drops his head in slight shame.

"Yeah..."

"I-I can't do it!" Harmony stammers, Eugene grabbing her and Varian. They all run off from the fake.

"Now..." Rapunzel rubs her chin as she stares at the mirror with the three pets. "How did this mirror work?"

"RAPUNZEL!" Eugene slams against the mirror. "If you can hear us, help! There's a really freak you in here!"

Her back is turned, though, so she can't hear them. They slam against the mirror. "I got it! If we can get those doubles to touch the mirror, it'll give our friends a chance to switch back." She looks to the floor, smirking. "How much do you think this mirror weighs?"

"This way, fellow mirror monsters!" She beckons them into the dining room. "I have located the repugnant lizard, goose, and raccoon," The three sit in front of her, and all of their eyes turn red. They run forward towards them.

"Let's go," She whispers to the three and they 'run away' from her. "Come on, you mongrels! You won't get away from us this time!" She joins the group in pretending to chase them.

"You know..." Eugene touches the wall. "I've had girlfriends get pretty upset with me before...but a mirror demon girlfriend...that's a new one."

The fake Rapunzel steps up to the group, snarling at them with sharp teeth. "Oh, we're not going down without a fight!" Cass runs up to her, but she pushes the woman backwards. She tosses the sword away. "A...very short, one-sided fight."

"Come on, guys, we're not gonna beat this thing going toe-to-toe," Lance gestures to the mirror double. "We gotta play to our strengths."

"He's right. We have to work together," Harmony speaks up and Eugene smiles as he gets an idea. He cracks his knuckles, running up to the fake. He slides to a stop and pulls off the smolder. "Well hey there, beautiful."

She stares at him in confusion as he wiggles his eyebrows. She actually falls for it as she gives a dazed look.

"Shorty, go!" He muffles out, stepping backwards. Shorty throws the orbs, and she slips on them. She wobbles backwards as Lance opens the doors to the armoire. She falls inside as Varian sees a rope and the orbs. He bends down to them and quickly works on them.

Lance hears a whistle, turning around to Varian. "Duck!"

He throws the makeshift bolo and it wraps around the double, trapping her inside. Cass runs up to the doors after Lance closes them, sticking her sword there. Harmony waves her arms to create a cage for the double, who struggles inside

"Ah, well, now that the scary, evil version of my girlfriend is down for the count, what do you think the real deal's up to?" Eugene asks everyone.

* * *

The three animals run down the hall, Rapunzel taking the lead. She looks over her shoulder to make sure she hasn't lost them, standing on the rug. Pascal, Ruddiger, and Daisy join Rapunzel again. She smirks, looking towards the fakes.

"Come on. Get 'em," Fake Lance narrows his eyes and Fake Cass notices that she didn't capture them.

"Wait a second. Why aren't you-" She gasps in realization. "They're all real. Quick! Get 'em into that mirror."

They all step forward towards her, but see that the mirror is no longer on the wall.

"Hey! Where is the mirror?" Fake Eugene searches for it with his eyes.

"Mirror..." Rapunzel rubs her chin. "What mirror?"

He growls at her as they step forward. "Tell us now," Fake Varian holds up some orbs from Varian's equipment.

"Or else," Fake Harmony points the arrows at Rapunzel.

"Oh, 'the mirror.' Good question. Let me think. Where did I see it last?" She looks at their glares. "Now I remember. It's right here!" She removes the rug they're standing on to reveal the mirror. The real group stares at the feet of their dopplegangers, glancing to each other.

They take their feet and try to pull them back.

"They're too strong!" Lance grits his teeth.

"Man, you are heavy!" Eugene comments to his double.

"We've gotta get them off balance," Rapunzel tells the three animals. The three gesture to her hair and she smirks. She releases her hair and runs up to them. She holds one end, while the duckling, chameleon, and raccoon hold the other end. They trip the doubles.

"Now!" Eugene orders and they pull, eventually pushing the doubles back into the mirror.

"Get in there, you handsome devil!" Lance pushes his double's head. They all climb out of the mirror as themselves again.

"Ah!" Rapunzel runs up to them in relief. She hugs Eugene and then her sister. "We did it!" All of them hug except for Cass.

"You know, I never thought I'd see a mirror I didn't like looking at," Eugene smiles a bit. Daisy and Ruddiger reunite with their owners.

"Oh, it's so good to see you again, Daisy," Harmony pokes her belly and she wiggles around while chirping happily. Varian smiles as Ruddiger sits on his shoulders.

"Great to see you, buddy."

"Is it too late to trade Eugene back for the evil version?" Cass couldn't help but ask. Eugene pulls her forward in the reunion and she looks away with a small smile.

They look at all the doubles besides the Rapunzel one, who's still trapped in the armoire. Eugene and Lance turn the mirror around, running away from it. Thankfully, this way, they won't ever have to look at it again.

The two run down the stairs. "Well, I don't know about all of you, but I'd take a night in that rainy caravan over one in this inn any day," Eugene gestures to outside.

"I'm with you, Fitzherbert," Cass agrees for a change as they rush for the door.

"Let's get out of here!"

"Must you leave so soon?"

They turn around to Matthews tending to the fire. "Or did you meet the people in the mirror? I should have warned you about them. Oh well! Live and learn! Or just live."

"Wait...you knew about that mirror the whole time?!" Harmony shouts at the man, stepping forward a bit. "Why didn't you say anything?! You said there was no evil in the house, so why should we trust anything you say now?"

"Ah, mademoiselle, I deeply apologize. The good news is you are welcome to stay as long as you like. You might even grow to enjoy it..."

"Enjoy it? Uh, no thank you!" Rapunzel turns around. "We'll take our chances...in the rain," However, outside is a downpour, and they won't survive a second in that... Thunder crashes and Cass frowns at this.

"I'll take first watch?"

* * *

After they're all set up for bed in the living room, Rapunzel is drawing again, the quill squeaking. After what happened, they weren't taking any chances sleeping in those rooms. Varian has his arm around Harmony's waist as her cheek is on a pillow, both of their eyes closed. Cass looks away from the fire and Rapunzel looks up at her.

"Oh, right. Quill. Sorry."

"Actually, go ahead. What's a little scratching noise among friends?"

"Thanks," Rapunzel closes the door. "But I can write about the mirror later. Something tells me I will remember it...and also that," A smile escapes from her as she looks to the young couple.

She adjusts her pillow and rests her cheek on it.

Nearby, Shorty is snoring as both Lance and Eugene are still awake. Eugene turns around in annoyance, Shorty putting an arm over him. He smacks it away.

"Anyone else having trouble sleeping?" Eugene calls out, the teens sitting up.

"Yep."

"You know what always makes me feel better..." Lance starts whistling, sitting up. Eugene presses his back to the pillow, whistling along with him. The two teens stare at them, and then Cass joins in too. Harmony and Varian continue the whistling along with them. Rapunzel smiles as she sits up, and soon, they all whistle together. They may be stuck in the rain for now...

But at least they have each other.

Meanwhile, outside, that same tree in front of the caravans...has an axe at the stump.

Meaning it was deliberately cut...


	46. You're Kidding Me

**Angel: I really can't answer the moonstone question because it's a spoiler. All I can say is wait until Lost and Found, which won't be released until Wednesday I believe.**__

_Lance: Previously on Tangled..._

_The tree fell in front of the horses. _

"_We are stuck. Or maybe not..."_

_Up ahead was the House of Yesterday's Tomorrow. "Raps, I know what you're thinking. But that place creeps me out," Cass stated, but Rapunzel knocked anyway._

"_Mr. Matthews, what is this place?" Rapunzel asked as they looked around._

"_It's called the House of Yesterday's Tomorrow."_

"_Um, while all this is nice and all, I can still sense the evil in here..." Harmony stated while looking around._

"_The good news is you are welcome to stay as long as you like."_

"_Something's not right," Cass said to Rapunzel. "Why is this huge place just sitting here in the middle of nowhere? And that guy, or innkeeper, or whatever he is, just takes us in, offers us food and a place to stay for the night without asking for a single coin? I think Harmi's right on this, Raps."_

"_Look, Cass, I know this is weird, but you gotta admit, this isn't the weirdest thing we've seen on the road."_

_In the middle of the road, the axe sat on the trunk of the tree that 'fell' in front of their caravans._

A rooster crows as it's finally stopped raining, and the skies are clear. The rooster eats a worm and sunlight shines down on everyone in the living room. Rapunzel sits up with a yawn, stretching her arms. "Good morning, Pascal!"

He opens up his eyes as he was invisible, turning green and throwing the blanket off him. He stretches his back, his arms, and then his tongue.

"You know, aside from the fact that we were nearly replaced by evil doppelgangers last night, the House of Yesterday's Tomorrow offers a pretty good night's sleep!" Rapunzel says to everyone as they're walking towards the door.

"Well, it's certainly the coziest seashell-shaped inn I've ever slept in," Eugene comments with a smile.

"I've stayed at a cozier one," Shorty adds in. "No, wait...that was a seashell shaped like an inn. Five stars."

"But now we can finally leave! This place is full of evil stuff," Harmony shudders a bit, but Rapunzel stops them from moving further.

"Uh, wait a minute...the door."

All they're looking at is a wall, with no door. "It was right here yesterday!" Cass gestures to the wall in confusion.

"Now, everyone relax! There's a solution to every problem," He stares at the wall, touching it and knocking for a secret trigger or something like that to open up a door. He laughs nervously when he doesn't find one. Then he starts crying and slamming on the door. "It's no use! We're trapped! It's all over!"

The two couples glance to each other nervously. "Okay...what's for breakfast?" Lance asks normally.

"Not funny, Lance. We need to get out of here and continue on our trip," Varian rolls his eyes.

"Oh wait! Use the black rocks to make an entrance," Cass suggests to Harmony.

"But that'd be breaking the wall...I don't wanna have to pay for damages!"

"Damages or not, we need to leave," Eugene points towards outside. Harmony reluctantly sighs, blowing a bang out of her face.

"Get behind me."

They do so and she slowly waves her hands, creating a black rock from the ground...but it breaks once it touches the wall. "What?"

"T-That's impossible!" Varian gestures to the black rock. "Aren't the black rocks powerful enough?"

"How could that not work...?"

"Try again," Cass tells her and she tries multiple rocks at the same time, only to end up with the same result. She tries again and again, but nothing. Harmony pants in exhaustion, falling onto her knees a couple minutes later as her arms are tired.

"These walls must be impenetrable..." Varian pinches his nose. "Even to the black rocks, apparently."

"No problem, we'll just find another door," Rapunzel smiles nervously. They walk down the hall. "Come on, guys! There's gotta be another way out of here." She opens a grey shell door...and ends up in the hall again somehow. "Except in this case."

"Somehow, all of the exits are either gone or nonexistent..." Harmony stares at the doors.

"That can't be," Cass steps up to the door in the middle, only to be slightly sucked inside. They all gasp, Rapunzel running up to her.

"Cass!"

She manages to get back into the hall, closing the door and panting. That was the last thing she expected. "That's not an exit."

Eugene walks up to a blue door, glancing back at the others. He mentally prepares himself as he opens the door. Inside are cages, food...and three wolves. They lift up their ears and see him, snarling.

"Dog, dog, dog, dog!" Rapunzel pulls the door closed with her hair. "A dog kennel. And why not, right?"

"Just how much danger is in this place?" Varian asks, looking around in disbelief.

"Thanks a lot for the warning, Brownie!"

"Sorry, but with all the stuff in here, it's getting hard to pinpoint what is what!" Harmony retorts back to Eugene, hands on her hips.

"Well, at least we can take that door off the list," Rapunzel grabs all of her hair.

"Hey! I found the way out!" Shorty calls out, waving a hand. Rapunzel ties up her hair as they look to each other skeptically. Shorty can be full of surprises at times, but other times, he's either not helpful or eating. They follow him, but none of them notice the blue door tilting slightly open...

Lance's mouth opens at the room. "Whoa!"

Inside is toys everywhere made for a kid: stuffed animals, kites, figurines, and more. Rapunzel smiles as she takes a look around.

"Shorty, this isn't a way out!" Cass stares at the man jumping on a trampoline.

"Well, not with that attitude, it's not," He replies while bouncing.

"Well, look, the adults would like to find a..." She then notices that everyone else is gone. She sighs to see them running off to explore. "Oh great..."

Eugene takes a ping pong paddle.

"Hello!" He turns to a pink teddy bear being held by Rapunzel doing a deep bear voice. "My name is Eugene Fitzher...bear...rawr."

"Wow, yeah, your teddy bear voice could use some work. Not to mention your pun skills, Blondie."

"Oh yeah?" She turns to Harmony and Varian examining the shelf. "Hello there!" The two turn around to her. "My name is Harbear...rawr!"

She lightly hits Harmony with it, causing her to laugh. "Wooow...so no Varbear, then? You gotta have the package deal."

"Heh..." Varian blushes a bit at the nickname, taking hold of a Rubik's cube.

"Okay, fine, fine," She drops the bear. "But isn't this crazy?! Whoever all this belongs to is one lucky kid."

"One lucky spoiled kid," Eugene eyes the bear.

"Kinda weird we haven't seen this kid, though..." Harmony glances around. She didn't see any other rooms around...

"Oh, guys, there's nothing wrong with indulging a kid every now and then. Maybe they're just shy!"

"Ah, ah, ah, now that's a slippery slope," Eugene places his hands on his hips. "Kids need boundaries. You gotta let 'em know who's boss."

"Ooh! Gotta let dem know who's boss," Rapunzel uses a bear arm to touch an indifferent Eugene's cheek. "Grr! And he's gone."

"He's just being a sourpuss," Harmony smirks a little as she joins her sister's side.

Lance and Shorty are playing with toy swords, Cass walking up to them.

"Okay, playtime's over."

"Aw, come on, Cass! Lighten up. When do we ever get the chance to play with amazing toy swords like this?" He grins, pointing the toy sword at her.

"You do realize we have actual swords, right?" She raises a brow.

"Yeah, but, uh, since these are just toys..." He uses the sword to spin around the tiny boat Shorty's sitting in from the pool. He gives a thumbs up once he's stopped spinning. "They don't hurt."

"Yee-aw!" In one swift motion, Cass kicks Lance onto the ground and now has the sword, chuckling. "Sure about that?"

"Okay, sword time's over..." He admits slowly. A small door slides open and a top is suddenly placed onto the top shelf...

"Now, come on, enough messing around," Cass tosses the sword away. "We've gotta find an exit-" She sees the top and gasps sharply. "No way!" For once there's excitement in her voice. "I used to have a top just like this! I love these things!" She climbs up the shelf to reach it.

"Uhh, Cassandra..." Lance chuckles a bit. He didn't think she'd like anything. "You like tops?"

"Got a problem with that?" She asks defensively.

"No, by all means. Spin away," He says quickly in fear of what she might do. She lands on the floor and the two join her. She presses the top and it spins around.

"Look at it go!" She laughs as it powers up.

"Does this seem weird to anybody else?" Shorty wonders as the top glows yellow. Varian, who was the closest, runs over to them.

"What's going on?"

They all shout as the light flashes.

"Well, we'd better keep looking for a way out of here," Rapunzel steps up to Eugene and Harmony.

Laughter is suddenly heard as they look up to see people running out of the room. Eugene and Rapunzel follow after them. A tug is felt at Harmony's pants, and she looks down, gasping sharply at the sight.

* * *

The couple run into the hall, where the sound is coming from the dining. They look up ahead to see eggs behind thrown, and they finally figure out what's going on...

"Are those...?" Eugene starts off, absolutely dumbfounded.

"Our friends?" Rapunzel finishes for him as Lance, Cass, and Shorty have all been turned into kids, but Shorty is a baby.

"You can't catch me!" Cass runs away from Lance and they crash onto the table, laughing. She throws an egg at him, Pascal blinking in shock. He rubs his eyes to make sure he's not dreaming. Cass throws flour at Lance.

"Ehh..." Eugene has no words as Rapunzel feels a tug on her dress. She looks down to see the baby Shorty, picking him up. An egg lands on Eugene's cheek.

"Tag! You're it, Fitzherjerk!" Cass points at them.

"Yep, definitely them," Eugene wipes off his cheek.

"And that's not all."

They turn around to Harmony, who gestures to a little boy walking inside. He has a head of dark hair, which is so big and puffy with a little strand of blue. His goggles are still over his head, and his clothes are smaller.

"Aww," Rapunzel coos at him. There's no mistake; this is definitely Varian. He seems to mind his own business as he simply walks up to a chair and takes a seat, kicking his legs back and forth. He has such an emo look that Harmony almost didn't recognize him when she laid eyes on his kid self at first hand. Rapunzel picks up the baby Shorty.

"Okay...so I'm confused," Harmony holds up one finger from each hand as she steps further into the room. "How did this happen?"

Cass simply jumps onto the top of a chair. "Best. Playtime. Ever!"

Lance makes a little statue out of kitchen utensils and silverware. Varian seems to be coloring something as Cass sits nearby in boredom. Ruddiger is looking over Varian's shoulder. He looks like a goth in a baby's body.

"Okay, okay. Something in this house has turned you all into children," Eugene paces around. "So if we're going to turn you back, we're gonna need answers."

"Na-na-na," Cass mocks him, walking off.

"Hey, you wanna play chase?" Lance asks the former thief.

"What?! Play chase? No! We need to know what happened! So...speak up," Eugene demands as Rapunzel steps up to him while holding Shorty.

"Uh, Eugene, maybe you'd better let me talk to them," She smiles gently. She hands Shorty to him and he burps in Eugene's face, to his disgust.

"Babies will be babies...or in this case, Shorty," Harmony pinches her nose.

"Hi Lance," Rapunzel sits in front of him. "So, I see you're making something very...tall. Doesn't that look fun?"

"Mm-mm," He shrugs with a small frown, wiping his nose and going back to what he's doing.

"So, Lance, sweetheart, uh, can you tell us how this happened?"

"How what happened?" He balances a cup on a plate.

"How...you were turned into kids," Rapunzel elaborates with a small smile.

"Who turned into kids?"

Pascal facepalms at this. "How you were turned into kids..."

He scratches the top of his head and then points to her head. "Why do you have a bird in your hair?"

"Oh, well, because I like birds-" She points to the decoration in her hair.

"What kind of birds are they?"

"Well, um, it's not really any kind of bird. It's more of a simple design."

"Why's your hair so long? I bet it's because you're really, really, old," Lance lays on his back, looking at her.

"Well, no, actually, it's-"

"Where do clouds go at night? What's your favorite song? What sound would zero make if it wasn't a number?" She hides her irritation at the ongoing questions. "What's for dinner?"

Cass squishes a whole cake with her ladle, throwing it into the air. Eugene steps up to her. "Cass, you need to come down from there right now, and tell me what's going on."

She glances around, shrugging. "Sure. I've been wanting to tell you something, anyway." She beckons him forward and he brings his ear over. She then flicks his ear. "Ear flick!" The girl laughs, running down the table.

"Well, it's nice to see that young Cassandra is even more pleasant than Cassandra Classic," Eugene retorts, Shorty burping into his face again. He looks over to Harmony, who calmly approaches Varian and sits next to him. He looks up at her and turns red, hiding his face with the paper. Despite the situation, he had to admit that the sight is pretty cute.

"What are you drawing, Varian?" She asks kindly and he holds it up for her to see.

"It's Ruddiger!"

"You drew Ruddiger, huh?" Harmony takes the picture into her hands. "...Wait, where'd you get this paper from?"

"I got it from an open book on the floor."

"What open book-" She turns to see her journal on the floor, opened up. "No, no, no, no, no!" She panics a little, seeing that some pages are already ripped out by Lance and Cass. A few pages she hadn't touched were also ripped away. "This is my journal!"

She eyes the pages in her hands, frowning deeply.

"I'm sorry," Varian says genuinely. "I didn't know it was your journal. You shouldn't have left it out..."

"I didn't, they must have taken it from the kid room," She pinches his nose and he looks away at her being distraught. "Didn't you read the cover?"

"I can't read yet. My dad says I won't learn until preschool."

She sighs, slouching her shoulders as she sits on the floor, hands on her knees. "Touche..."

"My favorite book is the Tales of Flynningan Rider! It has sword fights and cool pictures and stuff!" He suddenly frowns. "I'm sorry about your journal. I didn't know. But I can help you organize it!"

"That's okay," She pats the top of his head, causing him to giggle. He looks much different than he did before. It seems as if the teenage girl changed him in an instant. "Could you tell me how you got turned into kids, please?"

"Cassie pushed a button on something."

"Oh?" Harmony pulls him onto her lap, listening attentively. "Do you remember what it looked like?"

He bites his lip in thought, taking her book into his tiny little hands. He looks up at her, blinking. "Can I have a needle and thread?"

"Sure," Harmony digs into her bag to get some while he talks.

"It was green and had all sorts of colors on it," He speaks as she gives him the supplies. He slowly puts the thread through the hole.

"Okay, anything else?" Harmony stares at him while balancing him on her knee.

"It went whoosh!" He holds out his hands in exaggeration, the girl giggling. He starts organizing the pages in the journal. "So I went over to look, and it spun super fast, and then it glowed like Rapunzel's hair, and then suddenly you were bigger, and then I saw your pretty hair."

"Aww," She smiles down at him. In just seconds, he turned from goth into the sweetest little boy. He sews the pages back into the journal, holding out the closed book to her over his head.

"Here you go."

"Thank you, Varian. That's really helpful and sweet of you," She sets him down onto the floor standing up, getting onto her feet.

"Why don't crabs have eyebrows?" Rapunzel has her chin planted on the table as she listens to Lance.

"Because they have an exoskeleton," She answers for him.

"Do I have an exoskeleton?"

"No, you have an endoskeleton."

"Do fishes have a nose?"

"They do not have noses, but they do have nostrils. Now, can I ask you a few questions-"

"Woo-hoo!" Cass flies over their heads, knocking into Lance's statue.

"Hey!" Lance protests at her.

"Cassandra, that was not nice," Rapunzel places her hands on her hips. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I have to say I love the boom sound it made," She giggles, smiling. "Ten out of ten."

Both of them laugh as they run around her. "Hey!"

Both Eugene and Harmony cringe. "Kids, kids, kids, kids, kids!" Eugene hands the baby Shorty to Harmony. "The princess is not a maypole!"

Daisy chirps as she flies over to help and Harmony places Shorty down on the floor. He looks up at the cabinet to see a duckling toy. He coos at it.

Rapunzel is trying to get the two to calm down when Pascal and Daisy appear on her shoulders.

"Ooh, a lizard and a duck!" Cass points up at them.

"Oh! I wanna hold 'em! I wanna hold 'em!" Lance jumps up and down. Varian tugs at Harmony's pants and she looks down at him.

"Can I see Daisy?" He holds out his hands and she gladly flies onto his hair instead, causing him to giggle.

Pascal, however, isn't too keen on account of Lance's runny nose, and their dirty hands. He jumps onto Lance's head and lands on the floor, running off.

"Okay Lance! Be careful!" Rapunzel calls out, running after them. "He's not a squishy toy!"

"At least Varian is more mature!" Eugene gestures to the little boy. "And Lance always loved animals as a kid."

Pascal hides behind a table leg, and heavy footsteps approach him. He looks up in fear to see Lance reaching out his hand.

"A lizard..." He nuzzles Pascal's cheek and Daisy chirps at him in laughter, glad that she's not being tortured. "You're so cute, I wanna squish your face! I wanna squish your belly and your weird little lizard eyeballs! You're a little green baby, who's a little green baby? Who's a fancy little green baby? Yes you are, yes you are!"

"Little baby?" Rapunzel suddenly gasps as she remembers something. "Oh, wait, wait, where is baby Shorty?"

Harmony looks around to see him on top of the cabinet hugging the toy. He suddenly falls off, alarming them.

"No!"

He falls into the arms of Matthews, who chuckles. "Fancy this? I see someone has got into the nursery!"

"Varian told me that something that spins made them this way," Harmony gestures to the little boy, who's attempting to reach the top of the table for some reason. "Green with lots of colors."

"Ahh. The Ol' Top of Time," He says in realization. "Ohh, look at the baby! Zut alor, that is one ugly baby, oui? Now, now, now, now, would you look at this mess?"

"He did it!" Cass points at Lance.

"She did it!" He accuses back while pointing to her.

"He's lying!"

"She's lying!" They literally butt heads as they growl at each other.

"The older you are, the younger it makes you. Mm, this one must've been ancient," He holds up Shorty.

"Matthews, how do we turn our friends back, and get out of this place?!" Eugene demands him. "We want answers!"

"Well, is that what you want, or what you need?" Shorty pulls at his mustache. "Stop that. In many cases, they are two very separate things. Stop that. However, in this case, it's most likely the same thing. Will you stop that?! You have the mustache of your own!"

"Mr. Matthews, please," Rapunzel pleads with him. "Do you have any idea how to change our friends back?"

"Surely, it's a cinch. Simply find that top, and spin it in reverse."

"Okay, that seems...easy enough," She smiles a little.

"Of course, you only have one hour to do so, or they will remain kids forever."

"A whole hour?!" Harmony screeches at him. "Why didn't you tell us that earlier?"

"And why is that that there's only just one hour to reverse these things?!" Eugene holds up a finger.

"Or you could leave things as they are. You know what they say, you know, to be young again is...good." They watch Cass and Lance run around. "It's a poor saying, what do you want from me, oui? I'll leave you to it, then. Now, now, now, don't forget-"

"We know! One hour to corral these kids, well except for Varian, back into that nursery or they'll be like this forever."

"No, I was just going to say..." He hands Shorty to Eugene. "Somebody went poopsies." He walks off and Eugene groans in disgust.

"I'm not handling that one," Harmony waves a hand.

"You know, it kills me to agree with him, but you are an ugly baby," Eugene replies and the blonde suddenly gasps at her sister.

"I have the perfect idea! You can watch Varian!" Rapunzel suggests with a big smile.

"What?!" She exclaims in shock at her sister, recoiling back a bit. While he may be a little easier than the others, this was her boyfriend who's now a child...

"Think of this way, it'll give you practice for Angry and Red!"

"And he seems to like you anyway, so it's a win-win," Eugene shrugs a little. "Well, mostly because you're his girlfriend."

"What's a girlfriend?" Varian tilts his head and Harmony couldn't help but coo to herself a little. He looks so adorable.

"But this is an entirely different thing, you guys," Harmony gestures to the little boy.

"Please?" Rapunzel gives her a pleading look. "We're really counting on you."

"...Okay," She sighs in defeat. "Hopefully we can fix this sooner than later." She finally notices what he's doing and runs over to him. "Varian, what are you trying to do? You'll get yourself hurt."

Varian points to the flower centerpiece in the middle of the table. She raises a brow as she lifts him up to the flower and he takes it. He gets onto his feet and holds it out to her.

"I wanted to give you this flower."

She smiles softly, kissing his cheek as she takes it. The girl lifts him up and he places a hand on her shoulder. She starts dancing around with him, his legs swinging around. He giggles as they twirl around.

"Alright, let's get back to that nursery..." As Rapunzel is speaking, Lance and Cass sneak away. "Kids?" She narrows her eyes at them and undoes her hair, running after them.

"Ugh. No! Hey, get back here!" Eugene chases after her. Harmony looks up and holds Varian, running after the two.

* * *

Once they've caught up to the two, they have them in Rapunzel's hair. The blonde pants, holding a piece in her hands.

"Why do you have blue bangs?" Lance points at Harmony. "Are you a pirate? Do you have birds in your hair besides the duckling? Why is the sky blue? Why do you have that moon on your hand?"

Harmony sighs slowly at all the questions.

"Now, Lance, Cass, even though you're children, your voices matter," Rapunzel stands in front of them. "This is a discussion. So, whoever holds this gravy boat gets to talk, okay?" She holds up the gravy boat.

"Ugh! This is-"

"Oop, wait wait wait, wait wait-" Rapunzel interrupts Cass. "I have the gravy boat." Eugene just looks on in disbelief over the whole thing. Shorty is in his hands sleeping.

Harmony looks down at Varian, who's holding her hand and staying quiet. "Eugene, Harmony, and I only want to help turn you back to normal, but...we can't do that if you keep running off. So, I think from now on, we should stay together..."

Cass mocks Rapunzel from her spot. "Alone we are strong, together we are stronger."

Cass raises a hand and is given the gravy boat. She blows a raspberry at Rapunzel. Pascal jumps into the gravy boat and Lance takes it, blowing a raspberry at her. They wrestle for the gravy boat.

"Okay, okay. Ha ha ha, very funny. Now it's time to-" She cringes at the two yelling.

"My gravy boat! Can't talk without the gravy boat!" She crawls out of Rapunzel's hair. "Lance, over here!"

He tosses the gravy boat over Rapunzel's head with Pascal still in it. She catches it and throws it back to Lance.

"Okay, guys..." She tries to catch the gravy boat, but it whips over her head. "We've only got 30 minutes left-"

"Blondie, look, if we're gonna get this done, we should really think about being more firm. Trust me, kids respond to authority."

She fixes up her hair, glaring at him. "Uh, trust me, Eugene. Kids respond best when they feel like they're being heard. Give them the freedom to express themselves without talking down to them, and they might just surprise you. I mean, how do you think Harmony felt during the storm?"

"That was because I'm the princess who kept being treated like a kid, and not because I am one," She jerks a thumb to Cass and Lance still throwing around Pascal. The gravy boat breaks in front of Varian's feet, Pascal looking a bit dizzy. He's grabbed by Lance, the two adults glaring at them. Varian bends down and starts cleaning it up. Lance slowly points to Cass.

"Alright, you listen up!" Eugene hands Shorty over to Rapunzel. "Here's the plan, kids: we are all going to go into the nursery, find that top and turn you back to normal. We will _not _be running off. We will _not _be breaking things. And for the love of all things big and small, we will leave that poor frog alone."

Lance lets go of Pascal, Ruddiger and Daisy going over to check on him. "Is that clear? Are there any questions?"

"Can I go to the bathroom?" Lance raises a hand.

"Again?! Can't it wait?"

The boy shakes his head no.

"C'mon, Eugene, he's just a kid," Rapunzel smiles a bit.

Varian tugs at Harmony's pants, handing her a taped-up gravy boat. "Oh," She blinks in shock. For a kid, he's pretty handy and intelligent.

"Fine. I'll take Lance to the bathroom. Raps, Brownie, you take the others to the nursery. We'll be there in five. Let's go, Lancey!" He takes the boy's hand and they walk off. "You don't wanna be a kid forever. One-two, one-two."

"Do you have to go too?" Harmony bends down to Varian, who shakes his head.

"I don't need to go because I went all by myself."

"Aw," She claps for him. "How'd you get so mature, huh?"

"Because I'm very responsible," He grins, saying the last word by syllable, causing her to laugh.

"You know, Cass? Eugene shouldn't be so rigid with Lance. That's why I'm glad we approached our relationship with a...mutual respect, and built a solid rapport-" She pauses as Cass is no longer in the room. "And she's missing. Okay then, alright."

"Great," Harmony facepalms at this.

* * *

Eugene and Lance walk down the hall. "Now do you wanna play chase?"

"No, I don't want to play chase," He has an annoyed look on his face. "I thought you had to go to the bathroom."

"What's that?" Lance runs away from him.

"That's a sculpture," He explains as the boy joins his side and they start walking again.

"What's it do?"

"It doesn't do anything. It's art. It's for people to look at."

"What people?" Lance looks up at the man.

"Just people. Now, quit dillydallying."

He tugs at Eugene's arm. "Can I have a piggy back ride?"

"For the fourth time, no," Eugene facepalms, dragging the hand down his face.

"What's that?" He beams, pointing up ahead.

"That's another sculpture."

"What does it do?"

"It does the same—ugh!" Eugene clenches his fists. "Look, can we please stop with all these pointless questions?! Because you are killin' me here!" He looks to see that Lance is crying. "Oh, no, no, no, no. No, no, please don't cry! Please don't cry! I hate seeing kids cry. It's gonna make me cry, and I have a really ugly crying face. Hey, how about that piggyback ride?"

"Yay!" Lance bounces up and down happily. "Giddy up, giddy up!" He gets onto Eugene's back. "Giddy up, giddy up!"

Eugene reluctantly gets up and walks down the hall. "What's that?

"It's...another...sculpture."

"What's it do?"

* * *

Harmony, Varian, Rapunzel, and Shorty in her arms all walk down the pink hall. "Cass? Where are you?" She calls out, not noticing Shorty reaching for the duck toy. When he doesn't get it, he starts to cry. "Oh, shh, shh, shh, shh."

"Woo-hoo!" Cass skids past them on a piece of shell, landing on the table. The duck toy goes flying into Varian's hands.

"Okay, come on," Rapunzel walks off and Shorty starts crying again. "We're running out of time."

"He just wants this," Varian holds out the toy and Shorty takes it happily.

"Thank you," Rapunzel smiles at him gratefully.

"You can't touch the floor! It's made of lava!" Cass tells them. "You're burning!"

"Cassandra, we only have about 15 more-"

"You're burning!" She insists to them. Shorty cries out at the loud noise and Rapunzel shushes him. "Aww, I thought my voice mattered."

Rapunzel sighs in defeat as they walk past her, standing on a table. Harmony holds Varian into her arms.

"You wanna be an adult again, don't you, Cassie?" Varian turns to her. Shorty crawls out of Rapunzel's hands and onto the floor to play with his toy.

"Oh no, the baby's headed straight for the lava lake! Oh no!" Rapunzel is about to step down to go get him when Cass turns to her. "No, that's lava!" She glares at the girl as Harmony tries next. "Lava!"

"Ugh!" Harmony grunts at this and Rapunzel jumps on tables, grabbing Shorty.

"Not bad, huh Cass? ...Cass?" The girl is gone again, much to their dismay.

Cass looks around as she's further down the hall, and breaks a sculpture. She uses the ceiling as monkey bars, the others following after her.

"Hey, Cass. I think the lava's gone now."

"Lava is in the Earth's core," Varian points out.

"Yeah, you know what? You're right...it's acid!" She jumps away from a light fixture, the two sisters groaning. Rapunzel uses her hair to lift them all up above the ground.

"Why can't she be more like you?" Harmony turns to Varian.

"Because Cassie is Cassie and I'm Varian," He replies while patting Daisy. Ugh, it's illegal for him to be that cute.

"Yes," Matthews chuckles as he sweeps up the damage. "They are a handful, aren't they? Well, most of them," He looks to Varian. "But, uh, motherhood suits you, and so does being an aunt."

"What?!" They both turn to him in shock for even saying that.

"I'm just suggesting that should you fail to acquire the top in time, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. N'est pas? After all, you make a darling family, and this place would make quite the home...for a family, don't you agree?"

Harmony stares at him weirdly as a strong sense of evil suddenly emerges from him...she had no idea what he gains from this, but he's hiding something...

"Lance! Show me some hustle!" Eugene calls out nearby.

"Mr. Matthews, we-" She looks to see that he's gone.

"Do not go jelly-legs on me!" Eugene drags Lance across the floor. "You stand up right now! Blondie, Brownie, why you just hanging there?"

"Oh, you know, the floor is acid," She says casually.

Lance lets out a scream, getting onto his feet. "Acid, acid, acid!"

"At least I have you!" Varian smiles up at Harmony, and she returns it weakly, thinking about what the man said. While she would ideally help Rapunzel when she does have kids, these were her friends and her boyfriend. There's no way she'd leave him like this...no matter how adorable he is.

"That's all I had to do?!" Eugene gestures to Lance, and wakes up Shorty.

Cass is chasing Lance on a toy car from the kids' room, which is where they find them. Lance runs past them as Shorty continues crying.

"Look, look, look!" Varian points up ahead. "That's the thing that went whoosh!"

"The top!" Rapunzel sees it nearby the shelf. Lance grabs it first and runs off with it. Cass comes to a stop in front of him, snatching the top.

"My turn!"

"No, you get to play with the wagon!" He runs after her.

"Okay, okay, guys, we only have, like, five minutes, so maybe we might-"

Eugene stomps a foot in front of them.

"Ugh," Harmony pinches her nose, getting a little headache now by the crying and the fighting.

"Give me that top right now, young lady!" She simply stares at him. "One...two...two and a half...two and three quarters...gimme that top!"

Harmony covers her ears.

"Eugene, yelling at them won't get the top back!" Rapunzel steps up to them.

"Oh, what should I do? Cuddle it out of them?" He crosses his arms.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asks defensively.

"Guys, this is ridiculous," Harmony steps up to them while holding Varian in her arms. Daisy and Ruddiger seem to keep him focused instead of running around. "You two have different parenting styles, but there's a way to do both of those things."

"You let these kids besides Varian walk all over you."

Rapunzel opens her mouth in shock. "And bossing them around seems to have worked really well!"

While they're not looking, the kids walk over to the wagon. "Let's go someplace a little less...them."

"Oh, hey, Lance was doing just fine until he was back under Cass' influence!"

"Somehow I find that hard to believe! You know what? Let's just spin that top, and get out of this place!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

Varian looks away and tugs Rapunzel's sleeve. "What is it, Varian?"

He points to the wagon, where the other three kids are inside. "Tally-ho!"

Lance spins the lever and they take off into the hall. The others run into the hall, where the three, with the top, land on the ground. Shorty skids to a stop in front of a wolf, the duck toy flying into its mouth. He squeals at it.

Eugene and Rapunzel rush into the room, seeing the situation.

Harmony skids into the room, panicking when she sees the sleeping wolves. "No, no, no, stop, stop, stop, ahh..." She tells herself as she stomps her feet, sighing in relief when she comes to a safe stop just mere inches away from the sleeping wolf. Varian is in her arms.

Her mouth opens in shock to see Shorty trying to get his toy back from the wolf. He yawns and crawls onto its back. The top is on the right side of the mouth.

"And this is why I'm a cat person," Eugene states as Harmony backs away slowly, cringing.

"You get Lance and I'll get Cass!" Rapunzel tells him quietly. "We gotta get that top before the dogs wake up! Harmi, stay here with Varian."

"Good luck, princess and Flynn Rider," Varian waves slowly with his little hand.

"Daw," Rapunzel clasps her hands, patting his head.

"Now that's cute," Eugene smiles a little, not even bothering to correct him on the name this time.

"Hey, Cass," The blonde whispers to her. "Sweetie, I know you wanna get the top," Rapunzel steps over a wolf, holding her skirt in the air. "And I know you're very brave, but you're in an unsafe situation right now, so...I need you to please exit the kennel."

"Uh huh, you're not the boss of me," Cass retorts to her loudly, the wolf hearing it and not waking up thankfully.

"No, I-I-I'm not telling you what to do," Rapunzel stammers a bit. "But I am strongly suggesting you reconsider-"

"Wow, Eugene was right. You do let us walk all over you. You guys are going to be disasters as parents, and Harmi no better as an aunt."

Her eyes widen slowly as Harmony steps up to her.

"Don't be sad, princess," Varian whispers to the woman and she looks over to Eugene.

"Lancey-poo, come with me, right now," Eugene urges him, gesturing to the exit.

"Why this way?"

"Because that's the way to the door, and we have to go bye-bye."

"Why?" Lance asks again. Rapunzel looks back to Cass silently, deciding that she's had enough. Harmony drags Cass away to face Rapunzel.

"Hey, what are you-"

"Okay, listen up, young lady," Rapunzel says in a stern voice. "Playtime is over! You get your rear-end outta this kennel right now! And walk on those tiptoes!"

"But-"

"No buts! Out! Tiptoes! Now!" Rapunzel points to the door.

"Yes, ma'am," Cass actually listens and does what she says. Harmony smiles, Varian clapping silently for her. She smiles back at them, sighing in relief. Rapunzel takes Varian into her hands, placing him on the floor.

"Varian, do you think you can follow Cass to the door?"

He blinks and nods up at her. "Yes, princess!"

"You little cutie," She smiles, ruffling his hair. He turns around and tiptoes.

"Listen to me: we have got to go! Why can't you just do what you're told?" Eugene pleads with Lance.

"Because...I'm a kid."

Eugene feels a tug, looking to Varian. He points to Rapunzel and he finally realizes what she means. "And kids need to feel like they're being heard...Okay, Lance, what do you wanna do? Huh, buddy? I'm listening."

"I dunno...play chase?"

"I was hoping you'd say that," He pokes Lance. "Tag! You're it!"

Lance babbles happily, running in the other direction. "No, no, no, you're supposed to chase me!" He grabs Lance and barely turns around in time to get to the door.

"Can we be Team Awesome again later?" Varian looks up at Eugene, who smiles.

"Sure, buddy."

"Cass, Lance, Varian, wait outside for us. That is an order!" Rapunzel tells them and they nod, running towards the door. Ruddiger and Daisy run after them to keep watch. The three smile, turning towards Shorty.

"Easy...easy..." Eugene helps the two sisters step over a wolf. Shorty giggles as he snatches the toy, causing the wolf to wake up.

"Uh oh. 600 pounds of fur and slobber headed our way!" They get surrounded by the wolves, Shorty riding one. They run to a cage, running on the others as the top rolls on the floor. They look up ahead to see that there's nowhere else to go, Rapunzel quickly snatching baby Shorty. The wolves bark up at them, looking vicious.

"Here boys, here you want a treat? Huh? Yeah, yeah, yeah ya do! Go get it!" He tosses an imaginary ball, but they don't fall for it. "Alright, well, you're smarter than you look, and I apologize for underestimating you...Brownie, what do we do?!" He grips her shoulders.

"We need a distraction, something to get their minds off us! And we've gotta bring the top to us!" She explains to him. Pascal ties himself to a strand of Rapunzel's hair, giving her a thumbs up. He jumps and lands in front of the wolves, blowing a raspberry at them. He snatches the top and runs off in the other direction. He turns around to the wolves running up to him. Pascal tugs on the hair and Rapunzel pulls him away as they run to the door.

"Baby Lance! The door! The door!" Eugene exclaims and he panics, closing it. "Why would you—I meant go out the door!"

Lance tries to open it, but he can't. "It's locked!"

"Why would you-?!"

"I'm a kid," Lance shrugs at him. Rapunzel looks to the wolves and they all hug each other. Shorty giggles as he grabs the top, throwing it onto the floor. Pascal flicks his tongue and activates it. When the wolves run through the light, they turn into cute little wolf puppies.

"Aww."

"Come here, come here," Lance chases after one. Cass and Shorty follow as Varian looks up at the three.

"Can I play with one?"

"You sure can," Rapunzel smiles, pushing him forward gently. The three smile as they look on at the sight. They eye the top and Rapunzel takes it into her hands.

"Okay, it was fun babysitting for the day, but let's get you guys back to normal. Time to add about 16 years. Uh, well, in Shorty's case, about 60 years? How old is Shorty exactly?"

"Fourty fi—seventy fi—I have no idea," Eugene shakes his head. He bends down to Varian's level. "Varian, buddy, how are you?"

He holds up five fingers. Rapunzel puts the top into reverse and pushes the button, throwing it in front of the four. The light glows and they're all back to their current ages.

"Hey, I'm still missing a couple teeth," Shorty points to his mouth.

"You were always missing a couple teeth," Cass points out. They all hug each other in relief, the puppies barking.

"We can keep the puppies, right?" Lance asks, breaking the moment.

* * *

The three hold the barking puppies as they walk down the hall. "They are pretty cute," Harmony smiles a bit as Varian holds her hand.

"Being a kid was the last thing I expected from today," He holds up their interlocked hands, kissing the back of hers gently. "But you'll make a great mom someday."

Her eyes widen as she blushes, looking away. Eugene opens another door, where octopus tentacles wiggle out and he closes it.

"Still no way out. And it's gonna take us forever to check this whole place."

Rapunzel groans at their situation. "Ugh, well, I guess we'll just have to stay here another night. Today was really tough..." She takes a hold of Eugene's hands. "But you know, even though we didn't always agree on everything...I think our differing approaches ended up being complementary in a weird way."

He chuckles at her. "Blondie, I completely agree. And if we ever do decide to have kids, assertiveness, compassion..."

"And a whole lot of love," She finishes for him, smiling softly.

"Tag! You're it!" Lance runs away from Cass.

"You do not know who you are messing with!"

"Hey, hey, hey, no running in the house!" Rapunzel scolds them both. She winks at Eugene and they hold hands.

"Hey! Go easy on them."

Matthews watches them from a dark room. "The mirror failed. The top failed. But I promise you, Master, I will keep the sundrop and moonstone in this house...forever." He closes the door, revealing the symbol of Zhan Tiri on the door...

**Angel: I wasn't going to have Varian turn into a kid at first, but then I thought to have this opportunity to do it. Thankfully I didn't write this episode before I had changed my mind. Thank you, animechefgirl, for indirectly giving me that idea back on March 5****th**** XD I so wish that we could've heard his voice in No Time Like the Past, but oh well...**

**And yes, I know Harmony's not a kid in this either, but all hope is not lost on that. She's already been seen as a kid in flashbacks, but for her to be seen as one in person... *coughs* Season 3. *cough cough* Anyway, hope you guys all enjoyed this episode. I know I did! Now if you'll excuse me, it's my Mom's birthday today, and I got stuff to prepare!**


	47. Sistertopia

Birds are chirping in Corona as the shades are opened. "Morning, Raps."

Rapunzel sits up with a yawn, her blanket covering her hair. "Good morning..." She notices Cass is wearing her lady-in-waiting outfit. "What's with your outfit?"

"I know! It's cute, right?" Cass smiles widely.

"Cass? Uh..." She looks around to find herself in her room back at the castle, getting onto her feet. "We're in Corona?"

"Well, where else would we be, silly?" Cass asks, throwing the blanket off her. She walks right past the mirror, looking back to find herself with...

She gasps sharply, holding her short brown hair into her hands. "My hair! What...what happened to my hair?!"

"Eh, looks like just a mild case of bed-head," Eugene speaks up behind her, chuckling. "You've had worse, I'm sure. And good morning, Cassandra!"

"Good morning, Eugene," She smiles, pointing at him. Her eyes widen at how polite they are to each other, turning to the two in confusion. "Looks like someone's got some pre-coronation jitters."

"Coronation?!" The event had already happened, why are they acting like it's occurring right now? "What are you talking about?"

"Very fun—oh, you're serious," Eugene notices the deep frown on her face. "Gotcha. Yeah, no, Sunshine, it's your coronation weekend. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, it's just that..." Rapunzel sighs a little, standing in front of her bed. "This isn't how things are. The coronation already happened. My blonde hair is back. We left Corona almost a year ago to travel to the Dark Kingdom."

"Sounds like you had some dream last night. The coronation that hasn't happened yet...happened and also...Dark Kingdom stuff? Sounds like someone was stuck in a tower a little too long," Eugene murmurs to Cass.

"This one has such a vivid imagination," Cass pats him on the shoulder, smiling in a teasing way. Rapunzel hugs herself as she approaches Pascal.

"It felt so real...but..." Pascal crawls onto her shoulder. "Then again, everything seems so perfect here, I...must be coming off of a crazy dream."

"Well, Raps, you know I love goofing around with you two, but it's a big day and we do have a schedule to keep. Not to mention we do have a little sister to wake up. So, whattaya say we get this day started, huh?" She smiles as she offers her hand. Eugene does the same and she looks to Pascal.

"...Okay," She smiles back, hugging the both of them. "That sounds perfect."

"Rapunzel! There you are!" Frederic arrives in the room.

"Hi Dad!"

"Pops! Up high!" Eugene and Frederic share a high-five, Rapunzel chuckling at the two.

"Cassandra, I need to borrow our princess for a moment. And please wake up our darling little princess."

She curtsies and walks down the hall to go wake up Harmony. She opens the door and steps inside, opening up the shades.

"Rise and shine, Harmi."

"Mm?" She sits up slowly, yawning. "Morning, Cass..." She opens her eyes to see her outfit, eyes widening. "Wait a second..." She looks around rapidly to see that she's in her bedroom. "We're back home? How?"

"Duh! It's our home."

Harmony stands up and sees the mirror, noticing that she doesn't have her blue bangs anymore. "Huh?!" She looks to her left hand to see that there's no symbol on it. "Wait...what?! What happened to my hair? What happened to my hand? Wha...?"

She's so confused, she's supposed to be in the House of Yesterday's Tomorrow still. How in the heck did she return to Corona without knowing it?

"Ah, there's my future sister-in-law!"

She looks over her shoulder to see Eugene approaching. "Bed-head too, huh?"

"And coronation jitters too," Cass whispers to him. "So cute on how they share everything!"

"Coronation?!"

"Yeah, coronation weekend. Okay, long story short, you're sharing dreams with Rapunzel, who said something about leaving Corona, coronation already happened, and a Dark Kingdom," Eugene tells her, to her confusion. "Pops came and took her for a talk."

"What?!"

Daisy flies in front of her, landing in her hands.

Her eyes widen as she remembers who she hasn't seen. "Vari! Where is he, I have to find him!" She rushes out the door, sliding into the hall and turning right.

* * *

Big Nose and Friedborg walk down the hall, holding hands. Frederic sighs happily as everyone has a smile on their face.

"Look how happy everyone is today."

Bluebirds chirp as they fly up to Rapunzel, who smiles at them. Even Old Lady Crowley is smiling! "Good morning, Rapunzel!" She greets cheerfully. "I am ready to party!"

"And it's all because of you and your sister!" Frederic places an arm around her shoulder. She smiles softly up at him. They end up in his meeting room. "I just wanted to take a moment to tell you how proud I am of you both," He holds her hands. "Oh! And show you the many festivities we've planned! See?" He moves away a cloth to reveal a diorama of Corona with clouds, rainbows, and the sun and moon.

Music plays and fireworks go off. She giggles and looks outside to see a caravan transporting Lady Caine and her goons away.

"Can you believe these jokers were gonna disrupt the coronation?" Stan asks as they stare after the transport.

"Ha! Not on our watch!" And with that, they walk away from the arch.

"Today is going to be the happiest, most perfect day Corona has ever seen," Frederic states to her, and she laughs softly, hugging him.

"It already is, Dad."

"Good then. I must be off! I get to judge the pudding contest! Best day ever!" He runs off and she laughs, putting a fist to her cheek. Another bird chirps as it flies by, a sinister-looking duo standing near the arches. She stares at the two, but then they disappear, causing her to gasp.

* * *

Harmony runs into Old Corona, which is surprisingly intact and not plagued with black rocks. She shakes her head rapidly to snap out of it.

"Vari? Vari!" She looks around for him, stopping a villager in his path. "Excuse me, have you seen a boy with black and brown hair, blue streak, mistaken for a wizard sometimes?"

"He's right over there, Princess!"

He points to Varian not too far away walking past, holding a box full of chemicals.

"Oh thank you!" She waves to the villager kindly, running up to the boy. "Vari! Vari, what's going on? I'm in bed in the castle when we're supposed to be on our journey, my hair is fully brown, and my hand-"

"Oh, hello, Princess Harmony," He greets, bowing his head, confusing her. First off, he hasn't called her that ever since they met. And second, he doesn't even call her that at all. And he'd usually greet her differently than that.

"...What?"

He walks right past her and she stops him again. "W-W-Wait, no. I'm Mona, remember?" She stammers, gesturing to herself, hoping this isn't what she's hearing from him. "We met here in Old Corona, y-you saved my life, you made me a necklace to wear!" She gestures to her neck.

He just stares at her hands before looking back to her eyes, chuckling. "I think I'd remember doing something like that. And I didn't make you anything, Princess."

"Stop joking!" She insists to him, wondering why he's acting like this. "Yes you did and to this day, I've never..." She pauses as she touches her neck and feels nothing there. She looks to her neck to see that her Harmonium necklace is no longer on her. "Taken it off? Wait, where's my Harmonium necklace? You made it for me during the science expo!"

"I'm sorry, you must have mistaken me with someone else. Enjoy your coronation, your highness!"

And with that, he walks past her. She stares after him with wide and sad eyes. Was this really happening? How can he not remember?

"But..."

She can only watch him walk away...

* * *

Rapunzel turns around to see blonde hair in the shadows, someone jumping over her head. She takes the sword from the display just as Harmony returns. "Who are you? And what do you want?"

"What are you talking about?" Harmony raises a brow.

"Harmi! We have intruders."

She looks around, only for both of them to be grabbed by the blonde hair. They're released as moon orbs appear in front of their faces. The hair starts messing with them until it hangs both of them upside down. Rapunzel clashes her sword with a frying pan and an arrow between the two.

"A frying pan and arrow?! Who are you? Because that's kind of...our thing."

The two strangers lift off their hoods to reveal themselves as Rapunzel and Harmony, with their current outfits and Harmony having her blue bangs with her current hairstyle. This Rapunzel also has the blonde hair back. They smile at their counterparts, who look at them in shock, so much so that Brown-Haired Rapunzel drops her sword.

"Okay..."

"Try not to freak out..." The two real sisters warn them.

"Try not to freak out?!" Brown-Haired Rapunzel lets out a crazy laugh. "Oh, why would we freak out?! Meeting ourselves is perfectly normal, right?! Trust me, we are not freaking out. Okay, we're meeting ourselves. We're meeting ourselves."

Rapunzel tugs on her hair to let them down. "Um, that's a reaction from people who would freak out," Harmony points out.

"Wait, wait, let me see something," Brown-Haired Harmony holds up the real one's left hand to see the moon symbol. "It is me!"

"We're meeting ourselves!" Brown-Haired Rapunzel points up at the two from the floor.

"Right?!"

"So neat!" They all say in unison, causing them to gasp. "You said the same thing I said!"

Brown-Haired Rapunzel lets out another laugh. "Best day! Ha! You thought I was gonna say 'ever' but I stopped!"

The four all gasp again. "Not to sound conceited or anything, but you are the best," Rapunzel points to the opposite duo.

"I was gonna say the same thing!"

"Me too!" Brown-Haired Harmony raises a hand.

"We know!" The two sisters reply at the same time.

"Okay. You know as amazing as this is, I sort of feel like I'm officially losing it," Brown-Haired Rapunzel holds her head.

"_Sort of? _Everything is so weird," Brown-Haired Harmony points out, hugging herself.

"Neither of you are going crazy. We know you remember the black rocks, the world outside Corona, your—our destiny."

"All of this is a dream," Harmony gestures to everything around them. "It's not real."

"No, our destinies are here...in Corona," Dream Rapunzel gestures to the diorama and Rapunzel holds her shoulders.

"This isn't Corona. Harmi is telling the truth, this place isn't real. The real world isn't as easy. It's your head. You're still in the House of Yesterday's Tomorrow. You're both under a spell."

Their eyes widen at this.

"You tried talking to Varian, right?" Harmony asks her dream self.

"T-That's right!" She stammers quickly. "Why doesn't he remember me? Why don't I have my necklace?" She points to the necklace around her opposite self.

"We didn't meet Varian until after the coronation. Rapunzel and Eugene are a different story since they met way before. Which is why he's around here," Harmony states solemnly. "And because the coronation didn't happen yet, Varian doesn't remember anything about us."

"But that's all gonna change...right?" Dream Harmony asks slowly. "The only reason why we met is because I went to Old Corona."

"Mm, doesn't work that way," Harmony shakes her head rapidly. "If everything happens the way it does with you two accepting your positions, you'll be stuck in the castle forever, and that means you'll never sneak out to go touch the rocks and to meet Varian. Your relationship with him will never be set in motion. It'll be like it never existed."

A world without him? She couldn't even imagine that. "...He doesn't visit the castle?" Dream Harmony tries to find a solution to this. There's no way that a happy world is without Varian...

"Nope," Harmony shakes her head again.

"What if his father brings him?"

"Uh-uh."

"Team Awesome?!"

"Not even close. All of that happened because you touched the black rocks. They're the reason you go with Rapunzel to see him. Even if you could leave the castle, it wouldn't be the same. It'll be so that you two never met," The girl explains solemnly. She doesn't want a world without Varian either, which is why she had to make sure that they touch the rocks.

"And if you two never meet, he won't try to take revenge for what happened to his father and you getting him onto the journey won't happen either," Rapunzel frowns deeply.

"No...no," They hold their heads as everything around them starts flickering. "No, that's...that's not true. I like it here."

"Me too. No more Moonstone, no more pain, no more suffering!" Dream Harmony gestures to her hand.

"Oh, so a world without you having the love of your life is bliss?" Harmony retorts and the girl clamps her mouth shut.

"We know you guys do, but it's all a dream. And if you don't do something soon like Harmi said...you'll be trapped here forever!"

* * *

The real Rapunzel is trapped underneath vines, laying down on a platform. The real Harmony is stuck to the wall nearby by vines, her hair floating around in all directions as her eyes are white.

"Rapunzel! Harmony! Rapunzel! Harmony!" Eugene, Cass, Varian, and Lance are searching for the two in the House of Yesterday's Tomorrow.

"Where could they be?" Lance asks while eating some chicken.

"Rapunzel!"

"Mona!" Varian calls out.

"You know, this is a hoot, but we'd cover more ground if we split up," Cass speaks up, Owl resting on her arm. "Cheekbones, Sandwiches, and Raccoon Boy, you take that hallway."

"Oh, now she's doing clever nicknames? Wonderful," Eugene deadpans as they walk down the opposite direction. Cass looks around the hall until a door nearby opens. She turns around only to see white light coming from it.

_Cassandra..._

"Hello? Rapunzel, is that you? Is Harmi with you?" She steps inside the room.

_Cassandra..._

The door slams shut behind her.

Lance, Varian, and Eugene stand in front of the Zhan Tiri door. "This door gives me the creeps," Lance cringes slightly. Footsteps move around inside.

"Even so, we have to keep looking for them," Varian frowns a bit in worry.

"Did you see that? Someone's in there. Rapunzel, Harmony, are you in there?!" Eugene slams on the door.

"How do you wanna go about picking this lock? The click-clack? The tweezer twist? The flippity flappety?"

Eugene kicks the door open. "Ah! The boot pick. Less subtle, but effective."

"What is this place?" The room is full of vines, and they look to see the two sisters and their positions. Pascal and Daisy are trapped in cages nearby. "Rapunzel!"

"Mona!" Varian rushes up to her.

"Less noise, please." They glance away to see Matthews wearing a dark red and purple cloak over himself. "Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, less noise."

"Matthews!" Eugene grits his teeth at him. "I knew you were up to no good!" He rolls up his sleeves.

"You have no idea how no good I really am." He creates green vines that push them to the wall, trapping all three of them.

"Matthews!" Lance cries out while struggling.

"Let them go!" Varian grunts a bit.

"Not quite..." His eyes flash and a light flashes to reveal that he's a spirit just like Sugracha. "I am Tromus." The two pets recoil back in fear. "And my master, Zhan Tiri, has a great need for this little sundrop and moonstone. Once these vines wrap round them completely, they'll have surrendered to the dream world, and their limitless power will belong to Zhan Tiri!"

"No!" Varian shouts at this.

"Blondie! Wake up!" Eugene yells at his girlfriend desperately.

"Please!"

"Mm-mm-mm-mm, nope. Sorry. The only way that's going to happen is if Lemon Head and Blueberry wake themselves up," He hugs Rapunzel's head and then plays with Harmony's hair. "But will they want to leave paradise? Probably not."

* * *

Rapunzel draws a circle around some black rocks. "The only way to escape Dream Corona is to go where the sunflower and moonstone once were and grab-"

"Grab the black rocks?" Dream Rapunzel finishes for her.

"You want us to touch those things?" Dream Harmony points to the black rocks on the map.

"Wait, no. This is nuts," Dream Rapunzel drags her hands down her face. "You're both not even real."

"You're right! We're not! We're all so smart. Come on, we don't have much time."

"I don't know if we can," Dream Rapunzel states skeptically. "What about the coronation?"

"If you two decide to put those crowns on, it will mean that you accept this world...and you will be stuck here forever!" Rapunzel places down a tiny model of Dream Rapunzel behind a barred window, Harmony doing the same.

"And you'll never meet Varian," Harmony points out.

"I'll meet him somehow. Doesn't he still like me regardless of whether or not I have powers?" Dream Harmony rolls her eyes.

"Yes, but he loves the real Harmony, the one who's brave enough to still keep these powers despite the risks and emotional damage it can do The one who's trying to use the powers of the moonstone for good," Harmony narrows her eyes. "_This _Harmony, being confined to a life that she's not happy in? That's not the real girl he fell in love with. He loves Harmony for who she is and who she chooses to be. And that's why you need to touch those rocks."

Everything starts flickering again as they hold their heads.

* * *

The girls struggle in their vines. "Ugh, it seems as though their subconscious selves are acting up," Tromus notices this. "It's time to reenter their dreams, and tip the scales."

The two pets squeak in protest, swinging the cage from side-to-side.

"Rapunzel!"

"Mona!"

"Work, work, work!" Tromus stands in front of Rapunzel, holding a hand out towards Harmony. "A disciple's work...is never done." He grips one vine while transferring energy to Harmony at the same time.

"Rapunzel!"

"Mona!"

* * *

"Listen-" Suddenly the two dream princesses disappear once Dream Eugene opens up the door.

"Rapunzel! Harmony! There you are."

"Eugene!" Dream Rapunzel hugs him as Dream Harmony smiles. "Oh...you are not gonna believe this. Look!" She gestures to where the two disappeared. "What?! They were just there! It was us! Well, not us, but...us, you know? With our hair back, and...they wanted us to lead them to the black rocks."

"Wants you to lead her to what?" Eugene starts laughing. "I'm sorry, ya lost me."

"But it's true!" Dream Harmony insists to him. "I saw it too!"

He kisses his dream girlfriend's forehead. "Hey, it's such a perfect day, what do you say we all get some fresh air?"

Dream Rapunzel sighs a little. "You're right. I think we both need to clear our heads."

"Follow me," He takes their hands and walks away.

* * *

"Woo-hoo!"

The dream sisters ride Fidella and Silver as Harmony is firing at targets. "Eat our dust!" She calls out over her shoulder as Dream Eugene comes up behind them.

"Oh, come on! You know I'm on a low-dust diet!" Once he reaches her, she lightly caresses his forehead.

"Then I guess today's a cheat day!" Dream Harmony brags as they pick up speed, with the dream pets blowing raspberries at the man. They continue forward to a stream, where the three horses jump over the water. They land on the other side, with Dream Max knocking down a log that was in the way. They eventually reach the wall, Dream Rapunzel beaming. The two horses stop in front of the wall, giving the two a boost so they can climb all the way up to the top.

"Wow, guys..." Instead of the beautiful forest, blue skies, and mountains, everything in front of them looks dreary and dull. No grass, no trees, and definitely no beauty. "That is...some view."

"I can't believe we're in the vicinity of this..." Dream Harmony cringes a bit. Pascal and Daisy just shrug when two fingers tap their shoulders. They turn around to see their counterparts, yelping in alarm.

"Hi!" they wave friendly with smiles.

"Would you stop materializing everywhere?!" Dream Rapunzel demands her.

"Why can't you just approach us like normal people?" Dream Harmony pinches her nose.

"We would, but it's not nearly as much fun!" Harmony winks at them in amusement.

"You can't keep avoiding us! You two know us! We are way too persistent!" Rapunzel smiles, holding up a finger.

"Well, most of the time. Sometimes we get roped into it," Harmony points between her and her dream self.

"You do it because you love me!" Rapunzel hugs her with a big smile.

"Touche," Harmony smirks slightly.

"I know...I love that about us," Dream Rapunzel admits sheepishly. Pascal squeaks as he glances at Daisy.

"Rapunzel, Harmony, you need to snap out of this," Rapunzel warns them. "Look, it's a tough choice, but you have to make it!"

"You have to make everything right again," Harmony gestures to the castle. "You and I both know that this isn't what you want!"

"Why?! Look at it out there!" Dream Rapunzel gestures to the land in front of them. "This is where I belong!" She points back to castle.

"I still firmly believe that Varian and I will meet someday," Dream Harmony crosses her arms.

"If you believe that, then take action and make the choice!"

"Ha ha!" Dream Eugene jumps, hitting the two sisters and they disappear. "Okay, i know what you're thinking. Now, it may have seemed like you won. But...hey, you two okay?"

"Yeah..." Dream Rapunzel looks to Corona again. "I'm okay. Heh. I just, uh, w-we thought we saw someone."

"Saw someone?" He steps forward to the brown-haired woman. "The pressure of the coronation has really gotten to you, hasn't it? You must feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders..." He lightly touches her hair. "But it's not. All of us are here to carry that weight to make those choices for you. Which, speaking of 'all of us,' it's about time we head back to the castle for the welcoming ceremony. Besides, nothin' to see out there but a whole lotta nothin'!" They walk down the wall.

* * *

The welcoming ceremony starts as they're all seated. "I can think of no better way to celebrate the love I have for this woman than this." Dream Eugene gets down on one knee, causing everyone to gasp.

"Oh, Eugene!"

Dream Harmony claps for them as he takes out the box, opening it up. The dream king and queen look on with pride, the two sisters reappearing again behind the man.

"Just listen..."

"Why are you doing this?!" Dream Rapunzel demands to them, but since the others can't see them, they take it as a negative reaction to Dream Eugene's proposal. He looks behind him to see nothing.

"I...gotta admit, I was not expecting that response, but hear me out. Rapunzel, from the moment I entered your tower..."

"I know leading the team out on the road hasn't been easy," Rapunzel speaks over him. "It would be easier to step back and let someone else make the tough calls, but you know we can't do that. We have to go back."

"You won't be happy here in the castle forever. We have a desire for freedom, and to make our own choices ourselves," Harmony speaks up.

"Even if what you guys say is true, why would either of us leave all of this? Cass is fine. Our friends are safe. Nobody is asking me to make some kind of huge life decision."

Harmony clears her throat, pointing to Dream Eugene.

"Ugh, you know what I mean. Everything is perfect here, so why would we come with you?!"

"So having the perfect life means you risk Harmony's happiness in the process? Because she doesn't have Varian in her life, so not everything is perfect here," Harmony gestures to her dream self. "Ignorance is not bliss, it's a false life!"

"If you don't, it could literally be the end of the world as we know it," Rapunzel warns her.

"Well maybe I don't want that responsibility. Maybe I just want to be happy! Harmi's happy! Is that too much to ask?!"

"So is that a...maybe?" Dream Eugene asks nervously, feeling awkward.

"Don't do it, Rapunzel."

"Your life and Harmony's life rest on this decision. You can't have happiness here without sacrificing hers," She looks behind to Dream Harmony, who glares at her.

"No...it's a yes. My answer is yes. I would love to marry you, Eugene, and to stay in this castle forever and ever..." The two hug as people applaud. "And ever."

She looks to her sister, who has a strained smile, and Dream Eugene's eyes glow green...

* * *

More vines appear around both of them as they glow the same color of green. "Magnifique! The power of the sundrop and moonstone is nearly in Zhan Tiri's grasp!" Tromus looks up at the statue of the sorcerer behind him.

"How did we not see this bad guy coming?" Lance struggles to break free. "We're usually pretty good at that sort of thing."

"To be fair, Brownie did warn us before we even went in here...but wait until I'm free!"

"That's just it, mon ami," Tromus turns around to them with a wicked smile. "You never shall be free...and in a few moments, neither shall they!"

The two sisters have smiles on their faces.

* * *

Dream Rapunzel looks at the ring between her fingers. Dream Harmony seems to be thinking about something. The door opens and she looks up to see her mother.

"I used to be so much like you. I had silly dreams of finding adventure and saving the world. Luckily, I had a place to put those dreams," She holds out the box to them and they open it up to see journals inside.

"My-I mean, a journal!"

She opens it up and flips through the pages, Dream Harmony taking hers into her hands. She rapidly flips pages to see Varian, but there's nothing inside either of the books.

"They're blank?" Dream Rapunzel looks up in confusion.

"Of course it is. There's no point in having a journal if somebody's going to fill it for you," Dream Arianna pinches their cheeks lightly, causing them to smile. She chuckles and then they see to a different message than plus est en vous. "Sois satisfaite! It means be satisfied. As princess, you need to show your subjects that you are content."

Dream Harmony hesitates, looking out the window.

"What if we decide we-"

"Girls, you don't have to decide anything," She hugs her daughters and leaves the room. But in Dream Harmony's head...she wants to decide...

And she wants to be with Varian...

"Be content with where you are?" Dream Rapunzel asks slowly, as something didn't feel right about it. "Something's not right, Pascal."

He looks up at them and waves it off, Daisy flying over to the desk and resting her head peacefully.

"I don't know if we should go through this anymore..." Dream Harmony murmurs as they open the books to the blank pages. Something flickers as drawn pages appear, but only for a second. They appear again and they stare at the blank papers.

"Raps, Harmi?"

They look up at Dream Cass. "It's coronation time. Why are you two looking at me like that?"

Dream Rapunzel slowly steps up to her. "Cass...are you happy here?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" Cass holds her hands. "My best friends are getting crowned princesses together. What's better than that?"

Dream Harmony gets onto her feet. "Yeah, but...don't you sometimes get the feeling that there's more out there?" She looks out the window. "Maybe a destiny or...even someone you love?"

Her dream sister turns around, staring at the girl's back. "Hm..." She offers a small smile to Dream Cass, who returns the gesture. "Absolutely nothing is better than that," She laughs softly.

"Good. Now what are we waiting for? Let's get you coronated."

She walks off with them, the pages flickering again. They stay on there for a few moments before fading away...

* * *

Back at the House, the statue of Zhan Tiri is almost fully green. "Time's almost up," Tromus floats up to the statue, hovering over Rapunzel. "I would start getting nervous if I were you!"

"Rapunzel, please wake up!" Eugene pleads with her.

"Mona, snap out of it!" Varian begs, the vines almost covering them completely.

"Rapunzel!"

"Mona!"

* * *

"The wearer of these crowns is a shining example of the promise that is Corona," The Vicar holds up the two crowns that they'd wear. He steps forward, lifting up the crowns towards their heads. In the reflections, they can see their real selves.

"Once you two put those crowns on, you'll accept this world, and you both will be stuck here forever," Both of them say in unison. The dream sisters back away slowly as the flickering occurs again. Their hearts beat fast and Dream Harmony suddenly sees Dream Varian in the crowd. He seems to be happy...without her...She blinks at him and then they realize finally what they're doing.

"This isn't real..."

They close their eyes.

_Rapunzel and Harmony reached out to the black rocks. "The black rocks are the only way out. You two have to touch the black rocks!"_

_The two fingers touched the rocks._

Once their eyes are open, they slap away the accessories. "This isn't real!" The crowd chatters in worry.

"Oh, I know! Being crowned princesses, it just doesn't seem real, right? Ha ha..." Eugene approaches them, grabbing their shoulders. "Girls, what are you doing? Just put your crowns on. Everything's fine!"

"Get off!" Dream Harmony slaps his arm off her.

"It is tempting to follow the path of least resistance," Dream Rapunzel looks to the fallen crowns. "But that is not us!"

"I don't wanna be trapped in the castle forever!" Dream Harmony gestures to everything around them. "I wanna be free out in the world, make my own decisions, and get my life back together! And most of all...I can't live in a happy world if I don't have someone I love...I want Varian."

Dream Eugene chuckles, confusing them. "These two have some kick!" He continues chuckling and when he opens his eyes, he reveals them to be green. "I tried to do this the easy way." Green fire surrounds him and then he changes into Tromus. "You said no to the dream. Let's see how you two enjoy being trapped in your worst nightmare!"

Max and Silver suddenly appear behind them. "Max! Silver! To the black rocks!"

"Hurry!" Dream Harmony urges them.

They throw the two off and they land on the ground. Green fire surrounds them as the real Cass approaches them.

"You did this to me, girls!" She lifts off her right glove to show her injured hand. "It's all because I followed you both!" She pulls out her sword, about to finish them off, but they grab the crowns, using those to defend themselves. Cass suddenly flickers away, and they turn to the drapes.

They rip them off and use them to grab a ceiling mast. "This would be a bad time to be wrong about this being a dream!"

"Totally," Dream Harmony agrees as they climb.

"You don't get it, do you, Princesses?" Tromus looks up at them from the ground. "I control this world!"

They pull the curtains and suddenly they're outside the castle, landing in the courtyard. They rush to the entrance and to the bridge. Thunder cracks over their heads as a storm brews. Looking up ahead, Ulf, Monty, Feldspar, Shorty, Big Nose, and Lady Caine stop in front of the path.

"Uh, hey! Other us...es. We could really use your help right about now!"

"We're kind of defenseless here," Dream Harmony gestures to themselves.

"Where are we when we need us?!" Dream Rapunzel asks in exasperation.

Blonde hair grips an arch, the two sisters swinging into action. They land nearby as Dream Harmony has her quiver.

"Hi again!" They greet in unison with a wave.

"Need a little help wrapping these guys up?" She jerks a thumb to the crowd.

"If you wouldn't mind!"

"You two hold them off, and we'll take it from there," Dream Harmony smirks a little.

"I love how polite and intelligent you are!"

"Of course, because we know them very well," Harmony winks at them, swiftly pulling out her bow and arrow. Rapunzel whips her hair slightly with her hand as Vlad steps forward. He throws a barrel to the duo, who run up to them. Rapunzel grabs the barrel with her hair and throws it right at them. Half of them disappear. Harmony fires her arrows like it was nothing, and the other half disappear once the arrows touch them.

"Ha! Dream fighting is easy-"

The ground rumbles, interrupting her as they look up to see something big coming into view. They all stare open-mouthed as a large Godzilla-like chameleon rises out of the water, roaring. It grips the bridge, staring all of them in the eye. A duckling in the same size steps up from behind. The two real sisters run off, only to be snatched and swallowed.

"No! Pascal!" Dream Rapunzel exclaims at this.

"Daisy!" Dream Harmony looks up at the giant duck. They suddenly gag as the two get out of their mouths.

"Don't worry, we're not real, remember?! Now, run!"

"Get to the black rocks before it's too late!" Harmony warns them before they're eaten again. The two step forward as the dream sisters run down the bridge.

"You know, I really wish I had my powers right about now!" Dream Harmony looks at her blank left hand. They race into the forest as the two big animals are chasing after them.

"Daisy, Pascal, please stop!" The dream brown-haired woman calls out.

"I don't think that's an option!" Dream Harmony cringes as Pascal's tongue sticks out, reaching for them. He captures Dream Rapunzel while Daisy steps her big waddled foot onto Harmony's back, stopping her. She wiggles her arms and legs around trying to get free.

"I hate to do this, but you're giving me no choice!" Dream Rapunzel runs around a tree and slips free, tying a knot. Pascal tries to get free, but bumps into Daisy, causing her to fall like a tree, and land on the grass. Dream Harmony stands up, dusting herself off. Pascal manages to move forward, swallowing them both...

And then they end up tied to poles in a familiar setting. Dream Rapunzel gasps, trying to break free as Dream Harmony looks around slowly, a gag tied over her mouth. She looks just like her sister did when she was tied up by someone who wanted to keep her locked up forever. Lightning strikes as at the top of the stairs stands...

Her...

"Hello, Rapunzel," Mother Gothel greets her. "This must be your dear sister...Oh, I've missed you, my precious flower."

Dream Rapunzel squeezes her eyes shut as the woman walks around them. "When will you realize I will always get the better of you, whether you're trapped in a tower..." She leans in towards her ear. "Or trapped in your own mind. And now, you've brought me your sister!" Mother Gothel bends down in front of the girl, holding her cheeks and tilting her head up. "You'll do just nicely..."

"Get away from her!" Dream Rapunzel warns as the girl whimpers slightly in fear of the woman. She's never met her, but to actually see the woman in person...scares her. She knows the story fully well...suddenly they realize something.

"Our own mind...you're right. This is our minds. We're in control."

Dream Harmony looks to her shackles and they squeeze their eyes shut. They set themselves free, Dream Harmony ripping the cloth away from her mouth.

Mother Gothel cackles, reaching towards the window. "How many times must you hear before you understand that Mother knows be-"

Something hits the back of her head and she falls down, revealing Dream Rapunzel holding a frying pan.

"I have always wanted to do that," She smirks a bit, hugging her sister in relief that she's not harmed.

"Thank goodness..."

"I...have had...enough!" The last word isn't spoken by Gothel as there's a flash, and they look up to see Tromus standing there instead. "You will not escape my control!"

"You have no power over us here!" Dream Rapunzel points her frying pan at him, closing her eyes. A cupcake falls onto his head. "You thought by dangling an easy life in front of me, that I would follow you into oblivion."

"Or that not having Varian remember me would make me do the same," Dream Harmony narrows her eyes.

"Well, you were wrong!" They declare at the same time as they suddenly appear in front of the black rocks. They make four appear nearby. "We are a lot tougher than you think. From now on, the only thing that we follow...is our destinies," They touch the black rocks, activating them.

"Noooo!" He cries out as their hair arrives back, lights flashing in front of him.

* * *

The two suddenly wake up, the vines setting them free.

Harmony slowly falls onto the floor, holding onto the slab that Rapunzel's laying on. Her hair is messy as it's over her head, covering her face. Rapunzel sets the two pets free from their cages.

"Blondie!" Eugene beams as the three are set free as well.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel runs up to him and they share a brief kiss.

"Mona!"

She slowly looks up to see him, eyes widening. She couldn't believe she was even looking at him right now...the girl slowly runs over to him, tears in her eyes. She reaches out her arms as she slowly wraps her arms around the boy.

"Vari? Is that really you?"

He stares at his girlfriend. "Of course it is. What's going on? What happened?" He notices her crying.

"I'll tell you later!" She looks up at him, sniffling. He's slightly concerned, but she doesn't look sad, she looks relieved. "I'm just...so happy to see you..."

He rests his chin on her head as they hug tightly.

"Hate to be a squeaky fifth wheel, but can we get out of here, please?! This place is coming down!" Lance calls out.

"Follow us!"

The two sisters guide them out as the ceiling caves in on the room. The door finally reappears as they're pushed onto the ground, a bunch of sand spilling out from all of the windows. It engulfs the house as it slowly starts to disappear. Everyone protects themselves as Tromus starts to go away too.

"This isn't over!" He declares and soon, everything is gone. Rapunzel sighs in relief.

"Everybody okay?"

Pascal and Daisy squeak as Lance takes them out of his shirt. They sneeze out sand.

"Well, well, well," Shorty speaks up.

"Shorty?" They look to see him with the horses and Ruddiger.

"Look who finally decided to show up."

"Max! Fidella! Silver!" The two sisters run up to the horses, hugging them.

"Oh, it's good to see you, too."

"You have no idea what we've been through these past few days," Harmony looks back to where the house was.

"H-Have you seen Cass?"

"Come to think of it, where is Cassie?" Varian looks around for her.

"Hold on a second," Lance looks over his shoulder. They look to see a door materializing, the two sisters stepping forward, followed by the others.

"Get ready, guys. There's no telling what kind of subhuman monster might come through that door," Eugene warns them, but it's just Cass and Owl. "It's even worse than I thought."

Harmony elbows him as Rapunzel runs up to her friend, but Cass looks angry towards her for some reason.

"Cass! Oh, thank goodness you're safe!" Once she hugs her, Cass tenses up. "Are you alright? Where were you?" She holds her hands, but Cass moves them away.

"I'm fine, Rapunzel. Let's get movin', huh?" And with that, Cass walks off, which doesn't go unnoticed by Varian, Harmony, or Owl.

"Oh, okay then...time to hit the road. Destiny calls!"

The door slams shut and disappears.

"A world without us knowing each other?" Varian asks in disbelief as the two walk along, holding hands. She has her eyes closed, trying to get that image out of her head. "Wow...that's..."

"A nightmare," She rubs a temple. "It was like you had amnesia or something...I didn't know if I'd ever see the real you again..."

He pauses as he takes a moment to think about it. A world where he doesn't know Harmony...in his eyes, it wasn't even possible to think about. He couldn't ever think of a place, even imaginary, where the two didn't know each other.

"Mona..."

He squeezes her hand, causing her to look up. "There isn't any world on Earth where I won't be by your side."

A small smile escapes her as they press their foreheads together. "Ditto," She whispers to him.

"How'd you even end up in that room anyway?" He looks down at her.

"...Well," She seems hesitant to explain. "Today's your birthday, so...I thought I'd look for a present, and Punzie offered to help me. So she thought she'd ask Mr. Matthews. Matthews brought us to what he called his present room, but the next thing we knew, we were locked inside and then he trapped us."

He blinks slowly at her. He himself didn't even remember, and yet she searched a place she knows is dangerous to look for a present for him.

"Thank you," The boy smiles softly at her. "But all I want is right here," He kisses her on the forehead. "You can buy me a cupcake at the next town if you want to make up for it."

"Okay," She smiles back giddily, glad that he's not upset with her. "Happy birthday, Vari...we're almost getting there, you know."

He takes a deep breath. "Yeah...are you...scared?"

"Of course I'm scared," She murmurs as they look up ahead to the others. "I don't know exactly what will happen once we get the fourth scroll piece and we reach the Dark Kingdom. But...with you here right now...I'm not as afraid as I was when we started this trip."

"Don't worry, Mona," He smiles at the girl, squeezing her hand. "No matter what, you can get through it. I believe in you."

"Hmm," She hums, kissing his cheek. "Thank you, Vari. I feel a little better now."

"Anytime, princess."


	48. Lost and Found

Eugene attaches Silver to the second caravan, everyone except Cass and Shorty frowning. Varian stands in front of the entrance to the caravan. It's finally time for him to return back to Corona...he has to serve the rest of his sentence. They're getting pretty close to the Dark Kingdom. He looks towards everyone, hugging Eugene first to his surprise.

"Thank you, Eugene...for being there for me."

"...Anytime, kid," He pats Varian's back as Rapunzel hugs him next.

"It was so great having you on this trip, Varian...and I'm so glad we're friends again."

"Me too, Princess," He smiles softly up at her. Lance puts a hand on his shoulder.

"Goin' back to the kennel, huh? Save me some chow! They'll know what I'm talking about."

Varian rolls his eyes. "Thanks Lance."

"Bring me a sky chicken, Hair Stripe," Shorty points up at him, pulling out a fish from his beard. "I'll just enjoy my beard fish."

"Um...okay..." Varian blinks at him, walking up to Cass. "Bye, Cassie."

She simply walks off, confusing him. He shakes his head and then turns to the two horses, hugging them. "Hey, take good care of them, okay?"

They both neigh with nods, Pascal and Daisy coming into view. "You make sure that you help them find their destinies," He smiles and they salute, nodding.

And then there was her...

Harmony slowly steps up to him, hugging the boy. "I'll miss you, Vari..."

"...I know," He closes his eyes, hugging her back. "But hey...it won't be for too long," He pulls back to look at her. "Soon, you'll be back and then you can free my father. And then we can be happy..."

There's still the town he has to deal with, but he has to keep that a surprise for when they return.

They look into each other's eyes and he leans in to kiss her. Harmony kisses back, pulling away a few seconds later as she rests her cheek on his chest. "I love you."

"I love you too, Mona. Try to translate that scroll and find the last piece."

"We will," She whispers to him.

He reluctantly pulls away, stepping into the caravan. He looks at them one last time and smiles weakly, closing the door. Harmony looks on with sad eyes as they watch the caravan leave. Rapunzel places her hands on her shoulders from behind.

"Are you okay?"

"No, but...I understand that he has to go back," Harmony closes her eyes. Princess or not, she can't just let him not serve his punishment. Corona would protest against it, and they didn't need a mob on their hands when they get back. "And besides...I'll see him again," She smiles happily at the thought. Eugene is staring at the three scroll pieces on a table.

"Just another day's travel and we are at the Dark Kingdom!" Rapunzel places her hands on her hips. "Hope we packed our torches!" She bites her lip, looking at the others to see if they get the joke. Owl just hoots as no one says anything. Even Pascal and Daisy aren't amused. "Because the Kingdom is dark...is where I was going with that. Are you okay, Eugene? You seem distracted."

"Huh?" He looks up to see the two princesses sitting on the barrels in front of him. "Oh. Uh...I didn't want to make...light of it?"

Daisy and Pascal roll their eyes as Harmony facepalms.

"Look, it's just...now that we're so close to the Dark Kingdom, it all feels more...real, you know? Ha. I mean, crazy rhino-man said if we went there, we were doomed. And we have no idea what we're in for! And our only clue as to what's waiting for us is on three stupid pieces of a torn scroll. That we can't even read!"

"Hector also tried to kill me by putting a sword to my neck, so I wouldn't take him all that seriously," Harmony raises a brow, taking a scroll piece into her hand. She does understand his frustration, however.

"I know it's scary, Eugene," Rapunzel places her hand on top of his. "But we cannot turn back now. Besides...you and us both have other plans. Or at least we should have other plans."

She smiles at him and looks at her in confusion. "Birthday plans?" She continues, which causes him to freak out.

"Oh my gosh, I forgot your birthday!" He exclaims at her.

"How could you forget, Eugene?!" She shouts at him.

"I'm so sorry! You know what, I'm pretty sure that giant firefly scorched my date book and..." He suddenly realizes that he remembers her birthday. "Wait a minute, it's not your birthday!"

"Ha ha, got you!" Rapunzel laughs at her boyfriend and then he turns to Harmony in a panic.

"Is it your birthday?!"

"Yes," She pouts at him. "How dare you?!"

"Ahh, no! I didn't mean to, I—wait, it's not your birthday either!"

"No, it's not. We celebrated it after we got back on the mainland from Tirapai Island, remember? I just played along to freak you out!" Harmony grins widely, pointing at him.

"Oh, you should have seen your face!" Rapunzel giggles along. "Pascal, Pascal, do his face."

Pascal recoils back with his mouth wide open, all of them laughing. Rapunzel wraps an arm around her sister, smiling.

"Well then, whose birthday is it?"

* * *

They lead him away from the others. "Happy birthday!" Rapunzel tells him and Harmony blows a noisemaker, showering confetti over him. She hands him a cupcake, that is made out of berries and a mushroom.

"You know I don't have a birthday, right?" He asks the two.

"I know we don't know _when_ you were born, but everybody has a birthday. So we figured, why not today? Oh! Make a wish! Uh, just don't eat the cupcake."

"Eh, I don't really believe in the whole wish-making thing," He shrugs at them. "Or really anything...that I can't see with my own eyes. That I see, frog."

He sticks his tongue to the cupcake, eating a berry. "Oh come on, Eugene. I spent 14 years in a castle, throw me a bone here," Harmony waves him forward as he shakes out the candle.

"Okay, okay, fine, you don't need to make a wish. It is your day." He gives the cupcake to Pascal, who holds it out towards Daisy. She flies over to him so that they can share as Rapunzel adjusts Eugene's vest. "You do what you want."

He takes a hold of her hand, smiling. "Let's just make it our day. And you know what? I'm not gonna worry about tomorrow, or the Dark Kingdom. I'm just gonna live in the moment. And you should too, Brownie. You'll see the kid soon again."

"Yeah...thanks Eugene," Harmony smiles softly at the advice.

"And nothing...and I mean nothing can ruin this moment." He leans in to kiss her, but a llama bleats. They turn to see a familiar cart riding past.

"Smooch on your own time, canoodlers!" Madame Canardist shouts at the couple as she rides past them.

"Oh, come on! Canardist and Vigor?!" Eugene gestures to them in exasperation. "Are they following us? They gotta be following us. I have half a mind to-"

"I'm sure they're not following us," Rapunzel waves it off.

* * *

"We have been following you," Canardist confirms once they ask her.

Eugene gestures to the woman and she simply smiles.

"I'm not giving you my necklace. I'm not warning you again," Harmony holds her necklace protectively.

"No! Vigor wants to give you an important fortune. He seems to have grown attached to you both," She laughs as she gestures to the sisters. "There is no accounting for taste."

"And no accounting for what happened last time," Harmony deadpans at her in annoyance.

"Well, I like him, too. That curse of deadly misfortune? Pfft! Water under the bridge," Rapunzel touches his banana, causing him to freak.

"Don't touch his banana." Canardist warns her, holding up a bunch of keys.

"I'm still a bit bitter," Harmony crosses her arms, glaring towards them.

"Oh ho ho, lemme guess," Eugene rolls his eyes at the woman. "The price of this... 'important fortune' is five silver pieces."

"The prediction is free, of course. Now, quiet down and let Vigor summon the spirits from beyond. Ugh, banana peels everywhere," She picks up the peel and the five watch as Vigor sits in a criss-cross way. The silverware starts clanking against the wall and thunder strikes, alarming the two pets.

"Yawn..." Eugene yawns, raising a brow. The crystal ball lifts up into the air as everything is suddenly green. Vigor screeches, rolling his eyes around. Eugene pokes the crystal ball, wondering if it's being held up by a string. Vigor dances around. "Heavier yawn."

Lightning strikes, startling the princesses.

"Vigor!" Canardist warns him, clapping her hands. Everything turns back to normal as the two pets fall on the floor, and the cart stops shaking.

Vigor pulls something out from his turban. "The things you keep under your turban!" She smiles, taking the paper. "Wonders never cease. For you, the path awaits, where the final quarter lies, after many dire straits."

"Final quarter...?" Rapunzel gasps sharply. "He's gotta be talking about the fourth piece of the scroll!"

"What?" Harmony asks in disbelief. "We don't even know where to look for it!"

"That's what you got from that?" Eugene stammers a little and she nods. "I got absolute gibberish. If he meant the fourth piece of the scroll, why not just say fourth piece of the scroll!"

They watch the monkey eat a banana as Rapunzel scoffs. "That would throw off the rhyme!"

"If what he says is true, then we'll finally be able to piece it together," Harmony turns to them.

"She's right, we need the fourth piece to make sense of the others." Rapunzel gets onto her feet. "And besides, doesn't this sound like it's gonna be a birthday to remember?"

"Fine. Where is this path deal?" Eugene says in defeat.

"Vigor will guide you...for five silver pieces." Canardist holds out her hands.

"I got it," Harmony sighs, digging into her bag. Only because of his birthday, though.

* * *

Vigor leads them into a forest. "Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa," Eugene tries to keep up with them. "It's my birthday, remember?!"

"Vigor, wait up!" Rapunzel calls out.

"I wonder where he's going?" Harmony murmurs as she comes to a stop in front of the monkey. He's standing on top of a rock.

"What did you find?"

Eugene moves away the vines to read the inscription. "The Path of Demanitus."

Harmony gasps sharply at the name. "Demanitus?!"

"Demanitus was that engineer-inventor guy who built that thing that stopped the blizzard in Corona."

"Which I still never saw, by the way," Harmony pouts, crossing her arms. "Still unfair."

"Oh, I promise I'll let you see it when we get back," Rapunzel ruffles the girl's hair, causing her to smile.

"Whoa, hello," Eugene comments at an entrance up ahead. Vigor jumps away from the slab, leading them inside. "Vigor? Monkey? Want a banana? Vigor?"

Once they're through the door, they open their mouths in shock to see a labyrinth. "It's a...a...a..."

"A-maze-ing!" Rapunzel grins at it. "This is great! I've always wanted to go through a giant maze."

"This must be Demanitus' maze that he designed...which means that he hid the scroll piece here somewhere!" Harmony gasps a little.

"I'm happy for you both, I am," Eugene states sincerely, gesturing to the maze. "But look at that! It woulda been nice if Demanitus left us, I don't know, a map or something."

"You require no map..."

They stand in shock at the voice, turning around to see Vigor hanging from a vine. He steps off and lands in front of them, standing up fully. He gestures to himself.

"For I...am Lord Demanitus!"

Their mouths open in shock as he glances at all of them. Eugene suddenly bursts into laughter.

"Ha...ha ha ha!" Harmony laughs in awe of him. "Oh my gosh! I'm talking to the real Lord Demanitus! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! OH, Varian's gonna wish he didn't go home! This is even better than seeing your device in Corona!"

"Yeah. Nice try, Canardist!" Eugene looks around for her. "He's not Demanitus! That guy lived a thousand years ago! Harmi, you really believe him?" He continues laughing. "Oh, that's rich! Yeah...well, no strings..." He sniffs the monkey as Harmony glares at him, crossing her arms. "Although, you certainly smell like a 1000-year-old monkey! Okay, what's the trick here, huh? Come on, costume?" He pulls at the ears. "Very convincing...lifelike costume?"

"This is no subterfuge, I assure you," Demanitus tells him. "I am Lord Demanitus...protector of ancient Corona, devotee of science and invention, who has emerged from this monkey in your time of need. Banana!" He runs over to it, chattering.

"Wait, there's a machine he built that can swap minds! That's how he did it! Incredible..." Harmony gasps at him. She's meeting her idol! Yes, he's a monkey, but her idol nevertheless!

He plucks two bananas and eats them.

"What is going on here?" Eugene asks him and he swallows his food.

"Listen, and listen well...millennia ago, a mysterious event in the heavens divided an ancient power...in two. The sundrop and moonstone fell to the Earth! Three of my pupils and I researched the legend of the sundrop and moonstone...two elements that longed to reunite. We searched, but, alas, could not find them. Unfortunately, we were not the only ones looking. My pupils betrayed me, and summoned my old nemesis, Zhan Tiri! A warlock from another realm, bent on destruction. It took all of my powers to banish the evil from our world. I knew the research I had written about the sundrop and moonstone was valuable. Dangerous...in evil hands. So I tore the scroll, and hid the pieces! I placed the final piece within the maze...which I created to keep away the unworthy."

"Oh, you have a little something right there," Rapunzel points to his cheek. "I think it's banana."

He wipes away his cheek. "And you're a monkey because...?" Eugene points at him.

"I could not let Zhan Tiri find me! Using my scientific acumen coupled with an ancient spell, I was able to create a hiding place, a living, simian creature, inside of which I would lay dormant until such time as I could emerge, again."

"Ironclad logic," Eugene rolls his eyes, Harmony elbowing him.

"Why didn't you come out before?" Rapunzel asks curiously.

"I'm no sorcerer, but from what I understand of the spell, it would allow me to emerge from this form but once...and only for a few short hours. After which, my spirit shall retreat into this monkey...forever..." He scratches his armpit, slightly disgusting the two sisters.

"Wait, wait," Harmony waves her hands as she recalls something he said. "You told us that the sundrop and moonstone long to reunite, right?"

He nods his head.

"So then, why hasn't that happened? My sister and I have been the embodiment of the sundrop and moonstone for months," Harmony gestures to her sister.

"You see...when you touched the moonstone for a few moments, it gave you the power to use the decay incantation and to control the black rocks. Your father stopped the process of all of its power transferring to you. This gave you only half of the moonstone and its abilities. There are a few things that you do not have with the powers you've been given or that have been lost within time. And some of them you cannot use without the moonstone. Without the opal, the sundrop and moonstone will not reunite."

Harmony's eyes widen slowly. "So...I only have half of the moonstone's power? All this time, I thought I knew everything about this thing!"

"Then we'll go to the Dark Kingdom and get you those lost powers," Rapunzel states optimistically. "It'll be okay, Harmi."

"But what if those powers...corrupt me?" She looks up at Rapunzel and Eugene in fear.

"That won't happen," Eugene shakes his head. "Throughout this journey, we've seen you grown in a mature, level-headed, intelligent young girl who can make decisions like that on her own. You don't let those kind of thoughts cloud your head because you know in your heart that you're a good person."

"He's right," Rapunzel smiles softly. "You see things through better than anyone else I know. Not everything evil has to be that way."

Harmony smiles at the two, hugging them. They hug her back happily. "Thank you for reminding me, you guys."

They stare after the monkey as he walks off. "Wow, if this guy really is Demanitus, this is a huge honor!" Rapunzel smiles as Harmony bounces up and down.

"It's a dream come true for me! I can't wait to tell Mom and Dad I met Demanitus!" She squeals in excitement. "And Vari too! He'll either love me more or blame himself that he had to leave early this morning."

"if this guy _is_ Demanitus. How do we know he isn't another one of Zhan Tiri's cronies?"

"I hear you, I hear you," Rapunzel states as they walk down the steps. "Cautious optimism. Emphasis on the caution."

"I dunno, he knows a lot about the sundrop and moonstone. Not really stuff you could make up," Harmony gestures to the monkey. "This is him, I can feel it. I don't even sense any evil intentions from him."

* * *

Rapunzel and Harmony run through a path, joining Eugene and Demanitus a few seconds later. "Dead end! This is so much fun! Okay, okay, okay. So that was a—a right turn..." She freezes once she sees a skeleton with a single eyeball.

"Creepy," Harmony murmurs as they walk past.

"Not encouraging," Eugene cringes as he follows the three. They then stand in front of a door with an inscription on it.

"A room with no way in, and no way out, see it in the rain, but never in a drought," Rapunzel reads it. "It's a riddle! I. love. Riddles! Okay, no one tell us the answers. I got this."

"Seriously? Riddles?" Eugene asks in disbelief. "What the heck are riddles gonna do for us here?!"

"Riddles shall help you get through this maze," Demanitus states, walking up to him. "And also...faith," He suddenly appears on Eugene's shoulders, chewing his hair.

"Cut it out," Eugene waves him off.

"Sorry...habit."

"Ahh," Eugene looks in disgust at his hair.

"You must not believe in only what you see," Demanitus takes a stick and uses it as a backscratcher.

"Alright, look. When you grow up like I did, you learn real quick: the difference between believing only what you see and 'having faith things will work out' could be the difference between eating a hot meal or having your last." A white spider appears on his shoulder. "I don't want your flea-scratching stick!" He moves the stick away from his view. He then sees the spider, screaming. "Gimme the stick, gimme the stick!" He knocks the spider off his shoulder.

The single eyeball from the skeleton is actually a spider. More eyeball-like spiders appear, surrounding them. Demanitus shrieks as he jumps off the rock he was standing on.

"Oh, for the love of-!"

"Ivory spiders!" Rapunzel gasps at the sight of them. "They're venomous! Do not let them bite you!"

"We need to figure out that riddle!" Harmony turns around to the wall. Pascal smacks one away with her tail, Daisy punching them with her wings, daring them to come closer. They run away from the spiders to stand on a rock.

"Come on, Demanitus, tell us the answer!" Eugene urges him.

"I don't remember! I built this a thousand years ago, what do you expect?!"

"Oh, I don't know, I expected you to maybe remember how to get out of your own spider death trap!" Eugene takes a branch nearby, knocking and kicking spiders away. Pascal and Daisy fend them off, Rapunzel smacking one away with her frying pan. Harmony fires an arrow with a chemical ball onto it, trapping some spiders into goop.

"Wait, I got it!" Rapunzel smiles widely and Harmony looks away towards something. "A room with no way in and no way out..."

"See it in the rain, but never in a drought," Harmony continues for her.

"A mushroom!" The two sisters finish in unison.

"Ah-ha!" Demanitus points at them and Harmony points to Eugene's direction.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh, there's one!" He throws away the branch and jumps to the mushroom. He pulls on it and it turns into a lever. He pulls it and the door behind them slides open. They rush through and the door closes, squishing a spider's legs.

"I told you faith would get us through," Demanitus states to Eugene's ire.

"What did that have to do with faith?!"

"Harmony, your arrows are astounding!" Demanitus compliments her as she puts her bow and arrow back into place. "Where did you acquire them?"

"Oh, my boyfriend made some for me," Harmony smiles weakly at the mention of him. "He gave the arrows to me as a present a while ago. And he had to go back home because he did regrettable things to me, my family, my home...but you'd love him. He's really smart, kind, and sometimes a little silly, but I really admire him. Even if he did all of those things...I know that his heart is in the right place. Just like mine is with the moonstone for trying to make the best out of my...situation."

Eugene and Rapunzel both smile at her for her words.

"I'm sure it would be a great honor if we were to meet," Demanitus grins a little.

"I'll be sure to tell him! He'll be so happy to hear it. Oh, or maybe you could write a letter to him for me?"

Demanitus chitters, nodding in agreement.

* * *

Rapunzel takes a left and they walk up to a fountain. The blonde stares at it and reads the riddle. "If thou wish to skirt a deadly stress, donate a coin, and earn safe egress...hm." She pulls out a coin from her purse and flips it into the water. Harmony checks her bag and finds one, donating one as well.

"Oh, um..." Demanitus checks his diaper. "Think I misplaced my wallet."

"Of course, the monkey has no money," Eugene replies mockingly.

"Oh, it's okay. I'll spot you," Rapunzel hands him a coin and he flips it into the fountain. Eugene just think it's a scam, though, since this is his maze.

"We're waiting," Demanitus replies and he groans, pulling out a coin.

"Oh, come on, this is my last coin!"

"Think of it as a...birthday wish," Rapunzel smiles up at him.

"And besides, if we don't all put in a coin, we'll be in danger," Harmony gestures to the fountain. "I don't know from what exactly, but just do it."

"I'm sorry, guys, it's just not my style," Eugene sighs a bit. "I know, I know, you two think I'm being cynical."

"Mmhm," They hum in agreement.

"...Okay, fine, I'll put the coin in." He flips it into the air as they walk away, only to catch it into his hand. "I already paid that stupid monkey five coins in the past." He walks right past the fountain, the statue's eyes glowing red and coming to life. His face changes to an angry one, roaring at them.

* * *

They reach the next point of the maze. "Remove a piece, and I increase..." Rapunzel reads, reaching into the hole underneath.

"No, wait-!" Eugene warns her, thinking it's a trick. The door opens up and they walk through, Demanitus winking at him. Rapunzel crosses a mark off her map, taking the banana from the monkey. She aims it at a hole, creating a path from them.

Eugene crawls through a small tunnel in disgust since it's covered in spider webs. He crawls out as Demanitus gestures to a door which the sisters went through, to his shock.

They continue walking until they finally reach the end of the maze. Leading to a chest is a path that looks very unstable, with acid underneath...Rapunzel can see that the chest holds the last scroll piece from their spot.

"The fourth piece of the scroll!" Rapunzel smiles, hugging Eugene and her sister. "We did it!"

"We finally found it!" Harmony beams happily. "Now if only we could translate it...but thank you, Demanitus!"

The monkey chatters, snapping out of it. "We'd better hurry."

Eugene reads the sign. "Before thou claim thy glory, have faith the crystal bridge shall lead to thy quarry. Use the key to unlock, after thy faithful walk. It's really not your best work."

"Yes, yes, but look..." Demanitus holds the key in his little hand. "A mon-key!"

"No, denied," Eugene crosses his arms at the joke.

"Here," The monkey tosses the key and it goes right past Eugene, falling into the acid down below.

"Why did you just do that?!"

"You were supposed to catch it!" Demanitus protests to him.

"I wasn't ready! You gotta warn me!"

"I said here!" Demanitus shouts back to the man.

"That is not-"

"Eugene...you can pick the lock," Rapunzel informs her boyfriend.

"Doesn't matter what happened, so go cross the bridge so we can get back to the caravan," Harmony points to the box.

"...Fine. Rapunzel, bobby pin me."

She plucks a pin out of her hair and gives it to him. "Mon-key..." He mutters under his breath as he approaches the bridge. He takes one step and the crystal bridge starts to crack. A piece falls off and lands in the acid pool. "Acid, really?"

Demanitus simply turns the sign around to face him and points to faith. "Faith. Right, right."

He continues walking across the bridge. "Faith..." He tells himself and reaches the chest. He manages to pick the lock, smiling as he opens it. He takes the piece, when the bridge cracks again with a rumble. The cracks all the way to the others.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel says in fear. "Run!"

His eyes widen and he turns around, sprinting towards them. More crystal pieces fall into the pool below. Suddenly, the entire bridge crumbles away, leaving him wobbling in mid-air. Rapunzel takes out her hair and throws it to him. Eugene catches her hair just before he could fall in.

"Pull me up, pull me up!" He calls out, the trio helping him up. They run away from the collapsing bridge as it crashes behind them. Once the dust goes away, they get onto their feet. "Okay..." Eugene turns to Demanitus, hands on his hips. "What can we learn from this? How about...crystal makes for a terrible bridge? How's that?"

"Eugene! Look," Rapunzel shows him the scroll piece.

"Looks like a person surrounded by plants, the sundrop and moonstone, and the animals," Harmony points to each of the pictures. He smiles at the last piece and Rapunzel lays it out on a nearby rock. Harmony takes out half while Rapunzel has the last one. They put them together, smiling. Suddenly, blue surrounds the edges, joining together the pieces so that the scroll is now restored.

"Wow..." The teenage girl murmurs in awe. "That is so cool!" She pumps her fists.

"Maybe there really is something to this faith business after-" A stomp is suddenly heard.

"Oh no..." Harmony's eyes widen as she stands up. "Guys...we're in trouble," She looks around.

"Good gravy, what is that?!" Eugene exclaims as the rocks move away. Demanitus jumps and lands on the ground, whipping around to Eugene.

"What did you do?!"

"What?" Eugene asks cluelessly.

"The coin!"

He pulls out the coin that he took back. "Eugene!" Harmony yells at her brother figure.

"You were supposed to put it in the fountain!" Demanitus accuses him.

"Okay, so who cares if I didn't put the coin in? What's the big deal?"

"Are you that cheap?!" Harmony screeches at him. "Whatever is coming this way is because of you!"

The booming footsteps get closer and they cringe up ahead. "_That_ is the big deal..."

The statue from the fountain emerges in front of him, putting on an angry face. It approaches the four, roaring at them. It slams its fists on the ground and Harmony steps forward. She flings her hands, black rocks emerging from the ground. But the statue stampedes right through them, to her shock.

"Uh oh," Rapunzel cringes at the broken black rocks.

"Faith is great, now turn it off!" Eugene yells as they run off.

"I can't! I didn't construct it with vulnerabilities! I thought people would be smart enough to put a coin in!" Demanitus gestures to Eugene as the statue looms over them.

"Watch out!" Harmony pushes them to opposite sides, flipping out of the way forward. Rapunzel lands on the ground first, looking up to see Eugene and the monkey running away from the statue.

"Oooh! Ooh, I'm not smart?! Well, who builds a giant whatever-that-is, and doesn't throw in an off switch, huh? Huh?! That is not smart!"

"Well, who doesn't put in a coin?" Harmony calls out from nearby. The statue jumps and lands in front of them. It raises an arm over them and Rapunzel throws her hair, pulling them away just in time. She catches Eugene in her arms.

"Eugene, next time, dodge and _then_ make your point," She informs her boyfriend. The statue turns its attention on Harmony, who flips over it and runs over to them.

"Just by looking, it's not gonna be easy to defeat this thing!" The girl cringes a bit. It leaps towards them and Demanitus screeches, all of them running away. The statue chases after them as the monkey climbs the wall. The statue crawls a few feet away from them and jumps, landing in front of them again. The three start running in circles.

"We all make mistakes, but perhaps..." He lands on the ground, staring at them. "I can atone for my errors."

He screeches at the statue, getting its attention. The trio run off as Demanitus jumps into the air above the statue's fists. He crawls onto the being and then jumps off, taking off into a run. He turns right as the statue bumps into the walls. Demanitus reaches the others and they race down the path.

"In there!" Rapunzel looks to an opening and they slide inside. The statue bumps into the wall as they get inside and Eugene closes the door with a chain, but it falls off due to the age. The statue roars at them as it can see the four inside. Rapunzel grabs her hair and throws it onto the pulley. Together, Eugene and Harmony pull, and they shut the door before the statue could come in. The man sighs in relief before the ceiling starts crumbling.

"Harmi, give us some light."

Harmony snaps her fingers and moonlight comes from them, going towards the ceiling to light up the whole room.

Demanitus starts making monkey noises, shaking his head to snap out of it again. "I'm running out of time. Listen...one must unite the Sundrop and Moonstone to summon the ultimate power. Which means you must grab the moonstone before you can summon it, Harmony. Fourth piece of the scroll contains the instructions to wield that power."

"Wield the power?" Rapunzel asks slowly.

"In the right hands, it can be used for good. In the wrong hands, it could be inconceivable deadly. Now you know why I tested your faith—to ensure the purest of hearts controls the power!"

"Then what if we just leave the moonstone alone, right?" Eugene questions in concern.

"If the sundrop does not join with the moonstone properly, the black rocks will reawaken, and seek you out forever, even if the wielder has control. It'll destroy everything in your path," He draws a picture of Corona and then destroys it.

"Oh, yes, let's not do that," Eugene cringes at the thought. Harmony covers her mouth in horror, the blonde giving her a small hug.

Demanitus chatters, clearing his throat as he hands the scroll to Rapunzel. "I don't know if I can do it, Demanitus..." Harmony states skeptically.

"You must. Even the evilest of objects can be controlled by a pure heart. You must ensure that you will not give in to its evil, Harmony. I have faith in you."

She smiles happily at his words. "You do? You hear that guys, the greatest inventor of Corona has faith in me!"

"That's so great!" Rapunzel gives her another hug.

"I have a question...how do we get out of this miserable doom labyrinth?!" Eugene gestures to the room, the ceiling crumbling. The statue is trying to ram itself into the room from outside.

"The moon cannot be seen without the sun's light," Demanitus holds all of their hands. "She gives you light. And she gives you the way to see that light. Now you must return the favor with your faith."

"Demanitus, I don't think I have it," Eugene glances away.

"It's not that you need to have faith, it's that you need to find the faith you already have. Think..." The monkey points to his head.

He closes his eyes, thinking about how the two sisters have taken everything positively today.

_It's a riddle!_

_No one tell us the answers, I got this._

_A mushroom! _

_You were great!_

_Even if he did all of those things, I know his heart is the right place. Just like mine is with the moonstone..._

_We finally found it!_

_You hear that guys, the greatest inventor of Corona has faith in me!_

He smiles at the memories made today. "I do have faith...I've always had faith in Rapunzel."

"Aww," Harmony smiles softly at them.

"I didn't forget my little sister," Eugene pats the top of her head. Demanitus chatters as the two pets smile, and then they get their attention.

"Oh no...no, no...oh no..."

"No! Please stay, Demanitus! We have so many questions! H-how does my hair work, what does the moonstone do-"

"Questions you must answer yourself..." He interrupts her. "I waited millennia in this monkey to meet the sundrop and moonstone. I have faith in you. And by the way..." He holds out a piece of paper for Harmony. "Do give this to Varian."

"How did you know his na-"

He screeches and turns around. Then he squeaks and whines as Demanitus is now gone...he runs up to Eugene and crawls on top of him. The statue breaks the door open and steps inside.

"Blondie, Brownie, you're going to save us," Eugene places a hand on his girlfriend's shoulders.

"How?!"

"My black rocks are useless against that thing!" Harmony points to it.

"I don't know. But I've always believed in us. I've always believed in you, the both of you."

She smiles, placing Pascal on Eugene's shoulder. Harmony does the same with Daisy, and they all hold hands. The statue runs up to them as they squeeze each other's hands. The sisters close their eyes as their hair glows golden and blue respectively. Rapunzel's hair comes out of the braid to wrap around them while Harmony's moonlight surrounds the statue. The hair engulfs them completely as the blue light touches the statue, and the two lights cause an explosion throughout the maze.

Rapunzel's hair falls onto the floor as Eugene hugs them both. The statue is completely in pieces.

"Well, looks like my birthday wish came true," He smiles at Rapunzel.

"What was that?! We've never done that before," Harmony looks at her hands.

"I know, right?!" Rapunzel holds her hands. "That was..."

"Don't say it-"

"A-maze-ing~!" The two sisters sing in unison.

"Oh, there it was," Eugene groans at the joke.

* * *

They return back to Canardist's cart, where she opens the door and smiles. "See you, Vigor. It's been...educational."

The monkey picks his ear, sniffing it before he goes inside. Canardist groans in disdain at them, slamming the door.

"Well, shall we-"

"Wait! Wait, please!" Canardist interrupts, approaching them. She takes off the gem from the turban. "Vigor said...he wanted you to have this."

Eugene smiles, offering a coin to her. "Unfortunately...it is free."

"No, no, take it. I think I owe him."

"If you insist," He spins the coin into her hand in exchange for the gem. She then slams the door again.

"I_ really _hope no one runs into them in the future," Harmony closes her eyes, shaking her head. Who knows what she might put them through?

"Blondie, I gotta say, this has been the weirdest, best birthday I've ever had," He hugs his girlfriend. "Now come on, we got a Dark Kingdom to get to."

"And no matter what happens...we'll be there," Rapunzel places a hand on her sister's back, causing her to smile.

"I can't believe today! We met Demanitus and he gave Varian a letter for me, and-"

"Aren't you going to read it?" Eugene raises a brow at her.

"No way! I want him to read it first when we get back home," Harmony places the scroll into her bag.

* * *

The others have returned to the caravan, where the two sisters are telling their friends everything. "And then Vigor said, for I am Demanitus! Now this is a monkey talking, by the way. So he took us to a maze, and-and there were riddles. Oh, Cass, Cass! You know how much I love riddles!"

"And we had to deal with these disgusting spiders..."

Eugene opens up the gem to see a tiny piece of paper.

"Oh! This one, I had to put my arm in a wall, totally figured it out."

"And he said he had faith in me with the moonstone, and the next thing I knew, he gave me a letter to give to Varian! He's gonna love it!"

_At the end of Rapunzel and Harmony's journey, one of their party shall turn against them._

He raises a brow at the laughing Shorty and Lance. "Pascal, Pascal, do the face again..." He does so and Daisy chirps, flapping her wings. They all laugh, the horses neighing along. "That's the one! That's the face, oh!"

The last person he turns to, Cass, has a sinister smile on her face as she glances to the duo...

His eyes widen in alarm.

She wasn't really going to do that...was she?

**Angel: I know making Varian go back to Corona might seem unfair, but I have a reason for it, which I will not say XD It's nothing personal against him, believe me.**

**And yes, Harmony is only half of the moonstone. Which, if you think about it, explains a lot XD No, there isn't two moonstones, but she's the embodiment of only half of it. I don't know how to explain it any clearer than I have in this episode lol.**


	49. Destinies Collide Part 1

**Angel: We're finally at the end of season 2! Then the third season! Even though it was mostly filler, I did enjoy rewatching the second season and writing it with Varian as being part of it.**

_Edmund: Previously on Tangled..._

"_Where is it taking us?" Rapunzel asked at the black rocks at the beginning of their journey_

"_To fulfill your destinies. These rocks were looking for you both, and you two must follow them to the Dark Kingdom."_

_The scroll joined together once the four pieces were found._

"_We've experienced some pretty heavy stuff out here." Staylan stood in front of Eugene. "These black rocks are leading us to our destinies. We have never been more sure of anything in our lives. We have to follow them. What if they lead to somewhere I'm never supposed to come back from?"_

"_And what if it costs me something that...that I can't imagine losing?" Harmony asked softly._

"_Adira's lying to you!" Hector warned from the Great Tree. "She-she might have you think she's helping you to find your destiny, but if you two go to the Dark Kingdom, you're doomed!"_

_25 years ago..._

_The whole Dark Kingdom was evacuating. "Everyone must leave now!" Edmund shouted at the disheartened people walking away. He turned away from the entrance, Quirin standing nearby._

"_Your majesty..."_

"_I said everyone!" He gritted his teeth, a handmaiden closing her eyes and walking away. A baby could be heard crying from one of the rooms. Quirin looked in the direction of the room, watching as the handmaiden held the baby in her arms._

_Edmund paced around by himself. "May this place and the cursed power that lies within it be forever wiped from existence!"_

_He shut the door to the room that held the moonstone._

_Present Day_

Max and Fidella run with the caravan, Eugene snapping the reins. Their eyes widen as Rapunzel, Cass, and Harmony sit on the roof, looking up ahead as they can see the Dark Kingdom in the distance. Harmony tenses up a bit as they step out of the caravan.

"We made it...The Dark Kingdom," Rapunzel whispers as Harmony clutches her left hand.

"I'm scared, Punzie. I'm getting all kinds of bad feelings from that place."

"Hey, it's okay," Rapunzel places a hand on her shoulder. "Remember, we're all by your side on this."

The girl nods slowly.

"Yep. We just need a way to get the ol' camper down there," Eugene states and the caravan itself moves backwards.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait, wait, wait!" Rapunzel shouts as they run over, but it's too late as the caravan falls off the cliff, crashing onto the ground below.

"No! Not again!" Eugene exclaims at this.

"Not even five minutes and we lost our ride. Man..." Harmony rubs a temple at this. Lance sighs, wiping away a fake tear.

"It served us well..."

"Oh no! All my clean clothes!" Shorty holds his head in agony.

"Shorty, you didn't have any clean clothes," Lance tells him and the tiny man scoffs.

"Psh. Well, not with that attitude, I didn't."

Rapunzel silently turns around, looking to the Dark Kingdom. "Your destinies await, Princesses," Cass tells the two.

"You sure you're both ready for this?" Eugene asks the duo.

"I just wish I knew what this is. I mean, Demanitus said if Harmony doesn't grab the moonstone, the black rocks will destroy everything. But I have no idea what to expect to happen to either of us when I do..."

"She's right," Harmony sighs a little, stepping a bit closer. "He also said that it's gonna give me the power that I've been missing all this time. But we don't know what will happen after that..."

"I don't know. But whatever happens, you two won't be facing it alone," Cass smiles towards Eugene as he joins their side.

Cass smiles as she steps forward.

(Harmony and Eugene in bold, Cass and Rapunzel in italics)

_C: Now_

_Now more than ever_

_We must stick together_

_United_

She smiles towards her friends.

**E: Now **

Eugene wraps an arm around Rapunzel.

**It's now or never**

**So let's face the future**

**Clear-sighted **

He waves a hand in front of them.

**H: Now**

**This is our last endeavor**

Harmony holds her sister's hand, Rapunzel grinning down at her.

**So let's pull through**

**Reunited**

_R: Somehow we've managed to make it this far_

Rapunzel steps forward onto the grass, looking out to the Dark Kingdom.

_It's been one heck of a ride_

All three of them join her side.

_**A: There's nothing I couldn't do**_

They look towards the black rocks together.

_**Not with you by my side**_

They jump onto the black rocks to get towards the bottom. Cass lands in a pile of spiked vines.

_C: Maybe tomorrow_

_We'll find to our sorrow_

_Our story has come to an ending_

She gets onto her feet, looking up at the sky. Eugene looks to Rapunzel nearby.

**E: Maybe we're fated **

**To be separated**

Rapunzel falls off, having slipped from a rock.

**Who knows where our paths might be bending**

Rapunzel landed in an underground cave as Harmony steps onto black rocks, watching her steps.

**H: Maybe today**

**Destinies will be completed**

She looks out to all of the black rocks, hoping to finally put the moonstone past her and then she can live a normal life.

**Our lives have been spent contending**

_R: How I wish we could stay here forever this way_

Rapunzel looks up to the three shadows of her best friends disappearing, running up to the wall.

_But perhaps there's no point in pretending_

She turns around to the black rocks, which glow.

_C: If we're destined to head in our own different ways_

Cass cuts away a vine, looking at a glowing black rock.

_**G: Let's make the most of these sweet final days**_

Eugene reaches the end of the cliff and all four of them follow the rocks.

_**A: Why not go out in a glorious blaze**_

Eugene jumps onto branches.

_**Cause now**_

They all join together as they jump off the black rocks past the sun.

_**Now more than ever**_

The four join hands as they fall towards a lake.

_**We're still here together**_

_**United **_

They slide down the wall, landing in the lake.

_**Now**_

They hold their breath, swimming along.

_**It's now or never**_

_**So let's stand as one**_

They surface above the water, smiling at each other.

_**Undivided**_

Eugene splashes Cass as Rapunzel splashes her sister and they all get into a water fight.

_**When we look back at this moment we had**_

Rapunzel stands alone until the three join her again. She throws her hair onto a branch, holding onto them.

_**Then shall we tremble with pride**_

They swing along the trees to a statue, landing on top of it together.

_**There's nothing I couldn't do**_

_**Not with you by my side**_

They climb onto the arm, jumping off and swinging down Rapunzel's hair. They roll down a small hill.

_**What in the world would I do**_

They stop rolling, the two sisters laying down on opposite sides. Harmony's hair is in all directions as she has a contented smile on her face. Cass is to her right and Eugene is to her left.

_C: Without you_

Cass sits up with a grin.

**E: Without you**

Eugene sits up to look at her.

**H: Without you**

Harmony smiles as she sits on her knees.

_R: Without you_

Rapunzel smiles at all three of them. They all get onto their feet, looking up ahead.

_**By my side**_

They join hands again as the Dark Kingdom is just up ahead. Harmony's hair flies to the right. Lance and Shorty are up in a tree branch. Lance throws down an eaten apple near Cass. "Hey!" She protests up at him.

* * *

Rapunzel and Harmony are drawing in their journals. Harmony draws Varian on a page, smiling. She may want to stop the black rocks, but most of all...she just wants to see him again...

"Punzie? Do you think Varian will be happy to see me whether or not I have the moonstone?" The girl looks up at the blonde.

"Of course! He loves you so much, Harmi. Before this trip, he was still angry towards us...but now that he's back in Corona, he's changed so much. We all have. And I know in my heart that he'll still see the real you. I know I do," She ruffles her sister's hair.

"Thanks," She grins, trying to contain her excitement.

She hears a chirp, looking towards Daisy, who hadn't made a sound.

"You guys hear that?"

"Look!" Rapunzel points to the sky as a white dove flies towards them. It has a scroll in hand and the bird lands on Harmony's free shoulder, dropping the letter into her hands.

"A letter?"

She opens it up as the dove leaves.

_Dear Mona,_

_Well, finally back in Corona...imprisoned. Not a day goes by that I don't think of you. I hope you've reached the Dark Kingdom! Can't wait to hear what happened...thank you from the bottom of my heart, Mona, for what you've done for me. When you return, I have a surprise for you!_

_I love you,_

_Varian_

"Aww, he wrote you a letter!" Rapunzel nudges her blushing sister.

"Punzie! Stop," She giggles slightly, glad that she managed to get it in time. He must've written it the second he returned.

"When Rapunzel and Harmony enter the Dark Kingdom, one of their team will turn against them," Eugene reads the message Demanitus gave him after he turned back into Vigor. He glances at Max, who looks just as worried as he is. "I don't want to believe it either, Max, but...Demanitus has been right about everything so far...Well, at least we know that it's not Harmi who won't turn against us once she has the moonstone."

They look towards the Dark Kingdom, Max neighing at him.

"No, I won't tell them. Ugh. I am not going to argue with you. Look, this is the last time I ever ask a horse's advice about an ancient monkey scientist's warning."

A few crows stare at them from the trees. "Do me a favor and let's just keep this whole thing to ourselves, alright?" He plucks an apple from the tree, feeding it to Max. However, Pascal snatches the little paper with his tongue.

"Hey, what's this?" She holds it into her hands, Harmony joining her side.

Eugene laughs nervously. "This is so much fun..."

* * *

Rapunzel scoffs once they've read it, continuing to walk down the path. "No one is gonna turn against us. Demanitus has to be wrong. Everyone's had our back this far," She hands him the paper. "They're not gonna stop now."

"Unless they think they're protecting you both. After all, that's how Cass injured her hand. Harmi, can't you sense it?"

"No. Since we're getting closer to the Dark Kingdom, my senses are going crazy," Harmony squeezes her eyes shut. "It's like I'm being pulled in so many directions that I can't tell where anything is gonna come from. But...Cass has been acting weird ever since we got away from that house, Punzie."

"...You don't think that Cass-" Rapunzel looks over her shoulder.

"Look, look, look, I love Cass. She's become like a sister to me," Eugene states as Lance is making pictures with string. "Granted, you know, an annoying sister you only put up with because you have to, but maybe we should, you know, keep an eye on-"

A crow suddenly hits him in the face, falling in front of his feet. It walks around Eugene's feet, falling onto the ground.

"What is that bird doing?" Eugene asks slowly as they stare at it.

"Uhh, maybe you should try asking his friends," Cass points up to the trees as more crows approach from the skies. They swoop towards the group, who all scatter. Lance, Cass, and Max run to a small ledge, jumping off. Daisy and Owl fly away from the crows, darting around trees. Three of them hit the tree, getting their beaks stuck.

Harmony pushes Rapunzel and Eugene onto the ground, placing an arm in front of her. She creates a shield made of black rocks over them. Rapunzel looks up at all the birds, noticing something.

"They're all following that bird."

She cringes as she squeezes her eyes shut, the crows flying right past them.

"That bird doesn't even act like...well, a bird!" Harmony gestures to the sky. Pascal is bracing himself, finding that he's riding a crow.

"Pascal, Daisy, lead 'em back this way!" Rapunzel undoes her hair as Harmony undoes the shield. Daisy chirps with a nod as Pascal brings out his tongue. Daisy flies right past the crow he's sitting on, getting his attention. He chases after her and Pascal uses his tongue as a rein to help steer. Rapunzel snags a branch with her hair and hugs her sister's waist, jumping onto the branch above them. The two sisters land on the branch and Rapunzel opens up her hair.

"Get away from me!" Lance shrieks as he and Cass are riding Max. The horse kicks away some crows and he lands in Rapunzel's hair. "Whose stupid plan was this? Aaaack!"

Rapunzel jumps once all the birds have been captured, her hair in a ball. The birds wiggle around as the two sisters take one side. Together, they open up her hair and all the birds fly away to the skies in the opposite direction. Lance moves away the hair, spitting out a crow feather.

"Never more..."

"Wonderful!" Eugene hops around as he takes off his boot. "Even the birds in this kingdom are hostile!" He shakes out the bird with the orange beak.

"How...? Never mind," Harmony shakes her head slowly and Rapunzel scoffs.

"It's gonna take a lot more than a bunch of birds to stop us!" She continues forward, tying up her hair in the process. "Uh, something like this, for example." She looks up ahead to the Dark Kingdom...

With no bridge.

Lance and Shorty look over the edge. "Yep. That is a long way down..." The last three words echo at the endless amount of black rocks, and he chuckles.

"Help!" Shorty's voice echoes. "Did you hear that? Someone needs help!" He jumps to go 'help', but Lance grabs him before he could fall.

"Anybody have any idea how we get across this thing?" Eugene gestures to the gap. "Harmi?"

"You kidding? Rapunzel's_ hair _wouldn't even get that far!" She points to the Dark Kingdom.

The same crow that got stuck in Eugene's shoe lands in a room. He goes up to his perch, cawing at his master.

"The interlopers still approach? Then we've got work to do," He plucks an ax from the wall that has the Brotherhood symbol on it.

Cass paces around while the sisters walk up to them. "We found a way across!"

"Although...it's a _little_ unorthodox," Harmony pinches her fingers together. They join them as they gesture to something in the distance.

"Ta-da!"

There's a little gondola that's already half-way through to the Dark Kingdom. "Come on. Who's afraid of a little old gondola?"

A piece of it falls off, which is more than enough for them to raise their hands. "Yeah, high-fives! I love these attitudes!" Rapunzel high-fives them.

"Um, that's not why they raised their hands," Harmony smiles nervously at the three.

"Um, girls, that thing's a good 50 yards out there," Eugene explains to the duo.

"I can get it," Cass volunteers, looking up at the rope. "I'll get across, then wheel it back here for the rest of you."

"Umm, I don't know, Cass," Rapunzel speaks up hesitantly.

"Trust me. I can do it," She gestures to herself.

"Of course, I trust you—um, we trust you, but your hand."

"Even with my hand, I'm still the most agile of all of us," Cass briefly looks at her hand. Rapunzel blinks rapidly, Eugene staring at her. She then smiles at her boyfriend and sister, having faith in her friend...but the concern was still there, not just for her hand, but for Demanitus' message...

* * *

Cass steps onto the rope, balancing herself as she walks slowly over the black rocks that await her should she fall.

"I mean, you'd think she would've taken the heavy armor off before climbing on a flimsy cable over an endless chasm," Eugene comments as they look on.

"Uh, maybe she's making a fashion statement," Lance shrugs a bit.

"Honey, armor is so last fall," Shorty adds in. Harmony rolls her eyes at him as Cass starts to lose her balance.

They all gasp in alarm as she catches herself with her feet, dangling over the chasm. Cass brings herself up to grip the cable, everyone looking on nervously. She shimmies over to the gondola and manages to get inside.

"Wow, that takes a lot of guts," Rapunzel looks on with admiration.

"I guess she really does have your backs," Eugene says slowly. "Unless she's planning on taking that car to the other side of the chasm and leaving it there. Then you'd have no way of getting across."

"No way," Harmony shakes her head. "Cass knows how important this is to me. We have to get over there, gondola or not."

"Not just you," Rapunzel smiles softly, taking her hand. "Us. Harmi, don't forget that I'm by your side on this."

"I haven't," Harmony smiles back, squeezing her sister's hand. They wait anxiously for a few seconds until the gears crank, going forward. They all gasp, but the gondola stops in place and starts going towards them.

They sigh in relief, Pascal and Daisy falling onto the shoulders of their owners. They walk up the steps to join Cass as she looks out the window. She sees the smiles of her friends and opens the doors, not sure why they're staring at her like that.

"Um, did you want me to get the door for you, too?"

Rapunzel just hugs her instead of explaining.

* * *

Once they've all boarded, Cass and Lance move the gondola together. "Uhh, that was pretty brave what you did back there," He comments to the lady-in-waiting. "I-I mean, I was gonna do it before you volunteered, but, uh..."

"Thanks, Lance. All in the name of fulfilling destinies," She smiles, continuing to move.

"You really buy all this destiny stuff?" He stares at her. He didn't peg her as the destiny type.

"I believe everybody's got a destiny..." She smiles widely, quickly glancing at Harmony for some reason.

"I told you Cass wouldn't let us down," Rapunzel states to Eugene.

"Okay, okay, I might have read too much into that monkey's warning," Eugene hands her the slip of paper. "It's just the thought of anything hurting you or my little sister..."

Something thumps above their heads. Eugene opens up the roof door and they gasp sharply to see a man standing on top of the gondola, axe in hand. A bear mask is over his face. He roars at them and Harmony pulls them back as the axe pierces through the shut door.

"Look! Can we not go just one place without some weirdo jumping out of nowhere?!" Eugene gestures to the roof as the sisters grit their teeth.

The wood splints as the axe hits the ceiling. "Lance, Cass, you guys keep cranking!" Rapunzel points at them. "Get us across this as fast as possible. Eugene, Harmi..." She releases her hair. "Let's go see what our new friend wants."

They look out the windows and Eugene climbs to the roof. The attacker suddenly appears in front of him and hits the roof, causing him to lose his grip.

"Eugene!" The two shout, Max grabbing his foot. "Eugene, watch out!" The man raises his axe into the air. He noticeably has a stump for a right arm...Rapunzel smacks the weapon out of his hand as Harmony uses her moonlight powers to blind him. He stumbles back a bit, managing to grab the axe. Rapunzel's hair grabs his legs and he turns around to see her standing there. Harmony jumps and lands next to her sister. He tries to cut himself free, but part of the axe breaks.

Eugene runs up to the man, tackling him, and is kicked onto the roof. He gets stuck in the ceiling, Lance and Cass looking up at him. The former thief looks up to see the axe raised into the air. He gasps, looking away. Before the axe could touch him, the arm is pulled back by Rapunzel's hair. Eugene uses this opportunity to break free, Rapunzel falling onto the ground. Harmony pulls out her bow and arrow, firing one arrow. He swings the axe to knock the arrow back towards the girl.

She gasps sharply, ducking her head just in time. She's certainly never met anyone who's dodged her arrows like that before...

He grips the cable with his axe and barely cuts it, but it's enough for it to get loose. Rapunzel peeks through the hole.

"Guys, uh, I'm not trying to rush you. Go faster!" She urges the duo and they do so.

"Come on, girls!" Eugene grabs their hands, running towards the edge. The man rushes towards them when Adira swings into view, using her sword to zipline down there. She flips and slides onto the roof, the attacker landing in front of her. She smiles at the trio.

"Where did she come from?" Cass asks in disdain.

"Like an angel, she fell from heaven," Lance comments and her look turns into annoyance.

"And now Adira's here. Because, why wouldn't she be?" Eugene gestures to her.

"Adira!" Harmony smiles in relief.

The crow from earlier flies in, tackling both Pascal and Daisy onto the floor. Daisy glares at him as he caws, flying right towards them. He crashes onto the floor right next to them, acting like he's being hit when they're not even touching him. He flies into the wall and then leaves, the two pets glancing to each other.

They shrug at their somewhat victory, sweeping their hands. That bird seems to be clueless enough to defeat himself on his own...

Adira is battling the attacker, dodging his attacks and jumping. She lands in front of the trio, holding her sword. She blocks blows with him as they simply watch. Adira slides to the edge and jumps from his axe. She jumps back a bit and leaps towards him, sword in hand. He dodges it and eventually knocks her weapon out of her hand.

"No!" She shouts as it flies into the black rocks below. The attacker knocks her off the edge as well.

"Adira!" Eugene yells and Lance sees her fall.

"NO!" He looks out the window as she disappears into the smoke below.

"You're just as sadistic as Hector, you know that?!" Harmony screams at the attacker, who flinches a bit at the name. But then he slices off the top holding the gondola. Rapunzel holds the two as she grips the cable with her hand, swinging around to land in front of the door. They look over the edge and Rapunzel opens the door to see the others holding on as best as they can. The cable snaps further and Eugene looks towards the attacker again.

Harmony helps the others out of the gondola. "Rapunzel, you and the others go. I'll hold off Mr. Personality."

"But-"

"I said go! Now!" He exclaims, everyone but the three girls running onto the platform. Eugene turns around, backing up from the man. Cass grabs their hands."

"Cassandra! Wait!" Rapunzel urges her, looking towards Eugene in worry.

"Alright, what do you say we call this one a draw?" Eugene suggests nervously, falling onto his back. The attacker raises his axe again, but the cable is close to breaking. Eugene's eyes widen and then the attacker's brown eyes widen at him. He gasps at the man.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel shouts, Cass pulling the two over their shoulders and running off. The cable snaps and the two fall. "NO! No!" She screams as they watch them fall.

* * *

The gondola crashed down below, Eugene's face planted into the slab that they landed on. He groans as he turns around, back planted against the ground.

"Oh, that was thoroughly unpleasant..." He sits up, rubbing his head. The axe lands nearby and he looks up to see the attacker staring right at him. "Oh, thank heavens. You're okay. Well, what are you waiting for?"

"I...I won't fight you."

Eugene's eyes widen as he looks up, wondering why the man's suddenly stopped. He removes the bear mask to reveal himself as King Edmund.

"You...are my son."

Eugene stares up at him in shock.

"Father?" He slowly scooches away. He didn't even think his parents were alive! "You're my father...?"

Edmund nods curtly and Eugene narrows his eyes at him. Then he bursts into laughter just like he did when he first met Demanitus.

"Well, of course! Of course you are!" Of course, he's being sarcastic as he gets onto his feet. "I don't know why I didn't see it before. I mean, the dark, soulless eyes, the unbridled aggression that drives one to attack total strangers!"

Edmund walks up to Adira's sword, pulling it out of the black rock. He then slices a black rock in front of him. Eugene looks at him in disbelief.

"I am your father..."

He had no idea what to say. Adira, who had been listening in, backs up a bit, climbing up the edge.

* * *

"I'm...I'm so sorry, girls," Cass says solemnly as the others can't see him from their position. Rapunzel stands up with determination.

"This is _not_ how our story ends. We're going back to get him."

"No need," Adira suddenly joins them. "He's fine. He made it safely into the cave below. I saw it. Now, come. Fish Skin didn't risk his life so that we could waste time looking for him."

Rapunzel snatches her waist by the hair. "Just a minute, Adira. You knew that knight back there. In fact, I'd bet you know a lot of things you're not telling us. We're not going another step until you start giving us answers!"

"You helped us get this far, and we still don't know anything," Harmony frowns deeply at her.

"You're right, Princesses," She says slowly. "It's time you heard the whole story."

"Don't worry. It's actually quite an interesting story," Edmund continues as he guides Eugene up some stairs. And it starts with the moon. Once upon a time, a single drop of moonlight fell from the heavens. And from this small drop of moonlight, formed a single, seductive opal stone. It had the ability to destroy any and all who would seek to possess it. Centuries passed, this opal's defenses spread, and from that grew a kingdom. A kingdom founded by our ancestors. Generation after generation of our bloodline have stood guard here, helping to protect the world from the opal's limitless power."

"But it was Edmund, the last of the Dark Kings, who tried to end this legacy and destroy the stone," Adira speaks to the others. "That didn't go so well."

_Edmund got blasted back by the opal's power._

"In the fallout, I commanded my subjects to leave and never return."

_A handmaiden held up a little baby boy._

"Even...my own son. I sent my most trusted soldiers into the world to ensure this power be kept a secret. For if it ever fell into the wrong hands, it would mean certain doom. These knights called themselves-"

"The Brotherhood, which I always thought was a bit odd, because, well, one of us is a woman," Adira continues the story. "I refused to believe such darkness could exist without a light of equal power somewhere in this world. As usual, I was right. After years of searching, I found the sundrop and the moonstone. Only you two, Rapunzel and Harmony, can restore balance to all things."

"If you've known this all along, why have you been so cryptic?" Rapunzel can't help but ask.

"While I'm certain bringing the sundrop to the moonstone will neutralize its threat...I'm not sure what will happen to you both."

"You mean if Harmony or Rapunzel touch the moonstone, they could-"

"We did not come this far to stop now," Rapunzel interrupts, shaking her head.

"Good. Are we all friends again?" Adira smiles a little.

"Sure," Rapunzel smiles back.

"We never were," Cass makes that clear.

"Just a few more questions," Harmony holds up a finger. "You knew King Edmund for a long time, right? Then were you aware of what he did with the moonstone when I was born?"

"...Yes," Adira closes her eyes. "News had broken out about it when it occurred. I wanted to go confront him, but...I had been sworn to not return, until now."

"Why would he give it to me of all people...?" Harmony murmurs slowly.

* * *

"Wait a minute!" Eugene exclaims in realization, pointing to his 'father.' "So you were the one who gave Harmony the moonstone! If you wanted to destroy the thing, then why did you give it to a child?"

"I was tired of that moonstone plaguing me! I just wanted to be rid of the thing! So when I heard of Corona having a newborn child, I...I plucked the moonstone from its mast and sent it to a place where they would find it. I heard about what happened to the sundrop flower, and planted the moonstone opal there with a note stating it was for the princess. I wanted my subjects, my son, my life to come back, but that couldn't happen if the moonstone was still here! I knew it was foolish, but for once, I wanted that opal to just be out of my life! So I entrusted it to Harmony, hoping that she would contain that power...how wrong I was. It was supposed to be safe in Corona, in her hands!"

"So giving it to a little girl was the best option?!" Eugene yells at him. "Because of that thing, she grew up locked inside a castle for 14 years! She lost her childhood, her freedom, her faith and all you can say is because you were being selfish! She had no idea what she was in for once she touched it, but you gave a powerful object to a vulnerable, unsuspecting child!"

* * *

"I can't believe he did that, and to a newborn no less!" Harmony exclaims as they follow Adira. "What kind of king endangers a girl from another kingdom?"

"I don't condone what he did, but I can understand why," Adira looks over her shoulder. "The moonstone has done more to him than anyone besides you could understand..."

She clamps her mouth shut as she has a look of anger. The moonstone might've taken away years of his life, but it was his choice to give it to her. It was his choice to take away years of her own life. Both of their lives, ruined.

"This is the only safe way up. Follow me."

Rapunzel places a hand on her sister's back, sensing her frustration. "I'm not happy about this either, but once you touch it, it'll be over..."

"I really hope so," Harmony whispers, closing her eyes. Rapunzel looks to the two horses.

"Sorry, Max, it looks like you two will have to stay here." She pats the dismayed horse on the snout.

"Don't worry, m'lady!" Shorty speaks up. "I'm great with children." He hugs Shorty and Harmony leans in towards her sister.

"More like the other way around," She whispers to the blonde, who laughs in exaggeration.

"Ha, they're in good hands, Shorty! ...You're in charge."

Max whinnies as he accepts his role. Shorty ends up falling asleep right on Max's leg, who frowns towards the others. The two horses watch them walk up the path.

"And then there were five," Cass states as the castle is up ahead.

* * *

Eugene opens the door to the dining room, and like everything else he's seen, it's covered in black rocks. "Welcome home..."

"Yeah, it's uh—Wow, you really went all-in with the whole dark theme, didn't ya?" It felt more like a dungeon than a dining room.

"Oh, he likes it," Edmund says to himself, but the former thief heard it anyway.

"So tell me this, Old Brooding Armor Guy. What makes you think we're related, anyway?" Eugene demands him, still angry for what he did to someone he thinks of as a little sister that he'd never had.

"It's your eyes," Edmund stares right into them. "I can tell a lot by looking into a man's eyes. Also my ravens have been following you ever since you left," He eyes the crow from before staring at them. He then hands Eugene a few papers. "These don't do your nose any justice."

Eugene points to the very same wanted posters of him. "That's what I've been screaming!"

"I think this reunion is off to a great start!" Edmund smiles as he walks further down the steps. "We're finding common ground, exchanging stories. I just might win him over yet!"

"You know, I can hear what you're saying," Eugene calls out.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I must be speaking my thoughts out loud," He states, the former thief tossing away the posters. "I have been alone a long time." He clears his throat. "How's this? You are unaware of what I'm thinking now, yes?"

"Yeah, no, you're saying everything that you're thinking out loud, and I can still hear all of it," Eugene deadpans towards him.

"Drat! I will work on this skill," He steps forward, the crow eyeing the duck gravy boat like it's a female. "Over time, my ravens lost track of you." The crow makes a heart with his wings, dancing around until he hits the chair. "Oy, you see what I have to work with?"

"Right," Eugene gets onto his feet. "Look, I've got to find my friends, you see. I need to make sure Rapunzel and Harmony are okay...especially if she already knows everything that you've told me."

"So long as they stay away from the moonstone, they will be," He takes a sip of his drink. "I know of the story: she doesn't have the final power of the moonstone, correct? So as long as she doesn't obtain it, she'll be fine."

"But they can't; Rapunzel's the sundrop and whether or not she has it, Harmony still is the embodiment of the moonstone. Well, not willingly thanks to you," He gives Edmund a small glare.

"You know that they are, son."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! You do not get to call me son!" Eugene slams his hand on the table.

"Alright, listen. I didn't want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice," Edmund closes his eyes. "Here comes...the Glower." He grits his teeth with narrowed eyes towards the man.

"Wow, okay, yeah. You can stop that," Eugene deadpans at this. In what world was that ever going to work on him?

"This is kind of an off day for me. This doesn't usually happen," He clears his throat, walking up to the fireplace. "A quarter of a century ago, I had you taken as far away as possible. Yet, after all that time and all those miles, you wind up here in front of me with this," He holds out the black rock sword that belongs to Adira. "A weapon that could actually have the power to destroy the moonstone!" He slices a black rock into the fire. "We shall destroy the moonstone together!"

"We? No, listen. The black rocks made a path for both Rapunzel and Harmony, leading them here-"

"Leading _you _here to put an end to the moonstone," Edmund insists to him. "It can get into your head, fill it with thoughts. That's what It's doing to your friend. That's what it did to me, and I nearly destroyed my own kingdom. I barely survived, but not everyone was so fortunate." He looks up at a picture of himself and the queen. "Your mother..."

Eugene slowly looks up at the woman in the painting.

"And I entrusted that power to a girl! Perhaps it isn't Rapunzel's destiny to grab the moonstone, but yours to save her from doing so. Don't allow the same fate to befall the love of your life. Together, we can destroy the girl-"

"Destroy her?" Eugene asks in horror.

"She is the moonstone, the girl must go as well. It is her destiny to die here," Edmund narrows his eyes. Eugene couldn't believe what he was hearing: he must be that crazy to try and kill a teenage girl that he stupidly gave the moonstone to just to get away from it. But...he doesn't want any of this for Rapunzel...

* * *

"We're here," Rapunzel smiles at the others, about to step forward when Adira stops her.

"Be on your guard. This path is lined with lethal, inescapable traps." Adira steps on a trap. "Watch out!" Spikes come out from the stairs, only to turn into dust.

Cass just laughs at this. "Great traps!"

"Okay, so I oversold the traps a little. They're old." Her mouth opens in shock as the sisters' hair glows gold and blue respectively. Harmony's entire hair turns blue, lifting up into the air as it gets out of the ponytail.

"Whoa!" Rapunzel exclaims as she looks at her braid. They look at their hair, and then to each other in shock. It stops and Harmony's hair falls between her hips and her bottom.

"...Huh. Has your hair grown?" Adira points to Harmony.

"A little bit, yeah," She touches a strand, confused by what just happened. Her hair used to be just above her hips, but since the trip, it's grown a few inches.

"Uhh, what was that?" Cass gestures to the sisters.

"The moonstone opal," Adira looks up ahead. "It must know the sundrop and the other half of the moonstone are close."

"Then we'd better get on with this," Rapunzel narrows her eyes. Harmony takes her hand and she squeezes it. They slowly move down the steps and after dealing with a few more 'traps,' they've reached the entrance of the Dark Kingdom. Rapunzel looks at the pulley that held up the door, looking to the others. Together, the three open the door, and Eugene is standing there.

Rapunzel gasps in relief. "Eugene! Oh! Thank goodness you're okay!"

"You're alright! ...But wait, how did you get all the way here?" Harmony blinks at him.

"We were so-" She notices the look on his face. "Eugene? What is it?"

"I'm sorry, Rapunzel, Harmony...but I won't let you in."

"What are you talking about?"

The question by Harmony goes unanswered as Edmund cuts the chain, and the door closes right in front of their faces.


	50. Destinies Collide Part 2

**Angel: Warning, there is minor swearing.**

"I'm sorry, Rapunzel and Harmony...but I won't let you in."

Edmund slices off the chain and the door closes in front of them, to their horror. "Eugene, let us in!" Rapunzel slams on the door. "Eugene!" She squeezes her eyes shut, Eugene in the same position. Harmony steps up to her sister, placing a gentle hand on her back.

He opens his eyes, ashamed of what he's done. He slowly walks away from the door as Rapunzel lets out a sigh, confused.

"...One of their company will turn against them..." She shakes her head slowly, lifting herself up. "I can't believe this." She brushes a bang away from her face.

"There's no way that it's Eugene! Why would he do this?" Harmony gestures to the door. She senses something and looks towards the door.

"Princess, listen to me. I've known Eugene my entire life, and he has never, and I mean never, loved anyone as much as he loves you. And he has never looked up to anyone the way he does with you, Harmi."

"...Looked up to me?" Harmony turns around to him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, before he forgave me for lying and tricking him, he was always talking about how he wanted to set a good example for you...but over time, he's seen you grow up to be a mature, dutiful, and dedicated princess. Deep down...he thinks that he doesn't even compare to you."

Harmony presses a hand to the door, shocked that Eugene even thought of her that way...and yet she barely even interacted with him when she returned. She treated him politely because of his relationship with his sister, and then over time, she slowly warmed up to him...

"Yeah, girls. Whatever he thinks he's doing, he must be doing it for you both. He must know the truth behind why you were given the moonstone, Harmi."

She clenches a fist as Rapunzel looks to Pascal, who nods in agreement with them. "You guys are probably right, but...I need to hear it from him."

"They are right, Punzie," Harmony turns to her. "I sensed it for only a second, but...I'm pretty sure the king is with him. So what he's doing better have a **damn **good reason for it," She narrows her eyes towards the door. She just wants an explanation on why he's holding back the moonstone from her. Doesn't he know that she just wants to be free from this power? She was tired of having the black rocks plague her...because of them, Quirin is in the amber, his home destroyed…

"We have to hurry. The king has my Shadow Blade, which has the power to cut these rocks," Adira lightly touches a black rock. "I know exactly what he's going to do with it. Destroy the moonstone...and I don't think you'll live afterwards. You may not have that last power, but you are still connected to it," She looks towards Harmony, who covers her mouth in shock. So...destroying the moonstone...will kill her...

"Pascal and Daisy, find a way inside, get to Eugene, and don't let him anywhere near that stone. He may not even know destroying it will harm my sister," Rapunzel places an arm around her sister's shoulder, hugging her protectively. "I am NOT letting her go that easy."

Harmony returns the hug, shaking a little. Daisy nuzzles her cheek before grabbing Pascal between her feet, taking flight.

"The rest of us need to look for a back entrance or something. This can't be the only way into the castle."

She hands Harmony Varian's letter to her and the girl clutches it to her heart. She WILL see this through, and live for him...for her kingdom...and for her sister.

"I'm afraid the king has sealed all the entrances to the-" The ground starts to rumble as their hair glows again. Black rocks shoot up from the ground, alarming the two horses. Black rocks appear in their direction, cutting off at least half of the path that the others took. Shorty stares at it and it starts to affect the castle, the ceiling crumbling.

* * *

Eugene starts at the debris in front of his feet. "If I know Rapunzel and Harmony, they're gonna find a way in here."

"Then we must get to the moonstone first!" He steps into the room, Eugene hesitantly following after him. He looks to all of the statues of his ancestors...all of them have the Brotherhood symbol on their sashes. He steps further, noticing all of the wanted posters of him on a table.

"These statues...are these my-"

"They're _our _ancestors," Edmund corrects him. "Generation after generation have sacrificed to keep this stone from the world. And now, you're here to help me destroy it once and for all, and take your place among them."

He steps up to the double doors, opening one. Eugene slowly steps up as he sees the glowing object up ahead.

"There it is, son. The moonstone. Or at least, part of it." He pulls out the sword, stepping forward. "No longer shall the girl and her burden fall upon us...for all that stands between us and our destiny is this bridge. Today, Princess Harmony of Corona shall die!"

"Wait, what?! No!" Eugene shouts upon learning this. "You never said doing this would _kill _her!"

"Destroying the moonstone will in turn destroy its other half. It must be done!"

"You can't-!"

Black rocks appear in front of them, and Eugene pulls the king back. A significant piece of bridge falls, and they are unable to jump across it. For once, he's relieved that the black rocks stepped in...The two look over the edge as Edmund clears his throat.

"I'll go get a rope. And then the girl shall perish..."

Eugene's eyes widen as he turns to the retreating king. He had to stop this somehow!

* * *

Pascal and Daisy reach a tower, looking around for an opening. Pascal pokes Daisy's leg and points to his right. She sees the hole and chirps in understanding. They peek inside as she flies them in, something flying past the hole. They don't notice it and continue on. Pascal sprints while Daisy continues flying.

That same bird appears right behind them again, alarming the two. They press their backs against a wall, continuing to a stained-glass mirror. Pascal camouflages to its colors, the bird diving straight into it. He falls near the two, squawking at them. Daisy kicks him in the face as Pascal swings around, hitting him too. He's knocked into a knight's armor, falling down in pain. He bursts out of the armor, balancing on a piece and knocking himself into the wall. The bricks fly off and he falls down below, crashing.

The two pets fist bump each other before going off to find Eugene.

* * *

Eugene opens the double doors that lead to the hall. He looks back to the moonstone and then to all of the wanted posters nearby. He takes some posters into his hands.

**I thought I was an outcast**

He sits on top of a black rock, looking at the poster forlornly.

**I thought I stood alone**

**A rogue, a thief, a joker**

He flips through three posters.

**No place to call my home**

**I thought no one could love me**

He closes his eyes, tossing away a poster.

**And how could I known?**

**I was wrong, oh so wrong**

He stands up, seeing his reflection on the black rocks.

**Then I thought I found it**

A memory of him proposing to Rapunzel at her welcoming ceremony appears.

**A dream that I could share**

The brown-haired Rapunzel beams at him in the memory.

**I thought I was so lucky**

The two share a brief kiss.

**It almost wasn't fair**

Memory Eugene smiles at his friends in a different room.

**I thought I knew my purpose**

Rapunzel and Harmony stand next to him side-by-side in the castle hall.

**I thought that I knew where I belong**

Eugene and Rapunzel share a hug from when he told her the truth about her mother's ring.

**But I was wrong**

He closes his eyes sadly.

**Everything I ever thought I knew **

Eugene slowly steps through the pile of posters.

**Where I've been**

**Where I'm going**

He couldn't believe his whole life...all of it was so different to him now.

**Everything I counted on turned out to be untrue**

**Could've guessed**

**Should've known**

He turns his sad look towards the ground.

**Now I do**

He steps away from the statue of his father, running a hand through his hair.

**Everything I've yearned for**

The poster at his feet flies away.

**Everything I planned**

All the posters of him fly around his waist.

**All my sweetest memories**

The posters suddenly form into a makeshift Rapunzel.

**Were castles made of sand**

The papers fall into a pile.

**Now that it's all crumbling**

Eugene looks up at the posters flying around him.

**Help me understand**

**If none of it was really me then who am I supposed to be?**

He turns around to a wall of memories.

**And everything I ever thought I knew**

Memories of Rapunzel, Lance, Cass, Harmony, Max, and Varian appear from the walls.

**Every hope**

**Every feeling**

He stares at all the memories as he can recall them clearly.

**Love and trust and happiness**

**They're done, they're gone, they're through**

The wall disappears and he's all alone again.

**And what's left **

**Me alone**

He closes his eyes, looking away.

**Once again**

**Should've known**

**Now I do**

He sags his shoulders as he walks back to the little table, sitting on top of it.

**I guess my life meant nothing**

He picks up a poster, holding it in his hands.

**I guess it was a sham**

Moving away the poster, he looks up at the statue of his father again.

**I guess I'm someone else now**

The wanted poster slowly moves away...

**I wonder who I am...**

He's left sitting there to think about his doubts and uncertainty...and what he did to Rapunzel and Harmony...

And what he's letting Edmund do to the girl. If he knew how it would affect her before, then he wouldn't have locked the two out!

The moonstone glows and he looks towards the room. Outside, everything starts shaking again, the sisters' hair glowing again. Black rocks burst, surrounding the duo. Rapunzel and Harmony kneel, holding their hair before it stops. Cass places her hands on top of theirs.

"Girls, are you okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine," Rapunzel stands up. "I think we'll be okay."

"I myself am a bit woozy, but I guess it has to do with my connection to the opal," Harmony gets onto her feet and they help their friend up.

The rocks underneath their feet crumble, and then it caves them, causing them to fall. They all scream before Rapunzel saves Cass and Harmony with her hair. Adira and Lance hang onto the black rocks nearby.

"Oh gosh, oh no!" Harmony panics a bit upon seeing the actual lava down below, gripping onto her sister's hair.

"Great! A sewer full of lava," Cass tries to catch her breath.

"Well, good news: this will lead us into the castle," Adira looks up ahead.

"Bad news: that's lava, Adira!" Harmony points at it. Rapunzel swings the three forward so that they land on a black rock. They look up ahead at the dangerous path of black rocks and lava...

"Lava sewer it is, then..."

* * *

Max, Fidella, and Shorty have reached the stairs. "You heard the princess," Shorty points up at them. "I'm in charge. I think you'll find me tough but fair."

Max rolls his eyes, stepping on a booby trap. They turn to the wall as it blocks their path and Fidella gives Max a look. He steps backwards and digs into the ground with one hoof. Fidella rolls her eyes at him as the horse jumps over the wall, landing with a proud smile. He whinnies towards Fidella, who simply taps the gate and it crashes into pieces due to its age.

He snorts indignantly after seeing this.

Fidella walks down the steps and Shorty follows, only to set off another trap. He starts sinking towards the lava down below.

"Well great, I'm shrinking."

Before he could fall in, Max grabs his collar with his mouth. "Oh look, I can see my house from here." Max lifts him up and he glances to Fidella.

* * *

The others are jumping onto either normal rocks or black rocks to get across. "How much further?" Rapunzel asks Adira once she's landed.

"Another couple hundred yards and we'll be directly below the throne room."

"...Adira...what do you think I'm missing from the moonstone?" Harmony turns to her and Adira pauses.

"...The moonstone or the black rocks don't respond to your emotions anymore. Do you remember when you first touched the black rocks? They emerged because you felt fear, and a little confused, but...your pure heart has neutralized the use of the rocks based on your emotions."

Harmony smiles weakly at the explanation. She never really thought about it like that before. It was good to know that not giving into a power she never wanted has helped her in the long run...but there was still concern for what could happen once she touches it.

"There is also the great power I'm sure you're aware of. Only when you take the moonstone can you utilize the power for your own desire."

"Gee, that's just swell to know right when we show up at the Dark Kingdom," Harmony deadpans upon learning this.

"You already were aware that you were missing a few things from the opal. I just hope that nothing happens to you…"

The hair starts glowing again, the walls crumbling. The black rocks start growing behind them, going up to the ceiling. A piece of debris is about to land on Lance when Cass pushes him out of the way.

"We'd better get to that moonstone soon. I don't know how much longer we can survive down here," Cass looks up at the black rocks.

"I'm gonna go with not much longer," Lance cringes a bit.

"We must turn back and find another way," Adira looks over her shoulder to the princesses. Three black rocks grow on the path behind them, and they start running in the other direction. The sisters watch as the black rocks nearby move to point forward.

"We're trapped!" Cass touches the black rocks that have now blocked the opposite direction.

"No!" The sisters call out.

"No, we're not trapped," Rapunzel gets down from a black rock. "Harmi's rocks are working with us. They're pushing us toward the moonstone."

"And look, they've made a path to help us get there," Harmony points to the black rock path underneath their feet.

"Look at you, little navigator," Rapunzel grins, ruffling her hair.

"Not really," Harmony chuckles a little and they slowly step onto the rocks. Their hair reacts again as the ground rumbles, black rocks created right in front of them. The two watch as the black rocks go all the way to the tunnel up ahead.

"Huh! I'd say that's a pretty good theory," Lance comments as he looks up ahead. Adira and Cass stare in shock as an entire path is laid out for them without having to step on lava. The two step forward, looking towards their friends as they hold hands. Together, they continue walking down the tunnel.

* * *

Meanwhile, Pascal and Daisy have finally reached Eugene, seeing him sitting on the table up ahead. He looks up to see the two.

"Pascal? Daisy?"

They glare at him as they approach, as they have bones to pick with him. "What are you two doing here?"

He crosses his arms, turning red out of anger. "Are you okay, frog?" He squeaks up at him as Daisy flies up to him, smacking her wing across his face. She looks very mad as the smacking sound echoes. "Ow! Yeah, yeah, I know-I know you're mad at me, but I-I didn't have a choice."

Pascal blows a raspberry as Daisy lands next to him, crossing her wings. "Look, this is gonna sound crazy," He takes the two into his hands. "But this place...is where I come from." They turn to him in confusion, Pascal turning his normal color. "I know we brought Rapunzel and Harmony here to grab the stone, but everything...everything is different now. Look, the last time someone tried to destroy the moonstone...I lost my mother."

The two squeak in sympathy, looking away. They lost their mothers too...just like him...

"I mean, what if we lost the girls, guys?"

Daisy chirps up at him in anger as Pascal crawls around into his bag. He pulls out the paper Demanitus gives him. He takes it into his hands.

"_One of their company will turn against them."_

"It's me!" He realizes and they glare up at him. "I'm the one who turned against the girls..." Pascal runs around his face, Daisy flying in front of him. "I should've known better. And I'm basically sacrificing one sister for the other..."

He rips the paper to shreds, smiling at the two. "Alright, Pascal and Daisy. Let's go find them," Eugene runs down the hall, determined to see this through.

* * *

The two sisters climb up some black rocks, followed by the others. "Hey, guys! I think I see a light ahead," She smiles as there's an opening at the top.

"I think it'll lead us right to the moonstone!" Harmony smiles in relief towards everyone.

"At long last, my son has returned," Edmund is speaking to one of the statues. "Yes, he has come to answer his birthright."

"What? What do you see?" Rapunzel asks Lance as he's peeking inside. "Is it Eugene?"

"I think creepy guy's talking to himself," He whispers to them.

"This is good. It means he doesn't suspect we're here," Adira speaks up.

"He has come to embrace his destiny just as we all have." While he's talking, the others have entered the room behind, peeking in on him.

"The moonstone chamber is just through those doors," Adira looks up ahead.

"Which means we have to get past him first," Harmony narrows her eyes at the man's back. "And judging by his appearance, that has to be King Edmund."

"Okay, we'll need a distraction so we can slip in there," Rapunzel whispers to them.

"No way," Cass joins their side. "You're not going in alone. Who knows what's in there?"

"The two should go in alone," Adira argues back. "Only the sundrop and the missing half of the moonstone can access the rest of the moonstone's great power."

Cass glares at her and the two princesses glance to each other. They suddenly remember what Cass asked them after they had that argument with her.

"_Since when did you stop trusting my judgment?_"

"Cass, Harmi, and I will go," Rapunzel states, looking up at their friend. "Adira, you're with Lance."

She turns to the happy man, who knocks off a knight's helmet. He thankfully catches it before it could fall.

"You two run interference against the king so we can slip by." They slowly approach the doors, and she smirks towards the others. "Okay, on our count."

"One," Harmony starts off as they take one step forward.

"Two-"

Edmund turns around and throws his axe at them. Cass pushes the two sisters out of the way as the axe hits armor behind them.

"My next throw will find its target...and it's going to her," Edmund points to Harmony. "You were warned to stay away."

"Edmund..." Adira grits her teeth, standing protectively in front of Harmony, who stares at him in hatred.

"I have nothing to say to you, Adira!"

Lance tries to ram him, but Edmund is really strong...he looks up at the king, who punches him to the ground.

"Lance!" Harmony bends down to him. Cass charges at him, and he kicks her to the floor. He steps right over her, walking over to the two princesses. Adira stands in front of them and tries to kick Edmund. He steps back from her attacks and grabs her foot. He swings her around and throws her towards a statue. He turns to the two, Harmony pulling out her bow and arrow.

"You will get away from my sister," She threatens, but it doesn't phase him.

"Your majesty, please," Rapunzel pleads with him. Their hair glows again. "The moonstone knows we're close. We have to go," They walk right past the man.

"No!"

"Whether you like it or not, this is all your fault that this is happening! If you hadn't given me that stupid thing, we wouldn't even need to come here!" Harmony shouts at him and he suddenly appears right in front of them.

"No one may enter that room."

"You and what army?!" Harmony yells at him.

"We're going in, and you don't wanna get in our way," Rapunzel grits her teeth with clenched fists.

"You're not getting past me."

"Yes they are!" They turn at the voice as Eugene runs into the room. "Let them in! They're the sundrop and moonstone!"

"Eugene!" Rapunzel smiles at him in relief as he reaches them.

"Girls, I am so sorry! I just thought-"

"There's no time for that," Rapunzel caresses his cheek. "We have to get to that stone! This place is coming down around us!"

"But the moonstone must be destroyed, son!" Edmund insists to them.

"Son?" Rapunzel smiles at her boyfriend.

"Son?" Cass asks in confusion as Harmony blinks up at him.

"You two are...?" Harmony points between the two.

"You finally got adopted!" Lance places his hands on his cheeks.

"Look, I'll fill you all in later," Eugene smiles, pulling away Edmund.

"No!"

"Thumbnail, I'm a prince. Probably. Harmony, this is where you accept my apology for almost getting you killed."

"Eh," She shrugs at him, waving it off with a small smile. "Apology accepted—but later I get to chew you out for doing this."

"Wouldn't have it any other way!"

The two race to the door, and just when they're going to open it, the castle starts to shake. The moonstone inside glows and their hair goes back to normal—well, normal as it could be. They turn around as the others are alarmed.

"What's goin' on?" Lance asks in fear.

"It can't be..." Edmund says slowly.

"What is it?" Rapunzel looks around.

"For centuries, my ancestors have sworn to protect this threshold. And now, their spirits have arisen to uphold that oath."

The statues' eyes glow blue as their spirits fly out of them.

"No necessarily how I imagined meeting your family..." Rapunzel states nervously as they fly above their heads.

"Not that we thought there was a family for you here in the first place!" Harmony exclaims as the ghosts scream. A spirit floats in front of Lance and grabs his leg. Pascal and Daisy chase after them. Cass kneels on the ground so that Pascal can use her as a ramp to fly into the air. Daisy grabs him and flies straight forward, but the spirit grabs them both. Pascal flicks him in the eye with his tongue, causing him to drop them all.

"Adira, catch me!"

She looks like she tries to do so, but she only catches Pascal and Daisy. Lance lands flat on his face. "Love hurts..." He plants his face into the ground.

"So, you have a dad?" Rapunzel asks Eugene, holding his hands.

"Who wants to make sure I'm dead," Harmony deadpans, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, turns out you two weren't the only one who had a destiny waiting here," He states as the ghosts appear behind the three. Eugene swings Rapunzel around so that she kicks them and they disappear. Harmony looks towards Adira, who's battling Edmund once again. He knocks her onto the floor, turning towards the two sisters. They run towards the moonstone chamber, and he chases after them. He raises his axe towards Harmony, preparing to throw it.

Eugene tackles him out of the way and they slide to a stop. "No! They mustn't be let in!"

"Listen, your majesty—father—I-I don't know what to call you, but you have to stop these spirits!" Eugene pleads with him.

"Even if I could..." He slowly gets onto his feet. "They must never enter that room! And the girl must not live!"

He tries to push past Eugene, who blocks him, and he eventually kicks his son onto the floor. Cass jumps, swinging her sword at a spirit. Half of it lands on the ground and she leaps, slicing it into thin air. Another spirit rises out of a statue behind her. He tackles her and Rapunzel lets out her hair. Harmony's hands glow blue as he lifts Cass up. The two run over and the blonde swings her hair across his face. Harmony blasts him with moonlight and he disappears. Cass lands, smirking at the two sisters and they all separate in different directions.

Adira scoops up Daisy and Pascal into her hands, avoiding a large blue axe from a spirit. She jumps and Lance suddenly pushes her out of the way.

"Watch out!" They slide to a stop and he sees her irritated look. "Are you okay?"

"I had it under control!" She snaps, turning away and he cringes, thinking that he's angered her. "Lance...thank you," Adira smiles gratefully, the two pets beaming at this moment. A spirit emerges behind them with a roar, stabbing the ground with the axe.

The three girls duck from another axe from a different spirit and they see that they're completely surrounded by them. The three stand back-to-back and Lance slices a spirit with a sword. Another statue's eyes glow as a spirit emerges from it.

"They keep coming back!"

"They're the undead, they can make as many as they want!" Harmony looks at all of them.

"Then we got here just in time!" Shorty declares as he enters the room with Max.

"You know, maybe you're right," Eugene says to Edmund, who's holding him by the collar. "Maybe me coming back here is fulfilling my destiny. But what if my destiny is not to join you in this place, but rather it is to rescue you from it! You don't have to fight anymore. They have come to put an end to all of this. And you have no right to decide whether or not a child lives or dies. Trust me."

"How...how can you be so sure?" He questions slowly.

"You said you can tell a lot by looking into somebody's eyes, right? Well, look into mine, because I have faith in Rapunzel and Harmony."

Edmund's eyes widen at his words.

"And you should too."

He drops the former thief onto the ground, and he runs off to go help the sisters. "Couldn't get through those ghosts, huh?" He looks up at the spirits that are circling everyone.

"Believe it or not, they are surprisingly stubborn," Rapunzel replies as they duck their heads.

"They're definitely related to him, then," Harmony places a hand on her hip, glancing at Edmund.

"Go figure," Eugene shrugs as they look up nervously, unsure as to how they'd get past them. Max kicks one and a female spirit flies towards Shorty. She turns him around and screeches, the little man looking up at her fondly. She tosses him into the trio and they fall in front of Max. Lances runs up to a spirit, grabbing his axe from him. Then he slices the spirit in half.

"Lance..." Rapunzel calls out weakly. "Don't give up..."

He turns towards the spirits. "Okay, Lance, buddy. I think we learned something today..." He watches another spirit emerge. "Everyone has a destiny. We have no idea what that fate is, but we do know one thing: we are not gonna meet it today!"

Harmony smiles weakly towards him for his inspirational words. He sees Adira's Shadow Blade near a statue and smirks, getting an idea. He runs over to the weapon, grabbing it into his hands. He leaps and slices the statue into pieces. A spirit in front of the group completely disappears.

"Lance, you're a genius!" Eugene smiles at his friend. "And that's the first and last time I'll ever say that!"

"Guys! Cover for Lance!" Rapunzel orders with a smile. Everyone runs off as Lance throws the Shadow Blade to Adira. She kicks it up into the air, jumps, and slices off a statue in front of her. Pieces of the statue fall as a spirit disappears.

"Max! Heads up!" Adira tosses her blade to him. He runs over to it and leaps, catching the weapon in his mouth. He runs, slicing a statue sideways. He smirks over his shoulder as the statue crumbles to pieces, the spirit going away. Max throws the blade into the air and kicks it.

It slides over to Cass and she stomps on it, tossing the blade into a statue. It falls into pieces as Shorty was being held by a spirit that's gone in seconds.

"Going down."

He lands on the floor and Rapunzel grabs the sword with her hair. She throws it out of the rock and to Eugene, who runs over and grabs it. He runs up to an intact statue, a spirit slamming an axe in front of him. Eugene soars over it, but lands on the ground, the weapon sliding out of his hand. He looks up at the spirit, which suddenly disappears, messing up Eugene's hair. He turns around to see that Edmund has damaged it.

"Our family is just awful..."

The statue's head rumbles as it falls off, knocking into another statue. Both of them crash onto the floor. Harmony takes care of the last statue by using her black rocks to destroy it. Soon, all of the spirits are gone. Rapunzel slides up to Eugene, giving him a big kiss before they hug. They smile at each other.

"You have an awful lot of explaining to do," Harmony points to him.

* * *

Lance, Max, Adira, and Edmund lift up a statue's head in front of the moonstone chamber.

"It's all up to you now," Edmund looks to the four humans and two pets.

"No...it's up to us," Rapunzel smiles at her best friends.

"And I'm...sorry for trying to kill you," He turns to Harmony, who glares at him with arms crossed. "Right...wounds are still fresh...I will work on this!"

Rapunzel crawls underneath first, followed by her sister, Cass, and then Eugene. He gives Edmund a small smile for siding with them, and he returns it. He nods at his son, watching him crawl underneath the head. The others drop the statue's head.

They pant in exhaustion over the day's events, and Rapunzel looks around the room. "We made it, guys..."

Their mouths drop open as they look up ahead. There, just past the gap, was the moonstone. "Wow..." Harmony murmurs slowly, unsure of how to feel. The last time she saw this opal, she gained its power and then her parents sent it back...

The two sisters take a step forward, still a bit hesitant on the future...they can see it in the chamber, their hair glowing again. Rapunzel's lifts up into the air as Harmony's turns 70 feet, rising to be next to her sister's. All of the black rocks react by glowing, pointing towards the moonstone. They turn so that they're all going in the same direction. Rapunzel takes her sister's hand as they look over the edge. The black rocks turn black so that it merges with the wall, leaving them with nothing but the moonstone in the center.

The two narrow their eyes and brace themselves, taking a step forward. Platforms form underneath their feet, and they look at each other in shock, smiling. They continue walking forward as they create a path from their spot to the moonstone. Pascal and Daisy both gasp. Cass and Eugene nod at each other, following after the two. The path turns into glass, allowing them to walk as well.

This process continues as they're a few feet away from their destinies...finally, they stop walking and the moonstone is just about 50 yards away, ready for them to take. Rapunzel looks over her shoulder to Cass, who smiles slightly at them.

The two sisters look to each other and nod, approaching the lady-in-waiting.

"Look, we know these last few months haven't been easy for us," Rapunzel takes one hand, Harmony taking the other.

"And I know things were...tense between the two of us. About Varian coming along...your hand...Adira," Harmony rubs her neck.

"We wanna thank you for everything," Rapunzel says softly.

"Thank you by teaching us how to be better friends..." Harmony smiles at Cass. The two engulf her into a hug, which she doesn't return. She hasn't returned a single hug from them ever since the House of Yesterday's Tomorrow, in fact...

"Okay, Rapunzel, Harmony. It's time."

They release the woman with smiles, stepping up to Eugene. He holds his girlfriend's hand. "This is it, girls. Now go get your destinies."

She kisses his hand. "I love you..."

He kisses her forehead and Harmony gives him a big hug. He returns it as they both hum. "Thank you, big brother, for being there for me," She whispers to him. "But if your father so much as touches me when I get out of here, I'm gonna kill you."

"Noted," He smiles nervously, making a mental note to talk to Edmund about that.

Rapunzel nuzzles Pascal on the forehead as Daisy nuzzles the girl's cheek. They join hands again as they slowly walk over to the opal. The moonstone shimmers and it lifts out of the cage. The two stare at the stone and slowly reach their hands out. It glows and just before they could grab it...

A gloved hand snatches it first.

"Cassandra?" Rapunzel asks in confusion as Harmony opens her mouth in shock. "What are you doing?"

"Why are you taking it away?" Harmony demands to her.

She grips the stone, their hair falling as they stop glowing.

"I'm fulfilling _my_ destiny!"

The stone shimmers, knocking the five onto the ground. The three look to Cass in horror as lighting strikes, their hair flying around. Pascal and Daisy grip a small rock, almost flying towards the door when Eugene catches them. The whole room shakes as they stare at her, so confused and surprised. She plants the moonstone into her armor, black rocks forming around her.

Her body lifts up into the air as her whole body and hair start to change. Cass lets out a scream and everything flashes. Eugene holds the heartbroken girls as Cass lets out a laugh.

"I tried to warn you, Rapunzel and Harmony..." She takes a step forward and they pant slowly, looking up at her. Her entire hair is turquoise blue like Harmony's bangs, her whole outfit black and blue, the moonstone to her chest.

"You have to be careful who you trust..." She grits her teeth at them. They just look at Cass, and all they can think of is that Demanitus...

Was right all along.

**Angel: For those who wanted Harmony to take the moonstone, I apologize, but she is really...not the type to hold a grudge like Cass has. I mean, she forgave Eugene easily back in season 1 for him stealing the Queen's ring. She was also really guilty in the Great Tree special. That's not really something she'd want to do again if she took the moonstone out of anger towards her sister. And I personally don't think her having it would change the story in a major impact. Some episodes would have been skipped or stay the same. If you really want her or someone else besides Harmony to take the moonstone, just wait until the one-shot story.**

**It's not like I can just have Cass immediately forgive Rapunzel, because her having found out that part of her life was a big deal. **

**And hopefully all those theories about Harmony being Eugene's sister will stop, because they're not true anyway XD. Eugene's mother died before Harmony was born. I don't think she would've lasted long enough to give birth to another child :/. She perished like 10 years before Princess Harmony even existed, because of the Moonstone XD The wiki even says it happened 25 years prior, and Harmony is only a teenager. I don't think she or Rapunzel would've handled that big of a change...**


	51. Princess' Return Part 1

**Angel: Well...final season, everyone.**

**I just wanna say that personally, and this is solely my opinion, that there isn't enough to really prove that the moonstone is connected to Varian. I've heard that the blue streak in his hair was an alchemic accident. I mean, we saw him as a baby in a photo without the streak, so I'm guessing that he gained the streak after his mother died. Yes, the streak disappeared when we saw him as the Royal Engineer, but then it's back when he's in town with everyone. If he really was connected to the moonstone, then the streak would've been gone permanently since the moonstone is gone at the end. That's just me, you guys can take it or leave it. I feel like Cass has more of a reason to use it than he does, anyway. Maybe in an alternative universe where he takes it out of anger for his father. _Maybe. _**

**Jesus, some people want Harmony to take it, and then Varian. What is up with that XD Are these trends I don't know about?**

** S****ome words might be omitted or misspelled in this season. The last season wasn't released on Disney + until yesterday, so I'll be going back to certain episodes and fixing them at some point. Because of that, please don't be alarmed if two-part episodes are suddenly changed on where they end, because I had to guess on where they ended. I won't go back and fix every episode, just mostly the specials and just a few regular ones. And I'm only fixing the minor mistakes, no plot points will be changed. I already have someone asking me multiple times to change this story (which I'm not doing). People might be unhappy with the story, and that's fine. Either way, it's not gonna get me to rewrite anything XD I'm already done writing this! When the story ends, let me know the mistakes I made in season 3, politely. It'll really help since it took over a month for this season to be released on the app XD**

_Harmony: Previously on Tangled..._

"_It's like the rocks, your rocks, want us to follow them..."_

"_Trust me, Raps. The real world isn't all fun and games," Cass warned, looking towards the road up ahead._

"_Where is it taking us...?" Rapunzel touched a black rock._

"_To fulfill your destinies," The sisters turned around to Adira._

"_I wanna let you know that you're not alone in this," Varian held Harmony's hand._

"_My pupils betrayed me and summoned my old nemesis, Zhan Tiri. I knew the research I had written about the sundrop and moonstone was valuable, dangerous, in evil hands. So I tore the scroll and hid the pieces."_

_The four pieces of the scroll came together._

"_Wither and decay, end this destiny," Harmony recited in front of the Great Tree. "Break these earthly chains and set the spirit free..." Her hair turned 70 feet long and black, her eyes black as well._

"_What is this place?" Rapunzel walked up to the House of Yesterday's Tomorrow._

"_It's called the House of Yesterday's Tomorrow," Matthews told the group._

_A door opened near Cass, who was looking for the sisters. _

"_Cassandra..."_

_She pulled out her sword and walked up to the door. "Rapunzel, Harmony, is that you?"_

_The door closed behind her._

_The house completely disappeared and Cass stepped out of the door. "Cass! Are you alright? Wait, where were you?"_

_Cass took her hands back. "I'm fine, Rapunzel..."_

_Eugene opened up the gem Vigor gave him to find a slip of paper. He opened it up. "At the end of Rapunzel and Harmony's journey...one of their party shall turn against them."_

_They reached out to the moonstone, but Cass grabbed it instead._

"_You have to be careful who you trust..."_

_The two looked at Cass in horror for her betrayal._

_Cass opened her eyes once she was through the door, Owl on her shoulder._

"_Cassandra..." The voice whispered again. "Cassandra..." She was standing in a field. "There you are, Cassandra."_

_She turned to see the ghost girl...the same one that Harmony spoke to when she was young. "I'd nearly given up on you..."_

"_Who are you?" Cass asked in confusion. _

"_A friend...or at least, I'd like to be. I'm surprised you don't remember me. After all, we shared a former friend: Princess Harmony."_

"_Wait..." Cass blinked at her. "So when Harmi said that she heard a voice, she was telling the truth. You were the one talking to her! And I took out my anger on her for my hand..." She felt so guilty for yelling at the girl now..._

"_Come." The ghost girl flew forward._

"_Wherever you're taking me, it better have a blonde princess and her little sister." She had to find Harmony and apologize. Owl tilted his head at her. Cass pushed past leaves as the ghost girl pointed up ahead._

_In the distance was a little cottage surrounded by water. "This place...it feels...familiar..."_

_They phased inside, to the shock of Cass. "Wha...?" She looked around at the furniture, fireplace...and a tiny little doll. Cass stepped up to the window, and turned around. A little girl with long black hair in a little green peasant dress was holding a music box._

"_Do you recognize that child?"_

_Cass' eyes widened as the little girl took the doll. She did recognize the girl..._

_Because that was herself as a child. _

_The music box suddenly stopped playing and she smiled, walking up to the mirror._

"_Wind, please," She held it up._

"_Not now, darling. Mummy's in a hurry," The woman walked past the child._

"_That's my..." Cass murmured in shock as the mother walked up to the mirror and took off the cloak._

_Mother Gothel..._

_However, she looked much older._

"_Mother, yes," The ghost girl finished for Cass. "It is."_

"_Are you going to see the castle? Can I come?" The little Cass asked her mother._

"_Absolutely not, Cassandra! You know your place is here." She saw the little girl's pout and rolled her eyes. "Oh, stop with the pouting. It's very unbecoming." She kneeled in front of her daughter. "Now, Mother needs to rush off for just a teensy tiny moment. I won't be gone long, this cottage isn't going to clean itself, you know."_

_She chuckled as she walked up to the door._

"_Mama?" Cass stepped over to her, holding up the music box. Mother Gothel visibly groaned._

"_Must I do everything?" She reluctantly took the box and turned it, giving it to her daughter. She grimaced once she handed the box over._

"_Thank you, Mama," Cass smiled up at her._

"_Yes dear," And with that, she left the cottage. Cass turned around to her younger self, who put the music box on a platform, eyes sad._

_Guess by now I oughta know my place_

_Do your humble duty with a smile, on your face_

_She started sweeping the floors._

_Mother knows how much I love her_

_Little Cass stepped on a stool, blowing out a candle._

_But she's always doing other things..._

_She held a tiny heart in her hands._

_So I'll keep waiting in the wings_

_I craved so much_

_Older Cass started singing, a hand to the arch. She watched her younger self making up the bedroom._

_And I kept on waiting_

_One glance, one touch_

_She touched the heart that was on the bed._

_And I just kept on waiting_

_And when it came, it came with strings_

_Little Cass walked up to the window, sitting in front of it with a blanket wrapped around her. Older Cass joined her at the window._

_So I kept waiting...in the wings_

_Both of them looked out to the sun as it started to set._

_Later that night, Mother Gothel was riding a horse back to the cottage. In her arm was the baby Rapunzel, who cried as a strand of golden hair escaped from her blanket._

"_Hush, child!" Gothel warned her._

"_Princess!" The Captain called out from behind. Gothel gritted her teeth as they rode down the path. She stopped in front of the bridge that led to her home. She looked up ahead, Rapunzel still wailing. "The Princess!"_

_Gothel took the horse and hid behind some rocks._

_The Captain stepped off as she peeked over the rocks._

"_She went t__his way," They ran across the bridge, their voices getting the attention of Little Cass. She looked out the window to see everyone, a bit scared on what was going on. "Where is she?!" The guards stormed in. "Where is the princess?!"_

_Little Cass looked outside to her mother...holding Rapunzel. Gothel looked between the baby and her own daughter. Little Cass ran towards the door, where the guards stood._

"_Mama?"_

_Gothel narrowed her eyes as she took a sword and sliced off the rope holding the bridge. Little Cass dropped the music box in shock. Her eyes widened in horror for what her mother had done. Without a second thought, Gothel took off on the horse in the opposite direction, leaving her behind..._

"_Mama..."_

_The Captain stood in front of the abandoned little girl, kneeling and taking off his helmet. "No one's going to harm you, little one. You're safe with me..." He placed the helmet over her head. Tears streamed down her face as she started to cry._

"_I...I want my mama!"_

_And with that, the memory started to disappear. Cass slowly dropped onto the floor, heartbroken over what she just saw._

_She reached out to the broken music box, kneeling sadly. The ghost girl appeared right next to her._

"_I'm sorry that happened to you, Cassandra..." She turned around to face the woman. "Sometimes the most painful truths are the most difficult to remember."_

_Cass started to cry. She didn't even remember any of it until now... "You've always felt outshined by Rapunzel and Harmony, haven't you? And you always will...unless..."_

_Cass' face turned into hatred for them. They were the reason why she felt this way._

"_Unless?"_

* * *

Back in the moonstone chamber, the sisters are shocked to hear this news. "You saw all of this in the House of Yesterday's Tomorrows?"

"I saw everything, girls," She glares at them.

"Cass...if what you're saying is true, it means-"

"It means that I'm Gothel's daughter. And your destinies belong to me..."

"Someone gave Gothel a child?" Harmony gags at the thought to herself.

"Cass...we are friends," Rapunzel steps up to her, Eugene and Harmony staying behind. "In fact, being Gothel's daughter, that—that makes us closer than friends. It makes us sisters!"

Cass just laughs at the thought. "Sisters?! My own mother chose you over me! My whole life, I've been cast aside for you. No more. And I'm done listening to someone younger than me."

The doors open right behind them. "So, what did we miss?"

"Lance, not now," Eugene whispers to them.

"It's a bad time," Harmony looks over her shoulder and then they see Cass.

"Cassandra, please. Let me help you," Rapunzel slowly approaches her.

"Stay back!" Cass creates black rocks in front of Rapunzel. She narrows her eyes, stepping around them.

"Cassandra, you've got to give Harmi the moonstone! It is too dangerous. The whole world is at st-"

"I said stay back!" Cass screams at her, knocking Rapunzel all the way towards Eugene and Harmony.

"Rapunzel!" Harmony bends down to her, Eugene picking her up.

"Cassandra!" Eugene yells at the former friend. Pascal and Daisy glare at her as Harmony clenches a fist. She slowly gets onto her feet to face Cass. She looks at the moonstone and then at the rocks.

"Cass, either give me the moonstone or I'll TAKE it!" Harmony grits her teeth at her.

"Make me," Cass challenges back. "The only reason why you're here is because we took pity on you."

"Stop it," Harmony warns her, refusing to believe that.

"You think you're the one who was cast aside? During the storm, everyone pushed you aside for your age. But in reality, they did it because they were afraid of what you might do to them. You're just lucky that only a few people actually cared, but no one noticed how I was feeling!"

"That's it!" Harmony pulls out her bow and arrow as she and Adira charge forward. Adira slices black rocks for the girl, kneeling. Harmony jumps onto her back and leaps into the air, flying towards Cass and ready to fire. Cass simply knocks the girl back with a black rock, Adira cutting through them to touch her arms.

"Release the moonstone, Short Hair. You don't know what you're dealing with," Adira spits at her.

"Neither do you!" With a powerful blast, she knocks back Adira to a black rock.

"Adira!" Lance runs up to her. "Breathe easy. Your Lance is here."

Her sword falls into the hands of Cass, who puts it onto her back, creating a sheath for it. She rushes up to the group.

"Oh no you don't!" Eugene stands up to face her.

"Eugene, no!" Rapunzel calls out. Cass simply runs past him, a black rock hitting him. He falls onto the ground. "Cassandra!" Rapunzel watches her run past, black rocks forming near her. "Wait!" She chases after the girl. Harmony gets onto her feet and scrambles after them.

Cass runs into the hall, not even looking back. The two stand in front of the doors. "Cass!" Rapunzel shouts at her. She comes to a stop as the two stand there.

_This has to stop now_

**Whatever it is that you're going through**

Cass might have discovered the truth, but this was definitely not the best way to deal with it. The truth and her emotions are colliding, and soon, she might do something to her sister that she might regret.

_We'll fix it together—us and you_

_**Just like we've always done**_

The two hold out their hands, and she opens her eyes.

**No!**

**This has to stop now**

She whips around to them with a glare, narrowing her eyes.

**This thing where you think that you've been my friends**

Their eyes widen at the accusation, hurt that she's even saying this.

**And don't even hear how you condescend**

**The way you've always done**

The two glance at each other, nodding.

_Cassandra, listen_

**Please hear us**

Despite what she's done so far to them, Harmony gives Cass a pleading look. She was still her friend no matter what...

**I'm listening**

_We know it isn't true_

The two sisters are just a few feet away from her.

**Isn't it?**

_Just look into our eyes now_

They step closer to Cass.

**Well?**

**We know you feel it too**

She stares into their pleading eyes.

**Perhaps I do**

She looks away from their gazes.

_**Cassandra, listen**_

**I'm listening**

_**We swear it's not too late**_

Rapunzel holds out a hand.

_**So before another line gets crossed**_

_**And everything we've had is lost**_

_**Just wait...**_

They're close enough to touch her and Cass gets defensive over the last line.

**Wait? **

Electricity sparks from her.

**No, I won't wait.**

She creates black rocks in front of them. "Cass!"

Harmony gasps at the rocks all around them. Cass runs off and Rapunzel's eyes widen sadly. They're now trapped in the black rocks.

**There's a line between the winners and the losers**

She spins around a black rock, walking and ducking from another one.

**There's a line between the chosen and the rest**

**And I've done the best I could**

She approaches another black rock.

**But I've always known just where we stood**

She presses her forehead against it. No more waiting for her time to shine, no more injuries, and no more them.

**Me here with the luckless**

The blue-haired woman stares at her reflection through the black rock.

**You there with the blessed**

She glares towards the opposite direction. Harmony narrows her eyes determinedly, creating black rocks to cut through Cass', which works. She didn't even think that she could break someone else's black rocks until now...she never thought that Cass would do any of this.

**And that line between the beggars and the choosers**

Rapunzel looks to her sister as she starts cutting through them as fast as she can. She has hope that her sister will get through them in time so that they can reach Cass.

**Is a line you never let me quite ignore**

Cass looks up towards a staircase.

**How I've tried to jump that great divide!**

She jumps up the steps towards the double doors.

**But I've never got the chances you were given**

Once she reaches the top, she looks back one last time at all the damage she's caused, both physically and emotionally.

**You don't know how much I've been denied**

The area around them is much clearer now as Harmony steps forward, flinging her hands around. More of her black rocks cut through.

**Well, I'm not being patient anymore**

**I'm crossing the line!**

She pushes open the doors.

**And I'm done holding back**

With her new power, she creates several black rocks.

**So look out, clear the track, it's my turn!**

She jumps onto a black rock, leaping off of it.

**I'm taking what's mine**

The sisters finally reach Cass, running after her.

**Every drop**

**Every smidge**

Cass jumps off the ledge.

**If I'm burning a bridge, let it burn!**

She creates a whole new bridge with black rocks, something Harmony couldn't do earlier.

**But I'm crossing the line...**

Rapunzel jumps, landing on the bridge. Harmony slides down and lands a few feet away. Rapunzel runs over as Cass crosses the opposite site.

**And for us, if we're over, that's fine...**

Cass holds up the Shadow Blade, alarming Harmony. "Rapunzel, no!" She holds out a hand to her sister, realizing what Cass was going to do.

"Cassandra, wait!" Rapunzel pleads one last time.

**I'm crossing the line**

And with that, she cuts off half the bridge. Rapunzel runs back to her sister as the bridge starts to crumble underneath her feet. She reaches her sister safely, hugging the teenage girl tightly. She starts to cry into Harmony's shoulder and the girl pulls her close. The blonde hair flies off the edge as Harmony comforts her sister. Usually it was the other way around, but now Rapunzel needed her now more than ever...

"Harmi...could that...have been you if you touched it?" Rapunzel slowly looks up at the girl, who looks to where Cass left. She narrows her eyes. She didn't know what would happen if she took it...but she knows that no matter what, her heart is always in the right place. Every time she thinks of things in the past that she should be angry towards her sister about...she thinks first of her home that she loves, her family, her friends...

And Varian.

It wasn't about whether or not she was evil that she questioned; it was whether or not she had more to lose if she ever resorted to having those negative feelings come back.

"...Rapunzel...no matter what, I will always be your little sister," Harmony finally speaks up. "That's something I always remember when I think about what's happened in the past. The reason why I don't let myself be like her...is because of you. I love you too much to hurt you. And...Cass, well...maybe she'll see that too."

Her eyes widen slowly at her sister's words. Rapunzel hugs her sister again and Harmony continues looking up ahead, patting Rapunzel's back. Everything that's happened on this trip has taught her something that will stay with her.

She'll never resort to resentment like Cass.

* * *

Max bandages Eugene's arm. "Gentle hooves, Max, gentle hooves," Eugene warns him, holding his arm.

"Don't mind him, Max," Rapunzel approaches them with a smile. "You're doing a great job," She hugs the horse, concerning Eugene. He looks up to Harmony, who bites her lip. "Alright~! Up and at 'im, everybody! The moonstone's gone, so no use sticking around this dreary place."

The trio look to each other weirdly at Rapunzel's...positive attitude over something that shouldn't be taken so well. One of her best friends has just left with the moonstone just like Demanitus said. And with that, who knows what would happen to Harmony or her powers? Rapunzel _did_ know that this might affect her sister in the future, so why she was acting like this is beyond them.

"Uh, shouldn't she be a little, I don't know, upset right now?" Lance whispers to them.

Eugene looks towards Harmony and then Rapunzel. "Hey!" The two walk up to her. "Sunshine, I couldn't help but notice you're kind of doing that...thing."

"That thing?" She asks cluelessly.

"You know, the thing where you act like everything's peachy when clearly it's..." They notice her big smile. Eugene clears his throat. "Sweetheart, what Cass did-"

"Yeah! That was bad," She agrees happily. "Anyway, moving on." She walks right past them.

"Uhh, what?" They're both left confused.

"What just happened?" Harmony sweats a little, as they did not expect that conversation to go that way...

"Okay, gang! We need to get out of here," Rapunzel steps up to the others, the two running after her. "Any ideas? Harmi, how bout that big brain of yours?"

"Uhh," Harmony glances to Eugene, honestly concerned about her sister right now. She must be really hurting if she's resorting to this part of her personality.

"Well, we could just fly off in that balloon," Shorty points to the sky.

"A balloon is a great idea!" Rapunzel chuckles, something approaching them from behind. She's honestly the only one who hasn't noticed. "If we had-"

Eugene taps her shoulder and she turns around to see a hot air balloon approaching them. "Wha-a balloon!"

It lands right in front of them. They stare at it, a bit alarmed. The basket shakes a little. "Careful," Rapunzel pulls out her frying pan as Harmony aims her bow and arrow at it. Nothing happens and then suddenly Ulf appears, pretending that he's walking up stairs. He sees them and 'opens up a window', waving to them.

"Ulf?!"

"That guy!" Shorty points to him.

"The mime?" Eugene chuckles as the two sisters hug him.

"I didn't know that you ballooned! How did you find us? What are you doing here? Did someone send you?"

"Why did they send _you_?" Eugene asks, getting elbowed in the arm by Harmony. "Specifically?"

"Yeah, answer that one!" Lance points at him.

"Stop it, you two. He obviously came for a reason," Harmony deadpans at the two men.

"Gentlemen...I believe I can be of some incontinence, as I am fluent in Ulf." He falls off Max, stepping up to the mime. Ulf starts acting as Shorty clears his throat. "There's trouble in Corona. Invaders from a foreign land! The people of Corona are scared. So Ulf followed the rocks here." He smiles up at the mime, who's frozen in place. He glances between him and the others for a few awkward moments. "...Now he's just standing still."

"Corona's been invaded?!" Harmony screeches in shock. When she was imprisoned in the castle, nothing like this had happened because her father had locked everyone up. Well...King Trevor didn't really count since he's a pompous jerk. At the back of her mind, she had no one that came to mind with this attack.

"Guys, there's trouble in Corona. We need to get back as soon as possible," Rapunzel narrows her eyes.

The flame ignites from the balloon.

"All right, chop chop!" Eugene calls out as he's helping carry supplies to the hot air balloon. "All aboard. This balloon isn't getting any hotter, people!"

Lance turns to Adira. "Are you sure you can't come with us?"

"My path has changed, and my destiny leads elsewhere...Not with you," She tells him.

"I know it hurts, but I want you to know that no matter how far away I am out there, I am never far away in there," He gestures to his heart and places a hand on her shoulder. She immediately grabs his arm and twists it, pressing him against the wall. "I forgot you don't like to be touched!"

Edmund turns to Eugene. "My son, I have dedicated my entire life to protect-"

"So you're staying or you're going?" Eugene interrupts him. He didn't really care, if he had to be honest.

"I must think of a way to soften this blow..."

"You're staying, I got it. I'll see you later. Oh, and I still don't forgive you for trying to kill my friend," Eugene jumps into the basket. Edmund smiles weakly at him.

"Bye Adira," Harmony smiles softly at her, Adira returning it. "I'd hug you, but you hate being touched."

"...I guess one won't hurt," Adira hugs the girl, who returns it happily.

"Oh come on!" Lance exclaims at this.

"So long, princess," Edmund bows to Harmony politely.

"Yeah, no, thanks a lot for giving me the moonstone as a newborn just because you wanted that duty on a complete stranger," She deadpans at him sarcastically. "Real grateful."

"Okay. Is that everybody?" Rapunzel looks to everyone.

"Oh, I certainly hope so, because it's tight," Eugene hugs himself, feeling a little claustrophobic.

"Everyone ready?" Rapunzel pulls on the string. "Then..." They take off, Harmony waving to Adira with a small smile. Rapunzel looks back to the place where everything that could go wrong happened...She then looks at the broken bridge and looks up ahead. "Corona, here we come!"

"Ha ha! This is great!"

They disappear behind a cloud. "Hey, huh, guys? Corona is the other way," Rapunzel informs them.

"Of course, I knew that," Lance says innocently.

"I was saying 'what a view' before we turn around and go the other way!" Eugene exclaims and there's a pause from Harmony.

"...You didn't know, did you?" She asks knowingly.

"No I did not," He says quietly, causing her to laugh. She looks towards the skies. She couldn't wait to see Varian again, but...

Man, did she have a lot to tell him...

Harmony crosses her arms in thought over what Cass said. They might be similar, but the teenage girl is nothing like the way Cass is now. Someone places a hand on her back and she looks up to see Eugene smiling softly at her.

"Brownie, you know that what she said isn't true, right? We all love you, and we had some great memories together."

"I know...and I'll never forget what's happened before," Harmony closes her eyes. "But to be angry towards my sister, or anyone for it...that's not me. I don't regret going on this adventure with you guys, or for my choices during the storm."

"That's what I like to hear," He ruffles the top of her hair, causing her to smile.

Cass steps away from black rocks, Owl joining her side. She looks up at the balloon, and vows silently to herself that when she saw them again...

She won't hold back.

* * *

The balloon reaches blue skies as they pass by every single place they've been. Harmony looks through her journal, making sure she got everything before she showed Varian. Rapunzel beams as they point up ahead to Corona at last...they land in the middle of the village, cheering for a safe return.

"Finally!" Eugene jumps out first, opening the door for the girls. "No offense to any of you people, but we have been together for way too long, and I need a break from your faces...except for you, of course, Rapunzel."

She sighs in relief as she steps onto the cobblestone. "I can't believe how much I missed home!"

Harmony steps after her.

"Home!" She runs past the shops. "Ah, how I've missed everything so much! I've missed the bookstore, ah! And I missed the fountain!" She moves her hand into the water. "Oh, I missed the sweet shoppe and bakery! Yum."

"You know what I missed about Corona? The people!" Lance gestures to everything around them, except that there are no people around. "In fact...I'm still missing the people..."

They look around as Corona is basically a ghost town. Dust flies by as the horses stare at them. "Yeah, that's weird...hello! Hello?"

Rapunzel's voice echoes throughout the village.

"You'd think they'd be happy to see us," Harmony places her hands on her hips.

"It's kinda spooky," Lance cringes a bit.

"Hello! People? People?"

"Is anybody here?"

Max sniffs around and they look up to see Feldspar running by. He slips and falls, dropping some emeralds.

"Oh dear, oh dear!" He looks scared for his life as he picks them up. "Woe is me! I'll never meet my quota!"

"Feldspar!" The two princesses help him. He looks up and sees them.

"Princesses!" He recoils back in shock. "Oh, thank goodness you two are back!"

"Where is everyone?" Rapunzel looks around town.

"Oh, it's awful! It's just...awful! Everyone in Corona has been forced to quarry, mining these pesky green minerals! Oh, oh! I've gotta get this in by nightfall," He scoops up the gems and puts them into his bag.

"Did you know about this?" Rapunzel asks Ulf, gesturing to Feldspar. He nods regrettably, pointing to Shorty. "Shorty!"

"What? I thought his story dragged, so I took the artistic license to make some judicious cuts. I stand by that choice," He crosses his arms defensively, Fidella snorting in disapproval.

"What-but you—ugh, never mind," Harmony scoffs at him.

"I don't believe it," Rapunzel speaks up. "We're going to the castle to speak with our father."

They start to leave. "Well, I'm not sure what good that will do. Your father is the one who gave the order."

Harmony's eyes widen as she stops.

"What?!"

"Why would Papa do that?" Harmony looks up towards the castle. There must've been a mistake; he knows that they weren't going to be gone forever, like he thought with Rapunzel. What possible reason could he have for doing this?

* * *

The two sisters step into the throne room and see their parents sitting there.

"Mom! Dad!" They exclaim, running across the room. "Oh, you guys!" Rapunzel hugs her mother tightly, Harmony doing the same with her father. "We have missed you so much!"

Frederic stares at them weirdly. "Um, Frederic?" Arianna asks in alarm.

"Dad!" Rapunzel hugs her and Harmony hugs her mother.

"Young ladies, please."

"Young ladies?" They ask in unison, looking to each other.

"Dad, what's going on?"

"Why are the citizens mining crystals and why are you calling us that?" Harmony raises a brow.

"Ooh, this is awkward..." Lance rubs his neck. Rapunzel then notices something on Frederic's chest.

"That medallion, it's-it's-"

"Saporian."

They turn around to see Andrew standing there at the doors. "Hey Raps, Harmi," He greets, waving to them. "Nice to see you again."

His allies appear right behind them. "Okay, one thing you should know, you don't get to call us that," Harmony glares at the man.

"I'm gonna be completely honest. Like, I remember you, but I don't remember you," Eugene states to him. "Does that make sense?"

"It's me, Andrew," He gestures to himself. "I nearly single-handedly felled Corona? ...I took you for a ride in a hot air balloon?"

"Oh, less-attractive-than-me-guy with the man-bun! Yes, I remember you now," Eugene places his hands on his hips.

"I've taken over Corona. Or as we now refer to it, New Saporia!" He holds up a sword.

"Long live New Saporia!" The others declare.

"I'm sorry, what? You, man-bun guy and your flower children, took over Corona?" Eugene chuckles at this news. "This will only take a minute-"

Something is thrown in front of him, covering him in pink dust.

"Eugene!" The sisters run up to him, and he finds himself trapped in goop.

"What the goop?" He tries to break himself free. Harmony stares at it and gasps.

"Wait...I've seen this before..."

"Oh, we didn't do this alone. You might recognize my former cell-mate for a month. And I'm sure you know him very well, Princess Harmony."

They look to the archway...to see him step out of the pink smoke. He lifts up the goggles.

"Welcome home, princesses!" He greets them. They gasp at the sight of him.

"Varian...?" Harmony whispers slowly. He's wearing a bad boy outfit, which is a black coat with red outlines, a red bandana with a sharp teeth design, gray vest, brown belt and straps that can carry his chemical orbs, red gloves with metal straps, tan pants, and gray-and-black boots.

"Mona!" Varian actually smiles for once at the sight of her, surprising the Saporians. He runs up to her and plants kisses all over her face.

"Varian...what happened?"

"So, I see you've met my new friends," He smiles over his shoulder to the group.

"Ah, Varian, my most trusted advisor," Frederic greets him.

"Varian?! Mom, Dad, uh, he's our friend! A-And we trusted him, remember?"

Varian laughs at they glare at him.

"No, no. They don't."

"They don't remember?" Rapunzel asks slowly. One of the Saporians holds something that they've seen before and they both gasp. "That's a Saporian Wand of Oblivium! You have erased their memories!"

"Oh, me?" Varian asks innocently. "Oh, ho! No, not really. Actually, as you know, I'm all about the science, but uh, Clementine here, she added a bit of...uh, texture!"

"Magic," She waves a hand.

"Yes, today the king and queen. Tomorrow, Corona."

Their eyes widen at him in horror. "I'm synthesizing the wand's power into a gas that will erase the memories of everyone in Corona! And I named it Quirineon, so no one will forget they turned their back on my father! So, did you come back to free him?" He holds her hand in both of his, eyes filled with hope. She stares at him as if she's looking at another person. This...this isn't her Varian...he has that sweet personality, but he's obviously still emotionally damaged. How could he have changed so rapidly from the time he left to when she got back?

"I-I did," She holds up the scroll nervously, Eugene eyeing them. "But Varian, I...I didn't expect you to-"

"Oh, I know. I just held down the fort for you while you were gone. And...I can't thank you enough for what you did. You're the only one I can trust after all," He leans and kisses her cheek happily. Her eyes turn sad as she stares at him. This was the last thing she was expecting to see when she returned...he's still broken. He's not that budding alchemist or sweet boy she hung out with before everything...

"But once the people are affected by this gas, they will forget that they turned your back on your father..." Eugene points out slowly.

"Yup, that's some flawed logic right there," Lance agrees with him.

"No! Y...So? You know what I mean!" He points at them.

"I can't let you get away with this!" Rapunzel declares to him. "Hey, guys! Let's send these Saporians back where they came from!" She lets out her hair.

Pascal punches his fists.

"I am tired of people going behind my back today!" Harmony grits her teeth at Varian.

"I thought you might say that. Saporians!" Andrew holds up his sword, the two sisters running up to them. Varian throws down a chem ball, and they're surrounded in purple smoke.

"Oh! They got the alchemy!" Lance exclaims nervously. Max neighs and runs up to the black-haired female. She throws a tiny blue ball, encasing Max in a bubble. Shorty flies right past her, grabbing a sword from a Saporian.

"Thank you!"

Rapunzel snatches him with her hair, throwing him away. Eugene smiles at her as he lands into a planter box. He clashes swords with Andrew.

"Have to admit. I'm relieved that I have to fight you and not Cassie. Where is my old flame, anyway?"

"Sensitive subject!" Eugene pushes him away and ducks from the sword. Max floats above all of them.

"Oh, I've got more tricks up my sleeve," Varian wiggles his hands.

"How could you do this to me again?!" Harmony demands to him. "After everything I've done for you?!"

"Fight now, arguing later! Bring it!" Rapunzel whips her hair, Pascal sliding onto it. Varian throws three chem balls, but Harmony fires at all three of them, and they explode between the two and the boy. Daisy grabs Pascal and flies towards him. Unfortunately, goop from the chem balls fell onto Rapunzel's hair. Harmony tries to help her sister free, to no avail.

Pascal sticks his tongue into his ear. "Pascal, get off me!"

Daisy flaps her wings into his face and he waves his hands around. "Don't you see? I'm doing this for you, Mona!"

"You think I wanted this?!" Harmony gestures to everything around them.

Lance battles with a Saporian as Ulf is dealing with Clementine. He mime fights the smaller woman, who gives a deadpan look. She just shrugs at him.

While Daisy is distracting Varian, Pascal snatches a yellow chem ball from him. "Hey! Get back here with that!" He throws an ice one and Pascal slips on the floor.

"Pascal!"

Varian holds him up, holding a green one. Max manages to float to the top, popping the bubble. Varian runs out of the way as Max lands where he was standing. He looks to his hand to see that Pascal is not there. Max neighs, chasing after him.

Pascal runs towards the girls. "Please don't hurt him, Max," Harmony calls out after the horse, since he's strong enough to defeat Varian on his own.

Eugene and Andrew continue sword fighting, until Eugene's sword flies out of his hands. Andrew swings his sword at Eugene, but Lance dodges it. He stands protectively in front of his friend, knocking him back a bit.

"So," He pushes Lance away with his foot. "You wanna play rough, huh?" He removes the hair ties as his long locks fall out and he winks.

Lance and Eugene stare in shock. "So...much...volume..."

"Look at that sheen..."

Andrew throws the hair tie at Lance, who tosses it back.

Varian throws a green chem ball, putting Max into a daze. The sisters continue pulling at the hair when Pascal sets Rapunzel free. They smile softly at him.

"Good job, Pascal," She nuzzles his forehead and Daisy chirps at her. "Oh, I didn't forget you," Rapunzel kisses Daisy on the top of the head. They look towards the Saporian group as they close in on their friends. They join the group.

"Varian!" The boy joins the Saporians. "Tell them to stand down!" Rapunzel narrows her eyes at the boy.

"You know that this isn't right," Harmony gives him a pleading look.

"Never! I have to do this to make things right!" He gestures to himself, surprising all of them. When they got back, they didn't ever think that he'd resort this far just to earn forgiveness. Andrew holds a hand in front of him.

"Why would we, when we have the upper hand?" Andrew smirks, holding up a bomb. Varian's eyes widen at it, realizing what he's planning to do.

"Wait, no! Don't throw that one!"

He tries to stop Andrew out of fear for Harmony. The man tosses it at them anyway and they scatter. It hits the wall and explodes into green smoke, leaving only a hole in the wall.

"Mona!" Varian rushes up to the hole, looking towards the ground only to see rocks.

"Powerful stuff, kid," Andrew nudges him. "This is gonna be fun. Come on..." He leaves, but Varian still lingers. He needed to see for himself that Harmony was okay, but he can't see anything...


	52. Princess' Return Part 2

**Angel: This second part is considerably longer than the first because of what happens with Harmony and Varian. Speaking of the two, there is a lemon here between them. Yup, you read that right. I'll leave a warning for those who don't wanna read it or are too young when it starts. I'd rather inform you all than to beat around the bush or keep it to myself XD Besides, for some reason, people always ask me to do a lemon on other stories. And before I get criticism, the age of consent was way younger than Varian and Harmony are now in the 17th century, which is the century of this universe.**

The smoke clears as Rapunzel is on the ground, her hair behind her body. Harmony is laying next to her as she opens her eyes, letting out a small cough. Rapunzel starts to wake up too, Varian giving a look of relief once he sees them.

"Pascal!"

"Daisy!"

The two are hiding in the blonde's hair and they step out. "Are you two alright?" She holds them in her hands. Pascal gives a so-so gesture. She turns to look at everyone. "Is everybody okay?"

"Give me a minute..." Lance rubs his head.

"There is a horse on me!" Eugene muffles from Max, who stands up. He eyes Harmony as she's frowning.

"Brownie," Eugene whispers once he thinks Varian is out of earshot, but he's actually not. He narrows his eyes and watches as the former thief takes his Mona and hides around the corner. He uses a megaphone against the wall to listen in. "Listen, this might be a long shot, but...I think you should go along with whatever Varian's done here."

"What?" Harmony asks in confusion. "But why?"

"Think of it this way, and it's probably the greatest idea I've ever had, but you should pretend to act like you're happy with everything here."

Her mouth opens in shock as Varian clenches a fist angrily. How can he ask such a thing?

"He said so himself: you're the only one he can trust. Use that trust and get him to stand down with the others!"

The boy squeezes his eyes shut, storming off before he could hear anymore. He couldn't believe it...she was going to betray him...the only person worth living for. And now...she's broken his already damaged heart.

"Are you insane?!" Harmony hisses at him. "I'm not going to do that to him! The only reason why he's even doing this is because of his dad! Don't ring me into it."

"Harmony..." He places his hands on her shoulders, staring at her right in the eye. "Do you honestly think that this is what's best for Corona right now?" He gestures to everything around them. "This is your home, your whole life. And you want to save it, right? Do this for your home, your family...your own destiny."

"I wanna save Corona, but not like this!" She pushes his hands off, glaring up at her friend. "You want me to hurt someone else just to get everything back to normal? What is wrong with you?!"

"This isn't just someone; it's Varian. I don't know how long he's been around that guy, but he must've done something to change him." He glares right back at her. "Varian is...is not thinking straight right now. The only person he'll listen to is you. You might be the only chance Corona has."

"If I wanted that on my shoulders, I'd do it in a way that wouldn't hurt him. No, I'm not doing it," She storms off to the group and he huffs, crossing his arms. He knows that the two care a lot about each other, but she always knew that he was going to have to return to prison.

"I've got the rope!"

They look up towards the wall as Clementine tosses a rope to a Saporian. "Cork fiber? Clementine, you know cork cord chafes my hands."

The two throw down the rope and slide towards the ground. "Let's get outta here!" Eugene urges them.

"What? We can't just leave! We've gotta stay and fight!" Rapunzel pulls out her frying pan. "How do you think those Saporians would like a face full of frying pan...?" She looks at her frying pan, which is damaged to the point where it has holes in it. "Ness?"

She holds up the face from the frying pan to her eyes.

"Blondie, trust me. Sometimes, it's better to leave than fight another day," He tells her and they run through the arch.

"Guys, come on. They're getting away!" Clementine notices them. They run into town.

"Quick! Over there!" Eugene guides them into Xavier's shop, where everyone picks a hiding place. Rapunzel peeks over her shoulder.

"We cannot allow the princesses and their gang to interfere with New Saporia's take over of Corona."

Rapunzel grabs a plier, but Eugene stops her.

"Ooh, do you see something?" Clementine asks as they duck their heads. They're standing right in front of the crate that Rapunzel and Eugene are hiding behind.

"Yes..." He holds up a horseshoe. "Look at these shoes of Equine oppression."

"Oh, barbaric Coronans!" Clementine comments as they leave, Harmony sticking out her tongue at them. Rapunzel glances between Eugene and Harmony, and she could just feel the tension between the two.

"What was that talk all about earlier?" Rapunzel asks Eugene once the Saporians leave.

"I asked her to get Varian to back off by pretending to like him, and she freaked!" Eugene gestures to where Harmony is. The older princess takes a deep breath, closing her eyes. She still feels bad about what happened to him...and for not listening to Harmony about it either. And despite it being a sore subject for the girl during their trip, she was still there for her whenever she could, to hug her and share childhood stories before the...kidnapping. She didn't want to lose her own sister's trust just like with Varian...

"Eugene, there's two different stories on what happened and what did actually happen. Varian definitely hurt her, but we both know he didn't actually kidnapped her during the storm. She went to go find him and got lost. And...I can tell that even though she's still hurt by him right now..."

"...She still loves him," He whispers softly, and she nods in confirmation. "We'll talk to her together. I'm sorry, Blondie, I shouldn't have suggested it to her."

"It's okay," They share a warm hug. "I just hope it doesn't cause us trouble with Varian if he suspects something."

The fireplace suddenly opens as Xavier peeks his head out. "Princesses!"

"Xavier!" They whisper in relief, the duckling and chameleon beaming. They reach to his side as he pulls the fireplace back in its spot.

"The Captain of the Guards sent out many search parties to find you both. He has yet to return," Xavier descends down the stairs. "But in the meantime..."

The two reach the end to see Monty, Attila, Big Nose, and Friedborg. "Princesses? You're back!" Attila says happily.

The two beam, hugging everyone one at a time. "It is so, so good to see all of you! Even you, Monty." She smiles at him and he drops his pout, smiling back.

"We stay hidden. Everyone in Corona now lives in fear, spending their days, mining Varian's minerals."

"What?!" The two exclaim at this.

"The people of Corona are so brave! Why wouldn't they stand up?" Rapunzel couldn't help but ask.

"We cannot defy the orders from the king and queen," Xavier shakes his head. "Any act of aggression against them is treason. But, now that you two have returned, the game has changed." Xaiver bows to her, everyone else doing the same. Harmony leans against the wall, eyes closed. Everyone eyes her, feeling her pain about what's happened.

"I can't believe this..." She gets onto her feet. "One month I was gone, he was in prison, and just like that, he's betrayed me again!" Harmony paces around angrily. "He might be doing this for me, but he doesn't realize that he's doing the wrong thing! And with Andrew of all people, ugh!"

"I'm sure that Andrew is just using Varian to get what he wants…he's wanted forgiveness for months now that he's doing it in a way he thinks is right," Rapunzel places her hands on Harmony's shoulders.

"He hurt me…again. Rapunzel, I love him so much, but I can't handle this pain again…not like a year ago," Harmony shakes her head slowly, tears in her eyes.

"I get why he did it…" Eugene kneels in front of her. "I've seen Varian throughout the trip. He was smiling again, working to free his father, trusting us again…and you know why?"

She sniffles, wiping her nose with her sleeve. "Because you sacrificed your whole destiny and being a good princess to help him. Even if that meant people would look down on you for it. And now…he truly believes that doing all this will get all of Corona to forgive him. I mean, we already had, but a whole kingdom is harder enough to get trust back."

"So then…what do I do?" She murmurs quietly.

"…A good princess would gather up her troops. A great one would fight back for her country. What do you say, Harmony? Princesses by chance…"

"And sisters by choice," Harmony murmurs in determination.

* * *

Varian is in his makeshift lab in the castle.

"How's it coming, friend?" Andrew asks the boy.

"Yeah!"

"If my calculations are correct...when the Quirineon is heated, it will convert to a gaseous state and be easily dispersed throughout the entire city, wiping the memories of everyone in Corona." And then everyone will forgive him...

The beaker nearby explodes, sending him across the wall covered in green. "Evidently, my calculations were not correct..." He says in pain, landing on the floor.

"Oh! If it won't erase people's memories, the boy's chemical may have other uses..." Clementine chuckles at all the fire, some pipes landing on Varian's desk and burning...

* * *

Rapunzel creates a new frying pan, Pascal staring at her in concern. Harmony looks up ahead as Eugene walks over to talk to his girlfriend. She goes back to creating more arrows.

"Hey Blondie, how you holding up?"

"Me?" She simply smiles. "Fine!" With a glare, she puts the pan in water, creating steam. She puts a hand on her hip, spinning around a brand new frying pan. "What do you think?" Pascal blows a kiss. "It's not bad, right?"

"You've been through a lot since we got back...both of you have. Not to mention what happened with Cassandra." He glances back at the teenage girl, who has her back turned to him.

Rapunzel just laughs it off. "What? Oh, I mean, to tell you the truth, I haven't even thought about that..." She squeezes a paint bottle tightly. "Person."

"Rapunzel!" Eugene snatches the brush from her hand. "You can't even say her name. There's a difference between setting feelings aside and burying them so deep they change who you are." Pascal crawls onto his shoulder, squeaking in agreement.

"What are you saying, Eugene?"

"What I'm saying...is that you're not alone in this. Neither of you are." Harmony says nothing towards him.

"I know..." Rapunzel looks away, sighing a little. "But maybe it would be better if I were."

"What was that?"

"Nothing...Harmi, are you okay?" She turns to the girl.

"The boy I love took over my kingdom for me because he wants forgiveness, so...yeah, I'm just peachy," Harmony rolls her eyes.

"Look...I'm sorry that I asked you to pretend to like him. I just...I know how much you love Corona, and that you hate seeing it like this," Eugene states, Harmony closing her eyes. "But Varian still believes that he's doing all this for a better life not just for himself, but for you. Both of you are great kids. But please...don't let him do this to Corona."

"I won't," She closes her eyes. "And I forgive you. I just wish you hadn't suggested it in the first place."

Xavier clears his throat, getting their attention. "Am I interrupting?"

"No," She hums slightly, looking over to her sister. "We're just making new weapons," She waves the pan as Harmony holds up her new quiver with the Corona symbol stitched onto it. She throws the arrows inside.

"Princesses, we need to discuss our strategy."

"We'll be there in a second," She and Eugene share a quick peck on the lips. Rapunzel looks to her sister, Pascal jumping off Eugene. The blonde places her bag after her shoulder.

"...We're sneaking in by ourselves, aren't we?" Harmony asks knowingly after a few seconds.

"Oh yeah," Rapunzel narrows her eyes. "You in?"

"Ideally, I'd say no, but...I need to talk to Varian," Harmony steps up to her, putting on her quiver. "That, and...I'm by your side always."

Rapunzel smiles slightly as they share a one-armed hug. They make sure no one is looking before running off, but Pascal and Daisy had noticed anyway. They glance to each other, wondering where they're going.

* * *

The two sneak into the harbor, removing their hoodies from their cloaks. They smirk to each other before Pascal makes himself known to them. Daisy flies into view.

"Pascal, Daisy, what are you two doing here?"

He raises a brow, practically asking her the same thing. The two squeak at them. "What? No, of course we trust you. We just...thought of this as a sister mission."

The two animals blow a raspberry at the duo. "Ugh, alright, I can never fool you."

"And I can never lie to your cute face," Harmony pokes Daisy's cheeks, and she chirps. Pascal hugs Rapunzel's finger.

"Check this out..." She bends down to a cover and opens it.

"Secret passageways...gotta love 'em," Harmony sighs in slight bliss.

"How could they have run off on their own like that?" Eugene paces around as they're aware at this point. "If I know one thing about the girls, it's that they are tough, but they're only two people, moonstone or not! How are they supposed to take all those Saporians by themselves?!"

"And Varian," Lance points out.

"You are not helping!" Eugene growls at him. "I'm going after them. Anybody else?"

"Count me in," Shorty punches his hands together.

"Anyone else?"

The smile turns into a frown.

* * *

The four shadows walk in front of the castle. The two tiny ones bump into the bigger ones, and they shush them. The two sisters sneak up to a window, Daisy and Pascal following inside. They walk down the hall, pressing their backs to the wall.

"Well, lately, I've been into essential oils, you know, peppermint and eucalyptus, or..."

Harmony shakes her head and they run past to the other side. "Huh? What was that?"

The two walk up to the girls. "It wasn't anything. Come on. If you ask me, you should lay off the essential oils. They make you hear things."

The two sisters silently sigh in relief, sneaking down another hall. Pascal and Daisy crawl up their shoulders.

"Kai! Is that you?"

They cringe and run into a room, silently closing the door. Rapunzel turns around and realizes where they are.

_When your Dad is Captain of the Guards, you tend to collect...stuff._

They open up the doors to see all of her weapons and clothes, including her lady-in-waiting dress...She holds it close before sitting on the bed. She holds it up to her eyes, shedding a few tears. Harmony sits next to her, hugging the blonde.

"I thought she would always be here..." The tears stream down her face and a few shadows approach them.

"Well, well, well. Look who we found."

Harmony gasps sharply as she turns around.

* * *

The next thing they knew, they were put in a cell in the dungeon. Across from them is Silver, a muzzle over his face.

"Silver!" Harmony yells in horror.

"Varian," Rapunzel turns to him. "How could you do this? After everything we've been through together?"

"I want you two to know I wish it didn't come to this." He lightly knocks against a bar, gripping them as he gives Harmony an intense glare. "But when someone trusts you...and you betray them, well...this is what happens."

"What...?" She murmurs in confusion. If he was referring to when she had to stop him in Old Corona, she did that for his own sake, not to hurt him.

"What are you talking about?" Rapunzel questions him.

"You know what!" Varian points to them. "I tried and tried to be close with you again, but the minute you found out my plan, you stabbed me in the back, all of you! You and Eugene planned it all out and thought that I wouldn't know."

Harmony's eyes widen slowly as she knows what he's talking about. He must've waited until she was okay and saw the whole thing... "Varian...I-"

"Our kingdom needs us, just like they needed us back during the storm. We couldn't do anything about the amber, and we have to save everyone. We never forgot our promise to you, Varian. We were friends..."

"That's the beauty of my plan. In the end, when your memories have been erased, we can be friends again, and we can be together again," Varian turns to look at Harmony. She glares at him, fists clenched.

"But you're only making it worse!" Rapunzel grips the bars. "None of these people did anything to you."

"It's not what they did to me! It's what I did to them..." He turns his back on them. "During our trip...I realized that you guys would never forgive me for what I did. I realized just what I did to all of you! And that you had to turn me away because of Corona...a-and there is no way that anyone will ever forgive me. So...I realized that the memory wand could fix everything! And I had to keep it a secret from you all, or else you would've stopped me!"

"How do you know they won't forgive you if you don't give them a chance?" Rapunzel tries to appeal to him as Harmony covers her mouth, shocked to hear this. "We would've helped you in a different way."

"I took their queen and princess prisoner, I-I threatened their crown princess, I helped these guys take over their kingdom! You think anyone's gonna give me a second chance? I don't think so. No, making them forget is the only way to fix what I've done..."

"But a world without memory isn't the answer here…I can't believe you're resorting to this, Varian."

He flinches at the name from Harmony's disappointed tone. "Doing this to Corona will fix everything…including us."

"This is worth jeopardizing our relationship?!" She shouts at him.

"Now, that one wasn't all me, was it?" He spits back at her and she turns away out of anger.

"_I _gave you a second chance when people told me to give up on you..." She squeezes her eyes shut. "I let you come with us, I told you my feelings about the moonstone, you confided in me about your _father_! Doesn't that mean anything to you? You betrayed me, again!"

Tears prick her eyes as she stares at him through the bars. His eyes soften at her saddened face.

"W-What we have does mean something to me, Mona, but-"

"Yeah, there's been a slight change of plans, buddy," Andrew interrupts, stepping up to the boy. He grabs him and guides the boy away from the two. "Now that she and your little girlfriend are back, we don't have time for you to get your memory formula right."

"We are still using the formula you've curated. Quirineon explodes! It will turn Corona to ashes..." Clementine reveals to them. Harmony gasps in horror.

"But no, no! No, we agreed nobody would be harmed!" Varian points an accusing finger at Andrew. "You said you'd help me with my friends!"

"Relax, Varian," He slowly puts down his hand. "You don't wanna end up on the wrong side of history. You understand, buddy," He nudges the boy, who turns to the princesses. Rapunzel gives Varian a pleading look as the girl is turned away out of sadness over their fight.

"You're right...so I'm gonna have to ask you..." Varian digs his hand into his pocket. "To step inside that cell," He holds up a blue chem ball towards them. Harmony glances over her shoulder to see the exchange, blinking in shock.

"Are you betraying us, boy?" Clementine demands, Rapunzel beaming.

"I'm getting on the _right_ side of history..."

"Take him out!"

He tosses it at them, recoiling back as it explodes. They look to see that bubbles are surrounding the group. "Ohh...sorry, guys, that was...yeah, that was a bath bomb."

* * *

He's placed inside the cell with the others. "He's made his choice," Andrew glares at him. "Let's move. We launch the air ship in 20."

Varian is leaning against the wall while Rapunzel tries to set them free. Harmony is sitting across from him, hugging her knees.

"All I ever wanted was for my father to be proud..." He speaks up, getting their attention. He turns away from them. "Of course, if he were free from the amber now, and...saw everything I've done...well, he'd be ashamed..."

Pascal and Daisy look up to the girls. They're chained to a ball, unable to move.

"You know...standing up to Andrew just now was...pretty brave," Rapunzel takes a seat next to her sister, pressing her back to her sister's arm. "Look...I know how much it hurts to have someone you trust...let you down. I mean, after you go through something like that...how can you ever trust anyone again?"

"I don't know. T-That's why I thought maybe if I make you forget everything that happened, you know, we could be friends again, learn to trust again. Maybe fall in love again..." Varian murmurs to himself. Harmony had heard that, however, and looks away, a blush appearing on her face.

"But then I heard you and Eugene talking about how you were gonna play with my feelings! Make me think that you still loved me so that I would give you back Corona!" Varian grits his teeth at her and she visibly groans at the memory. Note to herself, make sure Eugene isn't an idiot.

"Varian…you didn't hear the whole conversation. I said no, multiple times. I love Corona, but I didn't want to hurt you to get my home back to the way it was..." She murmurs, hands clutching the necklace he gave to her. "You have to believe me. I would never play with your feelings to get what I want...I spent months looking for the solution with you to free your father...because I care about you. And I still do..."

His eyes soften as she looks genuinely remorseful...when has she ever hurt him? Even when he hurt her, she still forgave him...because she was the only one to still care in his eyes. She stuck with him through everything, despite all he's done to her, her family, her home...

"...I...I didn't know that you said no...I just thought..."

"That I'd betray you like you did to me?" She whispers knowingly. "Varian, I wouldn't do that after all we've been through..." She digs into her back pocket and pulls out the flower he gave to her during the trip. She clutches it to her heart as he stares at her in shock to see it. "I...I still kept your flower...because I had hope. Hope that you'd be okay, hope that I'd free your father...after all that happened, why would I wanna lose that? You...mean everything to me, and I don't care what you do or say. That'll never change."

He engulfs her into a hug, sobbing lightly into her shoulder. "If I wasn't so dumb, this wouldn't have happened...I'm so sorry for what I said, Mona. I never meant to hurt you."

She hugs him back tightly, Rapunzel looking on in sympathy. Deep down...she knew that this was their fault as well. Quirin, turning their back on him...causing him to lose trust in the one person he still held dear to his heart...

"Varian…I know it hurts to remember what happened to your father. But we don't need to forget about it. You're still a friend of ours, and…we'll forgive you for not realizing that."

"Sorry I acted a little…crazy back there," Varian chuckles awkwardly at the two, who smirk to each other. "Okay, I was being insane."

He really thought that the Saporians were helping him make up his friends…but during his partnership with them, he lost sight of the fact that he didn't need to do all of this. They would've been sympathetic towards him if he had just said something…

"Being caught in an explosion wasn't really fun, but I knew you didn't want to do it…Varian, I don't wanna forget everything that happened...do you?" Harmony asks softly and he shakes his head rapidly.

"No! ...But I guess life wouldn't work that way if I had gone through with it, huh?"

Rapunzel turns to him and smiles. He smiles back at her.

"Mona…I will do anything to make you happy," Varian takes a hold of her hand. "I swear, no more secrets, no more craziness. J-Just tell me what I can do."

She smiles softly at him. "I just want to be happy…with the alchemist I don't regret helping."

Rapunzel clasps her hands together. "Aww."

He gives her a happy look and leans in to kiss her, only to be interrupted.

"Okay, this is very sweet, but honestly, I'm offended," Eugene suddenly speaks up, having the key around his finger. Lance grins widely next to him. "I can't believe you were going to break into something and you didn't even ask me! It's kind of my thing..."

He opens up the door.

"Thank goodness you're here!" Rapunzel runs up and hugs him. Harmony hugs the horse. Varian tries to make a quick exit, but Lance blocks his way.

"And where do you think you're going, little man?" Lance demands him, Max snorting. Lance rubs off his chin, removing the marker from it, to Varian's disappointment.

"Drawn-on facial hair, huh?" Harmony smirks, crossing her arms. He blushes in embarrassment.

"Guys...we're going to have to trust him," Rapunzel gestures to the boy.

"After everything Hair-Stripe here has done, you are going to trust him?" Eugene asks, walking past Varian. He visibly flinches at the question. Eugene sets Pascal and Daisy free. Lance does the same with Silver.

"Yes. He's the one who made the formula the Saporians are about to drop on Corona," Rapunzel places her hands on his shoulders. "We need him."

He smiles softly at her, Harmony dragging him away.

"She's got it bad for Varian," Eugene whispers to Lance.

"Totally."

"Ah, young love…even when it's forbidden, she just has to be in love with the one guy we thought we could trust…"

"She's falling for the bad boy again," Lance sighs, crossing his arms. "Such a sad sight..."

Harmony comes back and punches Eugene in the arm. "Stop gossiping and let's get a move on!"

"Ow! Man, you hit hard…and why didn't you punch him?!"

* * *

They reach the docks, where a ship with a hot air balloon is about to deploy. The Saporians are loading the Quirineon onto the air ship.

"There's enough Quirineon in that ship to destroy Corona ten times over!" Varian whispers to them.

"Is there anything we can do?" Rapunzel asks him.

"If you can get me on that ship, I think I can neutralize it."

Rapunzel smirks at him.

Frederic and Arianna are being escorted to a caravan. Andrew opens the door for them. "After you, my darling," Frederic lets Arianna go in first and Andrew closes the door. Then he locks it with a key.

"Take them to the outskirts of Corona to watch their kingdom fall," Andrew tosses the key to Kai. "Once it's done...get rid of them."

"Now fly, mighty steed!" Kai snaps the reigns and they take off.

"Andrew's such a jerk..." Harmony narrows her eyes in anger.

"Eugene, I need you guys to free our parents."

"You heard her, boys. Let's go!" They run off to go catch up with them. Andrew steps up to a rope with a sword in hand.

"For Saporia!" He cuts off the rope and they take to the skies.

"We have got to get on that ship!" Rapunzel looks up at it.

"With this first barrel, we plant the seeds of a new Saporia. Let's just take a second to make sure that we are truly present in this moment." Andrew takes a deep breath with the others, and with Clementine, they move the barrel over to the edge. They toss it over, but nothing happens. "Uh, any second now..."

With the help of a black rock courtesy of Harmony, the three are hugging the rock as Varian had caught the barrel. Rapunzel swings her hair around and grabs onto the bottom. She grabs the two teens with her hair and climbs up.

"What is going on?" Andrew looks over the edge. The barrel lands behind them as the trio lands.

"You dropped something?"

He turns around to them. "You!"

"Varian. Get your alchemy belt and neutralize the coronion-"

"I-I-Quirineon, Rapunzel. Say it with me. Quiri-"

"Please do not act like Calliope right now," Harmony warns him and he ducks from a punch. He runs off from a Saporian, Rapunzel snatching him with her hair. She turns to a female and blocks her sword with her hair. Rapunzel pushes her backwards as two Saporians run up to them. Rapunzel jumps on their heads while Harmony backflips, flying over them. Rapunzel grabs their feet and jumps.

"This is the last time you-"

A green chem ball lands between Andrew and the girls, his sword disintegrating.

"Heh. Not bad for an Alchemist, eh?" Varian brags, spinning a chem ball on his finger. Andrew grits his teeth as the boy shows off, but he drops all of his equipment from his belt. Two of them land on Pascal and Daisy, trapping them in soap bubbles. "Whoa! My fault."

"Settle down, Alchemist," Harmony places his hand down before he could show off some more. More bubbles capture the two's feet.

"Whoa, that one's on me!" He races to get his chem balls back, the sisters floating into the air slightly. Varian cringes when Clementine points her sword at him.

"Stand down, Alchemist."

The two pets manage to roll over to them.

"I'll take care of him," Andrew grabs the boy, lifting him over the edge. "Traitors to Saporia pay with their lives."

Harmony looks up, gasping. "Varian, no!"

The two knock into the man's feet, and the two go flying. Varian lands back on the ship while Andrew falls off the edge. One of the soap balls lands on him, and he's left floating, his head stuck in a bubble.

"Pascal! Daisy! Come here!" Rapunzel waves them over. They roll over to her, using a lifted plank as a ramp. She hits both of them hard with the frying pan and they hit the other side. The two hit a few barrels like pinball before flying over to Clementine. They punch her in the face, knocking into two other Saporians repeatedly. They land in their owners' arms, a bit dizzy. Harmony fires an arrow at the bubbles, setting herself and her sister free.

Varian sprinkles the solution over the two pets. "Well, that wasn't so hard."

The duckling and chameleon fall down out of exhaustion. "Sorry," Harmony kisses the top of Daisy's head.

"Oh, we're not done yet!" They turn in shock to see Andrew floating into view. "Time for Corona to go boom!"

He slices at the flames, causing an explosion. The ship is left dangling by a single balloon. The Saporians fall, but are captured in bubbles. The others hold on to a stair.

* * *

The caravan holding Frederic and Arianna goes into the woods, and the king pours her some tea. "Do you enjoy tea?"

"I don't remember..."

Max trots after them, and Eugene jumps off him, landing on the roof. Fidella moves closer and Lance barely lands on top. Eugene jumps, landing in front of the door.

"It's locked!"

"This side too," Lance frowns from the opposite side.

* * *

"That single burner cannot generate enough heat to keep this ship in the air. If it crashes, it'll destroy all of Corona!" Varian looks over the edge.

"What if we use the Quirineon?" Rapunzel glances over her shoulder.

"Yes, yes! Heating the Quirineon will increase the temperature enough for the balloons to rise! We just have to get it high enough, so that when it explodes, it doesn't destroy the city! ...You need to get off the ship. Girls, I've gotta clean up my own mess."

They glance to each other and then look back to him. "No. You do not have a shield of magic hair that will protect you when this thing explodes."

"I'm sorry, Varian, but we can't. Do it, Rapunzel," Harmony closes her eyes and Rapunzel snatches the boy with her hair.

"What are you doing?"

"It's your mess, but it's _our _kingdom," Rapunzel simply tells him. She tosses him out, but her hair rolls slowly so that he safely lands on a house.

"NO! Rapunzel, Mona!" He shouts at them. Rapunzel snatches the front with her hair, her sister climbing up after her. The two jump, swinging around. Harmony snatches a barrel as they swing back up to the top. She plants the barrel and Rapunzel turns the flames around so that they're facing the chemical.

"Alright, guys. Let's get this oversized balloon as high as it will go!"

"Let's save Corona," Harmony narrows her eyes.

* * *

The caravan is still heading downhill. "What is taking you so long? That's an easy lock!" Lance shouts at Eugene from the other side.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe it's because I'm on a moving carriage!" Eugene shouts back, gesturing to the lock. The king and queen seem to be blissfully unaware of the danger they're in. The caravan hits a rock, the lock pick flying out of his hands. It lands on the ground. "Oh come on! New plan. We're gonna need the keys."

He climbs up to the top, tapping Kai's shoulder. The man looks up to see the former thief. "Hey, Chuckles!"

Kai climbs up to deal with him, and Lance grabs the ropes. He pulls on them and they rip off.

"Hand over that key or else!" Eugene points to the key at Kai's waist.

"Or else what?" He holds up the key. The man points behind him. Lance salutes, capturing him with the rope. The key falls out of his hand. The horse suddenly runs away, dragging Kai with him. His mustache flies right off.

"Where is the key?" Eugene asks Lance.

"I HAVE IT!" Kai calls out, and Lance smiles sheepishly.

"Could this get any worse?"

The caravan swoops down and comes to a stop over a small hill. "Usually, when you ask if things get worse like that, they actually do!"

He laughs it off while Lance is cringing. The caravan starts going backwards since there is no horse to drive it.

"There's that irony."

Max and Fidella look up ahead to see the caravan, eyes going wide. They run off in the other direction, but the caravan bumps into them anyway. They land in the seat as they go flying, speeding down the road.

Kai has set himself free. "Now fly, run to the wilderness!"

The caravan catches him and he looks between the two horses. Then they head for a cliff, the three up front using their feet to stop it.

"No, no, no, no, no, no!"

They stop, but Kai goes flying over the edge, screaming.

Eugene looks between Fidella and Kai, a little disturbed. The king and queen step out of the caravan. "Are we stopping for lunch?"

* * *

Back with the girls, the Quirineon starts to bubble as it's heating up. "Oh, wow. This stuff is really heating up! Just a little ,pre altitude..."

Pascal and Daisy look behind them, screeching in alarm. The ship hits a building, creating a hole. The two sisters crawl up the balloon as the chemical starts to burn. Eugene sees the ship from up ahead.

"Come on, girls, get outta there," He pleads to himself.

The two reach the top, Pascal and Daisy flying off their shoulders. Daisy catches him and flies back up. "Thanks Daisy," Rapunzel pats her on the head as they stand up. "Okay, that's it! We are high enough! Harmi, take my hand."

She does so and her hair surrounds them. "That's it, now come on!" Eugene urges to the two.

The ship explodes right above the castle. "Rapunzel! Harmony!" Lance screams in alarm. He falls onto his knees. "No..."

"Just wait, Lance," Eugene tells him. "Just wait." He smiles up at the sky. "It'll be okay."

A few seconds later, a gold light falls from the sky, to Lance's shock. "See?"

They start running as the ball of hair separates, leaving the two to fall. Rapunzel throws her hair at the top of a tower, her sister grabbing onto the hair as they spin around towards the ground, landing safely. They look up to see their friends, smiling.

Rapunzel and Eugene hug. "I knew you'd make it." Pascal glances between them and is getting squeezed. He gets their attention and they pull apart. Eugene then hugs Harmony next. "It's all over."

"Not yet. There's still one promise we need to keep."

* * *

Harmony takes a deep breath as they stand in front of the amber. Varian is holding a bucket of cold water, back in his regular outfit. "Okay…Varian, this should free your father, but while I'm singing the incantation, I might not be able to control myself like the first time I used it. Because this could seriously hurt all of you. And I'm trusting you to snap me out of it once Quirin is free."

"You can count on me, Mona," He gives her a sweet smile. "And...I'm sorry to ask you to do this."

Both of them remember when she promised to use the incantation on him at the Great Tree. "...It'll be worth it when he's free," She returns the smile and places her hands on the amber.

"You can do this, Harmi," Rapunzel clenches her fists with hope.

"...Punzie...I don't wanna risk your life too. Please...can you just wait outside until you hear me stop singing?" She gives her older sister a pleading look. Rapunzel is hesitant at her request. She wants to be here to support the girl, but by the look in her eyes, she sees the fear of potentially hurting her.

"...Okay, Harmi," She smiles weakly, opening the door and closing it behind her.

"…Wither and decay, end this destiny, break these earthly chains, and set the spirit free," Harmony says, her hair turning pure black, lifting up into the air and flying in all directions in 70 feet. Once her eyes open, they're pure black like her hair. The princess starts to sing as the amber slowly melts, Varian opening his mouth in shock.

"It's working..." He gasps in awe.

_Wither and decay_

"It's working!" He sees his father breathing.

_End this destiny _

"Oh! Dad!" He almost runs to him, but then Varian stops and looks at Harmony. She's still singing with no emotion on her face.

_Break these earthly chains _

He looks at the bucket of water. He...couldn't just leave her like this.

_And set the spirit free_

Varian throws the bucket of water over her, but it has no effect.

"Wake up!" He manages to get her away from the amber, but because of the song, it slightly burns his hands. The gloves melt right off his hands. "Mona! Snap out of it, please!"

Rapunzel opens the door, seeing the state of her sister. "Harmi..."

He looks right into her black, lifeless eyes.

_The spirit free..._

"Mona..." He reaches out to her. "Mona...?" He closes his eyes, holding his hands to his heart. "You didn't give up on me, and neither did Rapunzel. I'm not giving up on you. Remember when I promised you that when we met here? I haven't forgotten, Mona…come back to me."

She hears the pleading tone in her head as it reaches her.

…_Vari…_

Suddenly, her hair and eyes turn back to normal. She gasps, falling onto her knees as she regains control of herself.

Varian quickly kneels down to her, reaching out again. "Are you okay?" He asks softly.

She looks up at him and smiles. He smiles back and pulls the two princesses into a group hug. They both return it with soft smiles.

"Thank you! Both of you!" He pulls away and kisses Harmony's cheek, running towards Quirin and embracing him. "Dad! Dad! You're alive!"

Rapunzel grins happily at her sister, who blushes, tugging a strand of her hair.

Varian pulls back, wiping his nose with a sniff. "Oh, son..."

"Dad, the note," He watches it completely disappear. "W-What did it—what did it say? I need to know."

Quirin places a hand on his cheek. "All it was...I'm so proud of you, Varian. I always have been."

He smiles and hugs him again. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, son."

The two sisters smile at the family moment.

* * *

Rapunzel, Harmony, Eugene and Varian face the whole crowd in the throne room. The princess called everyone here to explain things. It was time that she told them.

"Everyone..." Harmony steps up while holding Varian's hand, surprising him. "I want you all to know the truth...about what happened with Varian." He's about to pull away when she gently holds his hand, silently telling him that it would be okay. He takes a deep breath, facing the citizens. "I left the storm on my own."

Everyone's mouth drop open. "I was just...so upset with what Rapunzel had done that I thought Varian could use my help. So I went out into the blizzard, but by the time I reached him, I passed out. He found me and carried me back to his house, where I managed to warm up. And after a while, the guards located me, but they assumed that Varian kidnapped me. I tried to tell them, they didn't listen, and my father declared that I shouldn't see him again. But...we had an argument, and since I thought if no one was going to listen...that I shouldn't explain. But I'm tired of hiding the truth. Varian is a good person who just really wanted to help his father."

"Then why did he hurt you in front of the queen?" Someone calls out from the crowd. Both of them cringe.

"I...lost control," Varian looks away in shame. "I wasn't thinking straight. Believe me, I regretted it immediately."

"Look at Eugene," Harmony gestures to the man, who blinks before waving to the crowd. "He was a thief and look how he turned out. Everyone deserves a second chance. So...why not give one to Varian?" She pushes him forward slightly and he waits with bated breath.

Rapunzel starts clapping, smiling at everyone else. They glance to each other and start slowly clapping. Varian smiles at Harmony, who grins. The blonde places some flowers into her hair.

Harmony's dress has white ¾ inch sleeves under a buttoned-down floral patterned tunic, which is a turquoise blue like her bangs. The middle part of her turquoise dress skirt is cut to show the white fabric underneath in a narrow triangle shape. Her hair is worn loose with a bun near the top of her head, the rest cascading down to her behind. Her bangs keep their shape, but the sides are pulled back with lilies decorating them. Curled strands from her bangs rest by her ears.

Rapunzel also has a new dress, since she is now acting queen due to their parents' situation. Harmony is now acting crown princess.

_We've done a lot_

_Faced who knows what?_

Rapunzel smiles towards Eugene, and he returns it with a wink.

_Still though, we're not quite through yet_

Eugene escorts the two down the steps.

_We have so much to do yet_

Together, the two jump onto the railing.

_More than a thing or two yet_

Max bumps into the stand that holds the two crowns, and they fall off.

**There's wounds we must heal**

The two slide down the railing.

**Plans to make real**

Rapunzel lands in Eugene's arms as Harmony soars into the air, flipping onto the ground.

**Watch us and we'll do wonders**

They don't notice the three animals going after the crown.

**Sure, we might make some blunders**

Eugene plucks a cactus from the topiary that was his nose and the head completely goes away.

**We'll face them all head on!**

They run into the parade.

_**We'll rise hand in hand**_

_**And rebuild this land**_

Rapunzel, Harmony, and Eugene jump off the balloon that was Max, Daisy, and Pascal.

_**We're ready to stand and roar**_

They swing around the banners, flying off. The crowd holds out their hands, the three animals running onto them. The two sisters land on them side-by-side.

_**Will we give up?**_

_**No, never!**_

_**We're stronger than ever before!**_

They grab Eugene and together, the four are being held up by the citizens, spun around in a circle. Lance lets out a laugh as Harmony lands in front of the people, leading them into a small dance. She spins around her feet, clapping her hands.

Eugene spins around Rapunzel.

**E: We've made mistakes**

He spins her to Lance.

**L: Had some bad breaks**

_**That only makes us tougher!**_

The men join together, kicking up their legs.

**L: Now when the road gets rougher**

The two princesses and former thieves walk down the road.

**E: Frankly, we'll barely suffer**

_Cause though we've been burned_

**What have we learned?**

Harmony glances to Varian and his father, both of them happy to be reunited again. The three animals run past them.

_**B: Victory is earned, not given**_

Andrew and his Saporian friends are rightfully in jail.

Harmony spins around happily, gesturing for Varian to join her. He hesitates, but Quirin gently pushes him forward.

The two teenagers spin around while holding onto each other.

_**G: We shape the world we live in**_

The two teenagers and Rapunzel finish a chalk drawing, standing back proudly. It's the Corona symbol with the sun and moon joined together. There are flowers and leaves all over the two.

_**B: We're what we build upon**_

The two sisters stand at the end of a wagon, hands on their hips.

_**A: The war may be won**_

_**But still we're not done**_

Lance and Varian join their sides in the same pose, and then Eugene.

_**We've only begun to soar**_

The tiaras land on the wagon, and when Max lands on it, they fly into the air as they all sing together.

_G: Bolder_

**E and V: And far more clever**

The two sisters soar on a line of lanterns.

_**And stronger than ever before!**_

The sisters fly into the air, smiling at each other. Harmony lands right next to Varian.

**There's miles yet to go**

"Did you grow taller while I was away?" Harmony suddenly notices that he's almost an inch taller than her.

"Maybe you're just growing shorter," He smirks at her and she smacks his arm with a laugh. "You've been growing your hair…I like it."

_How far we don't know_

The two teens look into each other's eyes, smiling.

_**But we can do so much more!**_

"I love you," They say at the same time, both of them blinking at the other in surprise. Harmony puts a hand to her heart as it's beating rapidly.

Varian snaps out of it. "You still love me...?" He murmurs and closes his arms around her, lifting her up in the air, spinning around.

"She said she loves me! The acting crown princess loves me!"

Harmony couldn't help but giggle as Quirin looks on with a warm smile on his face, happy for his son. Rapunzel, Eugene, and Lance all smile at the moment.

_**G: Onto the next endeavor!**_

Rapunzel and Eugene are suddenly held by lanterns, holding each other's hands.

_**We're stronger than ever!**_

_**G: We'll never say never**_

_**We're stronger than ever before!**_

As they're celebrating, Max is lifted up by lanterns, holding the two crowns.

Varian puts a piece of paper into Harmony's hand, confusing her. He leans in and kisses her cheek. "I have to go. Read the note."

She opens it up as soon as he's far away enough from her.

_Meet me in the castle at this location as soon as midnight strikes. I wanna show you just how much I missed you._

* * *

Rapunzel is sitting at her window once the celebration is over, looking out to the sunset.

"The number one reason I'm glad to be back in Corona, you ask? Why, the cupcakes." Eugene peeks into the room, holding a cupcake. She smiles as he joins her side. "I'm glad you were able to keep your promise to Varian. Well, technically, you and Harmi. You know, it feels good to trust that little guy again, right?"

"It does, and I'm glad that I managed to make my sister happy ever since...things. And Eugene..." She looks away and he stares at her. "I think I'm ready to talk about Cass..."

He smiles at her. "Well then, I am all ears, Sunshine."

She smiles back, standing up. "At first, I felt so betrayed. After all, Cass is my best friend..."

* * *

(**This is the lemon, so if you don't wanna read it, just click away from the story XD**)

Harmony heads down a hallway and opens the door to a guest room. She knocks and hears a 'come in' from Varian, making her smile weakly at the sound of his voice, because just a few hours ago, he wanted to erase her memory. She opens the door and sees nothing but the dim light coming in from the window. Suddenly, she feels a pair of arms wrap around her waist from behind and a pair of lips kissing her neck.

"Ohhh," She starts to moan, feeling herself starting to get wet, knowing exactly who it was doing it.

"You like that, don't you?" Varian whispers into her ear while rubbing his hands all over her body until he reaches her chest. "Don't you think you're wearing too much?" He pinches and squeezes her breasts over her clothing.

"Are you complaining already?" She asks between her moans.

"Oh Mona, the only thing I'm complaining about is how many boners I've had thinking about you," He says seductively while pinching her nipples through her blouse.

"Varian, ahhh, plea-ahh," She tries to question while moaning, feeling too much pleasure from the touches he's giving her body and the raspy voice from his mouth into her ear.

"Please what, princess?" He sucks at her neck, lifting up her skirt. He brings his hands down to her womanhood and rubs it through her soaking wet panties.

"Make me yours! Please...!" She tries to get the words out before her voice gives in, and she does. He turns her around to face him.

"If you say so," He softly kisses her lips and she melts into it, putting her arms around his neck and bringing him closer. Varian snakes his arms around her waist. His tongue licks her bottom lip, asking for entrance, but she playfully denies. This causes him to groan and he pins her onto the bed gently. She moans as he gently grabs her breasts again and starts massaging them. Harmony's sounds are shushed by Varian's lips. He hums in response, removing himself to look at her. He sees a breathless, breathtaking, beautiful, smart princess. She could recognize lust, need, and love in his eyes.

In the blink of an eye, he's shirtless and she's removed her dress, left only in her bra and underwear. She covers her chest in embarrassment, turning away, but he removes her hands, pinning them above her head with one hand.

"You're beautiful," He whispers and she smiles gently. He pulls her into a kiss, his other gloved hand trailing down her abdomen. He smirks when he feels her gasp into the kiss. He takes this as an opportunity to slip his tongue inside her mouth. Both of their tongues swirl around each other, their hot saliva mixing.

Varian's free hand wraps around her back, taking off her bra and removing it. She gasps and he slowly bends his head down between the gap in her breasts. He trails kisses to her left breast. When he reaches her nipple, he licks it playfully. She moans and arches her back, sticking her chest closer to his face. He licks around her nipple, suddenly taking the whole thing in his mouth. Harmony moans loudly in pleasure as Varian sucks it. Slowly, he releases his hand from her wrists and starts massaging her other breast. She moans in pleasure, digging her hands into his hair.

He moves to her right breast and does the same. Harmony couldn't describe how she was feeling as she moans and squirms underneath him. She feels really hot, almost painful, sensation coming from her wet womanhood. She arches her back and moans loudly as Varian bites her nipple slightly.

Her breath hitches as she's panting hard. Her hand snakes up his upper body and he sits up so that she can admire it. She lets her fingers trace the crevices of his abs and back up to his face. Her hands reach up to his goggles, slipping them right off. She lets her fingers trail lower down his body towards his pants. He pushes her hands away playfully, pushing her gently back onto the mattress.

Varian's soft lips trail down from her breasts to her undies, his gloved hand removing them. He kneels down in front of her womanhood and spreads her legs further apart. He looks even closer at it, licking his lips as if he's staring at a ham sandwich. His member hardens inside his pants at the thought of feeling her soft insides around him. Then he removes his gloves and slowly inserts one finger into her hole, then two. Varian pushes them gently into her. A loud moan eases out of her throat as her hips buckle. Seizing the sheet beneath her, she writhes madly.

"_Varian...oh!_"

He pulls out and pushes back in more forcefully. She responds with sharp gasps, her eyes screwed shut. He pumps them aggressively inside her. He pumps them, spreads them, and twists them inside of her in a corkscrew motion. Her eyes roll in the back of her head, insane with the feeling.

"Varian!" She whimpers out in pleasure until he's decided that she's had enough. He pulls his fingers out of her pussy and sucks them clean. She feels even more turned on than she was before and in the blink of an eye, his face is between her legs. Harmony moans as he gives the soft pink lips one long lick. His tongue is hitting all of the right places, tasting every part of her. Varian looks up and gets harder at the sight of her biting her lip, her hair messy as she's gripping his hair with her own hand. Her eyes closed with her back arched and her face contorted in a pleasurable way.

"Oh, god, Varian!" She gasps, knotting his hair with fingers, but he doesn't seem to care.

This motivates him to keep going until she moans out and comes all over his face, screaming his name. Varian licks it all up, smiling up at her.

"You taste sweet, Mona."

She pants from her orgasm and in a moment, they flip around so that Varian is underneath her. He leans up and kisses her passionately. She tangles her fingers into his hair, softly tugging it. At this point, she wants to be his and only his.

Harmony tugs at his pants, slowly pulling them down. She swoons at the sight of the bulge in his boxers. Varian flushes when he sees her looking at it. She touches it gently, sending him into a mess of pleasure. "Ugh...Mona..." He moans as she lets her palm rub it gently. The boxers are removed in seconds. She kisses the tip and slowly puts the tip into her mouth. She slowly moves her head up and down.

"Ohhhh. Oh gooosh, oh princess, please keep doing that," He moans as she pumps her head up and down. Slow, then quicker and quicker as she jerks her head. She then swallows his entire cock into her mouth, sucking and licking it with her tongue. She could taste the pre-cum from the tip.

"M-Mona, oh my god! Don't stop, you're so good with your tongue!" He keeps moaning, encouraging her to go further. She pulls him out of her mouth and licks his cock from top to bottom. His hand tangles up in her hair.

"You're such a tease! Ahh! Oh god!" She keeps licking and licking. "You like my cock, don't you? It's your favorite flavor!" She giggles due to his dorkiness. Harmony squeezes and massages his balls. He gasps quietly and moans, holding her head gently and thrusting into her warm mouth.

"Mona! I'm go-gonna cum!" He moans as he comes inside of her mouth, not letting any of it slip. His seed is salty, but sweet in a way. She releases his cock and slowly licks her lips. Right now, he wants to thrust into that warm, sweet hole of hers without anything in his way.

And that's what he does. Varian flips them around once more and with one hand, opens up her womanhood. With the other, he guides his member towards her entrance. Harmony winces when she feels his tip enter her. She yelps when she starts to feel really painful.

"Should I go on?" Varian asks gently, cupping her face and kissing all over her face. Harmony nods as a tear runs down her face. She bites her lip to prevent from screaming again. She shakes as he starts to lean his body weight forward, slowly pushing himself into her. He grits his teeth and closes his eyes. "You're really...agh...tight."

The rest of him slips in quickly and they stay there for a moment, catching their breath. Varian takes a hold of both her hands, putting them above her head as she winces. She can feel it growing inside of her as she tries to hold in the pain, but he can sense it.

"D-Did I hurt you?"

She shakes her head no. "It's just…it's my first…time, I…"

"Shhh," He soothes her. "J-Just concentrate on kissing me." He whispers as he leans down. Harmony kisses him softly and pulls away a few minutes later.

"Y-You can move now," She murmurs and he does so after seeing her expression change from pain to pleasure. "Ahh!" Harmony gasps, clinging onto his shoulders as a sense of pure ecstasy travels through her upper body. Varian grunts as he presses her further into the mattress, his thrusts rough and slow. She was no longer feeling pain. She loves the way he's using her.

"Varian...!" Harmony covers her mouth, snapping her eyes closed and moaning deeply into her palm.

Varian hums softly in response, kissing her cheek. He shivers, gripping the sheets from his own pleasure. "Gosh...ahh, Mona..."

"Ah!" She moans out into his neck, clinging desperately.

"Oh Mona...!" Varian thrusts deeply, panting and biting his lip. "I never...t-thought it would feel this great!"

"What w-were you expecting? A-Ah!" Harmony shakes and curls her toes, squeaking out a small pleasured gasp.

"I d-don't know...I've read that...intercourse is usually..." Varian takes a breath and continues to pound her in. "Only f-for reproduction...the books never described...how satisfying it was supposed to be...!" He groans loudly, his thrusts becoming harder and stronger, their skin slapping against each other and creating small smacks to travel into the headboard.

"Ah! Ah!" She throws her head back. "Varian...! Oh!"

"Oh...a-and it sounds so great to hear you moan out my name!" Varian lets out a sex-hungry growl and thrusts even faster, attacking her neck with harsh bites and teasing kisses that make her wild.

"Varian...hnn!" She strokes his hair, encouraging him even further. "Ah...! Not so hard Vari!"

"Vari..." He speaks between skin and teeth, leaving a giant love bite in its place. "I haven't heard that nickname in a month...my beautiful princess..."

"Ah...ah! Ahh!" She sounds, too pleasured and clinging to respond. He only moans one last time before letting his eyes roll back in addition to the amount of pleasure that engulfs his body.

He chuckles at her cute little sounds, pounding away.

After another thrust in a different spot, something ignites in her. Something heavenly and incredibly satisfying. Varian hit something really great down there and it sends shivers up her body. A loud moan follows and she grips his shoulders even tighter, wrapping herself closer to him.

"D-Did I finally find the perfect spot? Your special spot, Mona?" Varian notices her expression, stopping. "Tell me...how did it feel?"

Harmony whines loudly, grasping at Varian's face, shoulders, and back. The pounding was gone, no more thrusting. Why did he stop?

"Vari, please..."

"Please what?"

She shivers, glaring as best as she could at him. How dare he stop all of a sudden just because he found the legendary spot? The spot to cause the knees to weaken. Alas, the princess quickly gives in and lets out a soft disgruntled noise.

"Please...don't stop...keep g-going!" She begs, pulling Varian's face to meet hers.

Before he could reply with a smart remark, Harmony brings him in for a deep and loving kiss, one which he gladly returns. A few moans are exchanged between them, groping and desperate tugs are given, and hunger grows inside both of them. Never wanting to stop any of this. The gasps, the whines and whimpers, the loud moans followed by the tunneling thrusts.

Sweat appears on Varian's forehead, making it shiny and bright in the darkness and it hits the dim light just right. Harmony's moans only grow louder as the thrusts become faster and faster, sometimes too fast she could only let out a shaky breath or a gasp.

"Ah! Ah! Vari, right...t-there!" She shudders, moaning loudly.

"Oh?" He moans softly, smirking. "Did I find a good spot?"

"Yes...! Yes!" Harmony nods, throwing her head back in desperation, "Oh God! Ah!"

"M-Mona...louder..." He orders, thrusting hard and rough, gripping her hips tightly.

"Ah! Yes! Okay!" She screams out in ecstasy, grabbing onto his back, clinging almost. "Oh god yes! Yes Varian!"

"Ooh! Yes..." He growls at his name from her sweet lips again, his thrusts becoming sloppy. "Mona! Mona, I've always wanted to do this with you!"

"W-What?!" She moans out, looking back at Varian for answers, biting her lip.

"I...I...!" Varian gulps, but pulls out and releases his warm cum fiercely, and by the time he's done, she's a work of art. Hair tangled, neck and shoulders peppered in little love bites, body shaking, and skin soaked in moonlight and his seed. Harmony releases herself soon after. He pants and collapses on top of her. He could feel her chest heaving up and down from his cheek.

She pants, shivering at what just happened as she hugs his neck. All that could be heard now was their heavy breathing. The princess shudders, looking up to speak with him, but is kissed before she can. With a few longing seconds into the kiss, Harmony suddenly remembers what he said.

She gently pulls away, her arms wrapped comfortably around Varian's neck, panting softly. "W-Wait..."

"Yeah?"

"You...you said you always wanted to do that with me..." She pants, looking up at him.

"I...I-I, uh, right..." He clears his throat, loosening his hold on her waist, but still leaves his hands there.

"How...how long have you wanted this 'fantasy' of us having sex to become a reality?" She lets out a shaky breath.

"For...f-for..." It might be dark, but she can clearly see his cheeks burn red. "For a few...ahem...months. Probably three months after we left..."

"A...few months?" She stiffens, blinking. "You've thought about it a few months?"

"Not this per say, but...I-I mean...I always thought of pursuing you romantically..." Varian takes his hands away, rubbing the back of his neck. "T-That is, I always wanted to...see what the princess of Corona was like outside of castle doors for as long as I can remember...I never would've imagined that you would feel the same way..."

"So...you've had a crush on me..."

"Before I even met you properly...yes," He answers slowly. "I only pretended it was the first time so that I could get to know you. Now you must think I'm a pervert or a stalker."

"Vari...I don't think of you that way. How could I?" She caresses his cheek. "I honestly think you're still my adorable Vari."

"Really?" He leans into her touch, staring at her in the eye.

"Absolutely," She smiles up at him.

"So we've both now lost our virginity to each other," Varian lets out a soft laugh.

"Yes...but it's only natural," She winks up at him. "So technically, we're both doing what Mother Nature wants."

"So...are we still together? You and me?" He asks, holding her hand.

"I'd like us to be," She presses their noses together. "I know that we've been through a lot together, but...I can't see myself being with anyone else."

"Oh, that's what I was gonna say to you!" He raises her upwards until he's hugging her waist.

"Too bad, I stole it," She giggles, kissing his lips, his cheek, and side of his head.

He blushes and chuckles joyously. "I promise that I'll be there for you every step of the way, Mona. So…the elephant in the room…"

She sighs slowly, the memory still fresh in her mind. "Yeah…Cass…well, let me start from the beginning."


	53. Return of the King

**Angel: Oh, I was doing a major freak out last night...I accidentally submitted my individual paper (my second to last one, anyway) into my group paper folder. Thankfully my teacher let me submit the right one past the deadline, which was yesterday, because I had a lot of assignments to keep track of this semester. God bless nice professors like mine :D And this was for prosecuting and defending Gaston from Beauty and the Beast XD At least this shows papers can be fun.**

The Glass Slipper's sign swings back and forth as thunder strikes. The door suddenly opens and everyone turns to look at the newcomer. Two people actually come in, and it's the Stabbingtons. They take a seat.

"Say, ain't you the Stabbingtons?" The bartender asks them. They simply glance at him. "I can't believe these two losers have the guts to show their faces in a place like this! Look at these dunderheads! Back from being beat by Flynn—Sorry, Eugene Fitzherbert. Again!"

He, along with everyone else, laugh at the duo. "Hey bud, don't give 'em a hard time. Eugene had a lot of help from those princesses and their pets!"

Patchy grips a cup tightly, causing everyone to stop. The squished cup lands on the counter.

"No one's ever gonna take us seriously..." Sideburns throws his dagger at a Flynn Rider poster. "As long as that maggot is alive..."

The two brothers smirk at each other, determined to end Flynn Rider once and for all.

* * *

Rapunzel is strolling through Old Corona with Pascal on her shoulder, enjoying the nice air and the sounds of the people going about their own business. On her right side, she sees Varian picking flowers near a lake, making a bouquet. She taps him on the shoulder, causing him to yelp as he turns to face her.

"Rapunzel!"

He has a more adventurous steampunk style outfit, consisting of a collared beige long-sleeved shirt, maroon vest, dark brown gloves with brown straps, brown pants, dark brown utility belt, tan apron, dark maroon-and-khaki boots and a dark brown backpack to carry his belongings.

"Hey Varian," She smiles at him, "I love your new outfit!"

"Thanks! Mona had it made for me," He smiles softly at how kind she is. "I wanted a more adventurous look, so she bought fabrics for the royal tailors to make it. You could say she...inspired me."

"Aww. Why are you picking flowers?"

He blushes a bit, looking at the roses. "Umm..."

Rapunzel smirks at his expression. "And you're blushing too? Is this for my sister?"

He turns away, knowing fully well that she won't back off until she gets an answer. Not to mention, she was on the right track.

"Okay...I'm..." He says something under his breath, but neither Pascal or Rapunzel hear it.

"What?"

"I'm..." He repeats it, but it's still too low.

"Varian, you're gonna have to speak up."

"Okay, yes, I'm planning a date for your sister!" He suddenly exclaims, hiding his face. Rapunzel freezes before she lets out a squeal.

"Aww, how cute! Eugene!"

"Oh, Rapunzel, please don't tell-"

Rapunzel pulls over Eugene anyway. "Varian's taking Harmony on a date!"

Varian sighs at this. He warned her too late.

"Ah, I knew he had it in him!" Eugene slightly pats Varian on the back.

"Well..." Varian's face is red again. "I-I just thought ever since she returned, that she'd like a peaceful day out w-with me. And we haven't exactly had a proper first date."

"What are you talking about? You two hang out all the time," Rapunzel replies in confusion. "Not to mention you had a date with her on our trip. Which was so cute!"

"Yeah, but...it'll be our first date in Corona," He rubs the back of his neck. Being stuck in a blizzard didn't count, or when they were helping Eugene get a job, or when they were with Cass and Andrew (because Harmony was tricked into going), or any other times that Varian's been in the castle. "But...I don't know how to ask her. I've never asked out a girl, much less a princess, out on a date." His eyes widen suddenly at the bouquet. "Wait...she's a princess. She probably gets roses all the time!" He hangs his head with a groan.

"Just relax, go to Brownie, and say 'Harmony, would you like to go on our first date in Corona with me?' Like ripping off a band-aid. Now you say it."

"Mona, would you...would you...to..." Varian blushes again, sighing. "I can't do it!"

"Of course you can," Rapunzel gently places her hands on his shoulders, bending down to be at level with him. "You just need more confidence. And besides, it's Harmi. She'll say yes no matter what!"

"Mona...would you...like to...go on our first date in Corona with me?"

"Okay, that was better, but you have to ask her clearly."

He takes a deep breath. "Mona, would you like to go on our first date in Corona with me?"

"There ya go!" Eugene pumps a fist. "Now just say it like that because she's on her way over here."

"What?!"

He turns to see Harmony heading his way, hiding the flowers behind his back. "What do I do?!"

"Just ask her," Rapunzel whispers to him, pushing him forward a little. Harmony stops in front of a sweating Varian.

"Hi Vari," She smiles softly, "I'm glad to see you're alright after what happened with the Saporians."

"Y-Yes, I...am," He clears his throat. "I...I..."

"Is something wrong?" She tilts her head in confusion.

One of the reasons why he was so nervous is because of what they had done last time they saw each other. Not that he's embarrassed by that. He just doesn't want it getting around.

"No, no. I'm...fine. It's just that...um...would you like to go on our first date in Corona with me?" He asks so quickly that she didn't understand. Eugene watches in disbelief, facepalming. Rapunzel gestures for him to ask again. "I...I..."

"He wants to go a first date with you," Rapunzel steps in between the two. Harmony blinks in surprise.

"I thought we had a first date already."

"No-not properly in Corona," Varian rubs the back of his neck, holding out the flowers to her. "So...would you?"

She takes the bouquet and sniffs it. "Of course I will! We'll meet up at the castle tomorrow morning, okay?"

Varian laughs as he watches her walk away, relieved. "She said yes!"

"Atta boy!" Eugene nudges him.

"That's so great for you guys!" Rapunzel beams at him.

* * *

In Corona, the two sisters are walking through the town. "Oh, I would tilt it this way, Feldspar," Rapunzel tilts the 2 for 1 sign from Feldspar's shop. "So it's visible to the afternoon traffic!"

He waves gratefully at them, and they see a ball, picking it up. "Princess Rapunzel! Princess Harmony!" A little girl runs up to them.

"Keep your eye on the ball," She hands it to the little girl, who cheers as she leaves. Harmony chuckles, shaking her head. "And watch that follow through. Your plans are approved! Build that haberdashery!"

"Woo hoo!" He pumps his fists.

"Live the dream!" Rapunzel spins around.

"That's what you do in life!" Harmony points to him with a wink.

"Oat delivery tonight," Rapunzel pets a horse.

"Rapunzel, Harmony, you realize that as the queen and crown princess, you don't need to be out in the streets all the time, right?" Eugene asks them, Max, Silver, and Fidella joining them.

"Well, remember, technically, we're still princesses," Rapunzel gestures to themselves. "Besides, this is where the real action is."

"And I've missed home! I wanna help it flourish again!" Harmony spins around happily. A horse is heard nearby.

"Whoa boy. Whoa!" A citizen warns as the horse gets spooked by a rat. "Settle down!"

The horse runs off anyway.

"Watch out!" Eugene warns as they jump out of the way. The three horses stand in front of the trio and they jump on. "And there's the action, right on cue."

They race after the rogue horse. "Everyone duck for cover!" Harmony warns people as they pass by.

"Eugene, look! A dead end!" Rapunzel calls out.

"She's got nowhere to go now!"

The horse turns sharply to the left. "Is this a new alley?" Eugene asks as the horses run down the narrow alley. Rapunzel stands on Fidella as Silver runs faster. Pascal lands first, Daisy flying over.

"Now!" The two sisters shout and Rapunzel lands on the hay. Harmony jumps, flipping over the hay and landing on the horse.

"And she sticks the landing!" She pumps her fists. The wagon shakes a bit as Eugene stands on Max. He manages to get the end, but falls.

"Ah! Max, Max, Max, Max, Max, Max!"

Max head butts him onto the wagon. "Thank you!"

"I need to get up close and help Harmi settle her down," Rapunzel looks to her sister, who's trying and failing to get the horse to stop. "Before someone gets-"

The wagon hits a rock, sending the two adults wobbling. "Hurt..." Rapunzel finishes as Eugene helps her up.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, thanks," She nods at him. A whistle is heard and they look up ahead. "Oh, duck crossing!"

"Oh no," Harmony's eyes go wide. Pete and Stan look behind them, the former blowing his whistle rapidly.

"This ends now! Harmi, pull!"

She joins her sister, taking one rope. Harmony takes the other and together they pull. The horse turns around, sending Eugene flying.

"Eugene!"

She lets out her hair and catches a cart. He lands on it, bouncing over the cart. He bounces on hay before sliding to a stop on the ground. "Nice save, but they've really gotta work on that landing..." He looks up to see his father on a horse.

"Oh, hello son..."

"Edmund...?"

"Oh great, it's the king from the Dark Kingdom..." Harmony smiles weakly as the horse stops. "The same one who left me the Moonstone Opal and tried to kill me...!"

* * *

After getting everything settled, they sit near a shop. Eugene does not look pleased at all, and neither does the young crown princess for that matter. "What are you doing here?"

Rapunzel smiles awkwardly at how that sounded, Harmony keeping a stoic face. The crow lets out a few black feathers from his mouth.

"No, Hamuel. Let me tell him. After our rather...unfortunate run-in with the family recently...I wanted to ensure you got this. It's a priceless heirloom that has been passed down for generations. And, a little birdie told me that you love blueberry pie, Princess Harmony, so I brought you some!"

He holds out a box to her and she narrows her eyes. How dare he give her a pie after what he did?

"Gee, thanks," She replies sarcastically, taking it and slowly holding it out to the ground. She simply drops it.

Eugene opens up the box he was given and Rapunzel gasps at it. "Pretty!" It's a light brown sash with the Brotherhood symbol on it.

"It's our family sash."

"Oh, fantastic! That's fantastic. This'll go so great with my chain-mail dinner jacket. So, thanks for stopping by and making everything awkward as usual. Bye now," He closes the box, to Rapunzel's look of disapproval both towards him and her sister.

"Oh, I, uh, I suppose I should leave..." He stands up, the blonde giving him a look of sympathy. "Although I'm actually hoping they invite me to stay..."

"Oh..." Rapunzel frowns a little.

"Yeah, no, he says what he thinks a lot."

"Your majesty, you have come such a long way. Why not just stay for the night?" Rapunzel asks the king. Eugene and Harmony frown at her.

"Oh, no, I really shouldn't..."

"Yeah, no, he really shouldn't," For once, he agrees with Edmund on something.

"He might try to kill Feldspar next," Harmony quips, crossing her arms.

"I insist!" Rapunzel smiles at Edmund and the girl groans, slamming her face into the table. Eugene pats her back in sympathy. He didn't like this anymore than she did.

"Well, who is this old pile of bones to argue with a princess?" He smiles, bowing to her.

"Oh brother..." Eugene mutters underneath his breath.

"I just had to be related to her..." Harmony puts a fist to her cheek. Not that she hates Rapunzel, but she really wished that she hadn't done that.

Hamuel caws at Daisy, making a heart with his wings as he stares at her with love-struck eyes. Daisy recoils back in disgust. Out of all the things his focus was on before, he picked her? She was definitely not interested. He was probably too…distracted to notice her until now.

* * *

Harmony is sitting on a roofline, hugging her knees as her hair flies past. "Avoiding him too, huh?"

"Just like you," She sighs, patting the spot next to her. Eugene takes a seat next to her. "Everything's different now since I came back home. Varian and I are together again, my parents don't have their memories, and I'm crown princess for the time being...and then he had to show up!"

"I know," He pinches his nose. "And since you're like a little sister to me, I don't want him near you!"

"That's sweet, but...we spent a whole year trying to get the moonstone. If it wasn't for him, we probably wouldn't have to go in the first place!" She grits her teeth.

"You and I both know that's not true," He shakes his head, looking at the sash. "We would've had to go there regardless. But that doesn't mean he's not at fault for what he did to you...to us. Brownie, I am so sorry...for what my father did. For everything...him giving you the moonstone, trying to kill you, a-and putting a huge burden on someone he didn't even know!"

"Neither of us knew the truth until it was time. I don't blame you for any of this," She hums a bit. "But...thanks, for helping me feel a bit better about things."

"I wanted to," He smiles a little. "I have to protect you."

"Sap."

"Hey! I try to be a good older brother, and I get insults?" He feigns hurt, causing her to laugh.

"You're not good. You're a _great _older brother."

"Thinking about your dad, Eugene?" They look up at the new voice. Rapunzel looks to them not too far away.

"Alright, first of all, he's not my dad, okay? He is a strange man who can't keep his thoughts to himself. Second, he abandoned me, as a child! And he didn't even try to stay in touch with me. Then he tries to kill someone I respect a lot, and now this," He holds up the box.

"Edmund's only company is a crow...who could get lost in a boot. He's lonely...come on, you two might even get to like him."

"Oh, that's a laugh," Harmony snorts, rolling her eyes. "Sure, let's have an icebreaker and start off with the fact that he gave a powerful object to a young_ newborn_!"

"And Shorty could sprout wings and lay an egg, but hey, you never know," Eugene replies sarcastically.

"That did happen, you know," Harmony points to him.

Suddenly, Hamuel flies past, a boot over his face. "I'm sorry, is that my boot?"

Harmony sighs, facepalming. He lands right near Daisy, cawing at her. She simply chirps in disdain, flying away.

* * *

The next morning, Eugene and Pascal have enjoyed a nice breakfast. "Froggy, I gotta say, that was the most delightful breakfast." The chameleon yawns, stretching his tail. Daisy chirps in agreement. "What do you say we head up to the room for a little food coma?"

They walk down the hall towards his room. "And the best part of the food coma is Edmund will be leaving—good gravy, what happened?!"

His room has been ransacked, and a certain box is empty on the floor. "Wait a minute. Someone stole the sash! I've been ro-" He puts a hand to his heart in shock. "I've been robbed...so that's how that feels..."

"Somebody say robbed?" Pete and Stan just happen to arrive.

"Don't touch a thing. This is a crime scene!" They enter and start searching the room.

"Take it easy, guys. Who cares about that silly old sash?" A sock lands on his face, to his annoyance and to the pets' amusement.

"Somebody stole the sash?!" Edmund exclaims once he's heard the news.

"I don't know, your majesty, but Eugene will help you find it."

"Whoa, whoa. Stan and Pete are on it. They are perfectly capable of handling this," Eugene gestures to his room.

"Hey, I found a clue!" Pete calls out.

"That's your own helmet! I told you not to take that off!"

Eugene smiles sheepishly. "I will not leave Corona until our family's sash is safely recovered!" Edmund declares and Harmony flinches in alarm.

"Hm?!" The last thing she wanted was that!

"Fine, I'll just give Stan and Pete a hand...it's the least I can do..." Eugene steps into his room, reluctantly. He just wants Edmund gone.

"Mona!"

The princess turns around and smiles happily at the sight of her boyfriend. He's carrying a basket with him. "Vari, hi!"

He stops in front of her, blushing as he seems to be debating something. She stares at him in confusion before he leans in and quickly pecks her cheek, causing them both to blush.

"What's with the basket?" Harmony points to the object around his arm.

"Oh, we're going on a picnic," He smiles at her. "I made our favorite: ham sandwiches. There's also fruit, hot cocoa, and I bought a cake from Monty."

"That sounds delicious!" She clasps her hands together with a smile. "Mm, I can't wait."

"What's going on?" Varian looks behind her shoulder to see Rapunzel and Edmund.

"Oh, that's King Edmund from the Dark Kingdom. I told you about him and how this happened," She points to her left hand. Varian glares at the man, still a bit miffed from what he tried to do with Harmony. "He gave Eugene a sash, and it got stolen. Probably somebody with a grudge."

"Hm...by the way, you didn't tell anyone about...hmm-hmm?" He raises his brows, giving off the same sound he did to Rapunzel when he first met her.

"Oh...oh!" Her eyes widen as she laughs. "Of course not! I know better than that, Vari. My sister and Eugene don't suspect a thing."

He sighs in relief.

"No clues to report!" Pete salutes to Eugene.

"This master thief covered his tracks well..." Stan eyes the floor. Eugene looks between the two and then steps on something.

"Oh! What's this?" He opens up a note. "Yeah, this is a ransom note."

Pete gasps sharply. "Oh, he's good!"

"No clues, huh?" Harmony deadpans at them.

* * *

"This crook wants to exchange the sash for gold, at Mount Saison," Rapunzel reports to the four once they're in the meeting room.

"Whatever the price, no matter how far, we must get it back!" Edmund clenches a fist.

"Oh, no, no, no. I said I'd help out. I did not say anything about taking a day-long trip," Eugene crosses his arms.

"Well, then, I suppose I will make this journey on my own..." Rapunzel looks at him with a frown. "Yes, except Hamuel, it shall be me, just...me, no companion."

She elbows her boyfriend. "Okay, okay, why don't I just tag along?" Eugene suggests, but he doesn't like it.

"Oh ho! Excellent!" Edmund smiles happily. "And you two kids are coming with us!" He hugs the teenagers to his chest.

"Oh, no, we can't," Varian manages to get out of his grip, gesturing to the picnic basket around his arm. "We're actually just about to go on a-"

"Nonsense! You pack up your things and meet us in the forest!"

Their mouths drop open in shock as he walks off. Harmony sighs, turning to Varian. "Great..."

"Oh, come on. It might be nice for you to learn more about him," Rapunzel smiles optimistically. "Then all of you can be friends!"

"But I don't want to, we have a date!" Harmony gestures to Varian.

"Harmi," Rapunzel warns her politely.

"Rapunzel," Harmony warns in the same tone, hands on her hips.

"Oh, please don't let me handle him alone!" Eugene gets onto his knees, tugging at Varian's apron and Harmony's skirt. "I promise I'll make it up to you! We can take a break, and we'll leave you alone so you can have your date!"

They glance to each other, staring at his pleading face.

"We don't have a choice, do we?"

"No we do not," The princess deadpans, groaning reluctantly. "Dang it...fine, Eugene, we'll come. But I don't have to like it."

"Man..." Varian sighs in defeat. "Only because it's you..."

"Thank you!" Eugene exclaims in relief.

* * *

Max and Silver ride up to Edmund and his horse Domino. Harmony sits in front of Varian since she's shorter.

"Ah, there's the Millennials! Quick question, which is better, his smolder or my glower?" Edmund does the look for them, and Eugene facepalms at him.

"Edmund, stop," Harmony groans at this.

"Stop, please," Varian pleads with him. "Please..."

Edmund does so upon seeing their looks of embarrassment. Honestly, they were better off not going on this trip to find a sash, but no...

"Stop it right now," The boy warns him, dragging a hand down his face.

"Promise you'll never do that again," Harmony says quickly.

"Alright..." Edmund sags in defeat.

"Luckily, I have a map with the fastest way to get to Mount Saison," Harmony holds it out, looking at it.

"You packed food, right? Because I am not eating their food out of respect," Eugene points to the two teenagers.

"Of course I did, Horace! A bounty unlike any you've ever had!" Edmund holds up his bag.

"Whoa, whoa. Horace? Ha ha, did you just call me Horace?"

"Indeed. Horace is your given name. Did I not mention that before?" He replies, earning laughter from Harmony and Varian.

"No, you didn't! How is it possible my real name is even worse than _Eugene_?!"

"Horace," Harmony snickers to herself. "This is officially the best morning ever!"

Max nickers in laughter. "Ha ha, real funny," He deadpans at his friends. "Thanks for the support, you guys."

"Hey, _you _asked us to come on your behalf when we had plans. It's only fair we get a laugh out of your real name," Varian retorts back with a mischievous smirk. "Horace~" Both teens continue laughing.

"Point taken. You know what, never mind. Let's just get on the road..."

"That's the spirit! This jaunt might actually prove to be quite fun!" Edmund calls out, following after them.

"Yeah, not the word I'd use," Harmony rolls her eyes.

"But for the record, we are sticking with Eugene, got it? That goes for all of you," Eugene looks to the couple.

"Whatever you say, Horace."

"Never thought we'd be setting foot in Corona again," Sideburns comments to his brother as they're walking into the tunnels. "But it'll be worth it once we close the book on Flynn Rider for good..."

* * *

"Ha ha!" Edmund laughs as the horses are walking into a forest. Varian and Harmony have taken the lead since she has the map. "Such a beautiful day for a trek! My spirits soar like Hamuel, my graceful friend in flight!"

Hamuel knocks himself into a tree, falling onto the ground. The couple cringe at the crow. He holds out a flower to Daisy, who smacks it out of his hand. "Yeah, majestic. Can we focus, please? The sooner we get up to Mount Saison and get the sash, the sooner you can get back to—Edmund? Edmund?"

He's no longer on his horse. "Horace! Millennials! There is the most spectacular display of miniature ball-like thingy-dos on the ground! Come quickly!"

"Okay, we have _names. _It's Harmony and Varian. Get it right," Harmony tells him sharply. "None of that millennial stuff."

"Rabbit pellets," Eugene sees his hands. "Those are rabbit pellets."

Domino sniffs them and recoils back in disgust. "Oh, this is gonna be a long trip..."

"Now I know how he felt when he met Rapunzel," Varian whispers to Harmony. Eugene goes over to Domino for food.

"I'd better fuel up..."

"Same here, I brought along some snacks," Harmony digs into the picnic basket, and both their eyes go wide.

"What?" He holds up a crow winding toy. "There's no food! This is nothing but junk!"

"Oh no," Harmony shakes out the picnic basket, and all that falls out is her blueprints, to Varian's shock. "W-We had a whole meal here for later, what happened to it?"

"Oh, goodness me, I brought the wrong bag. And I must've eaten your food before we left while looking through Harmony's blueprints scattered around the castle...that's my sack of lucky charms!"

"You what?!" Varian screeches at him. "There was a WHOLE cake in there that had in writing 'I love you, Mona!' And her favorite pie! I spent my whole allowance just to get that stuff!"

"Aww, you did?" Harmony smiles softly at him.

"It was gonna be a surprise…" Varian rubs his neck sheepishly.

"How could you have eaten the whole basket?!" Harmony yells at him.

"I'm so sorry, I thought you meant Mona Lisa." Varian glares at the man. "Say, Millennials, Horace-"

"Eugene," He interrupts him, Max smiling.

"Not even going to dignify that with a response," Harmony huffs, crossing her arms.

"I think I have the perfect solution!" Edmund holds up his axe. "We'll fish together!" He throws his weapon into the air, catching a stick. "Problem solved."

"...I am not climbing up there to get your axe down," Eugene makes that clear.

"Don't look at us," Harmony turns away.

* * *

"Making wishes?" Rapunzel asks a little girl by the fountain, who shrugs. Rapunzel smiles, holding out a hand. She whisks it through the girl's ear, holding a coin.

"What?!" She giggles at this.

"Eugene taught me that one," Rapunzel hums, holding out the coin. "Go ahead, come on. Make a wish." The girl takes the coin, squeezing her eyes shut. She tosses it into the fountain.

"Princess!" Feldspar runs up to her, followed by Pete and Stan. "Somebody broke into my shop and tracked two sets of identical muddy footprints! Across my new rug!"

"I saw 'em!" The girl speaks up. "One of them had an eyepatch."

Rapunzel looks to Pascal and Daisy. There was only one duo that could leave identical footprints while one of them having an eyepatch...

"Double security," Rapunzel instructs the two guards. "I want sentries posted on the bridge, and patrols every hour!"

"Yes princess," They say in unison.

"The Stabbingtons are back in Corona..." She narrows her eyes. She runs off, but not before stopping near the girl. "Oh, here. Back-up wishes," She hands her more coins as she takes off.

"Don't worry, princess!" Stan calls out, waving to her. "Those Stabbingtons are as good as-"

They suddenly disappear, the little girl looking behind her. She simply throws in another coin, smiling.

Patchy slices off the top of an apple, tossing it into his mouth. "Where is he?" Sideburns demands the captured guards. "Where's Rider?"

"Hey, aren't these the guys Eugene keeps beating?" Pete whispers to his partner, but they heard him anyway.

Sideburns growls, pulling them forward. "Where is he?!"

"We don't know."

"Yes ,we do. He's headed to Mount Saison with his dad, Princess Harmony, and Varian to get back that priceless sash," Pete doesn't realize that Stan was only bluffing so that they wouldn't go after them...Sideburns chuckles, letting go of the rope.

"Mount Saison, huh? And it'll give us a chance to properly introduce ourselves to his girlfriend's sister..." They walk off.

"But-but you'll never catch him! Eugene moves faster than the wind!"

* * *

They're actually fishing, as they didn't have much of a choice. Both Varian and Harmony are silent with annoyed looks on their faces.

"I am so sorry about today. I really am," Eugene whispers to them.

"About which part? When you begged us to come or when your dad ate our picnic?" Harmony replies in a sassy tone, causing him to wince.

"Look, I know you're mad at me, but I swear I'll pay you guys back!"

"Well...as long as nothing else happens," Varian sighs a bit. "You are a close friend of ours..." Eugene eyes his father as Varian walks off to go feed the horses. At least they managed to find an apple tree nearby...Eugene couldn't but notice that Harmony seems hesitant on something.

"I wonder what it's like for him to not have her around..." She murmurs, but he heard it anyway.

"Hey, Brownie...has Varian ever talked to you about his mother?"

"...No..." She closes her eyes. "I don't ask him about it since it's a sensitive subject. I'm not sure if I even should know."

She figured that Varian himself probably doesn't even remember...so she never asked out of respect. She didn't need to know everything about him right away, and she also assumed that whenever he wanted to, he'd talk to her about it.

Edmund's line starts to move. "Oh, oh, I got something, Horace!"

"For the eleventeenth time, it's Eugene," He crosses his arms.

"20 pounder easy. Maybe 30! Hope you're hungry!" Edmund tosses the fish into the air...and it lands right on Harmony's head. She sighs in annoyance, putting a fist to her cheek. Eugene smiles weakly at her, plucking it off. Hamuel takes the small fish into his mouth, and he holds it out to Daisy. She just stares in disgust as it lands right back in the water.

"Well, at least it was a fish this time..." Eugene gestures to the bunch of junk that they've caught so far.

"My son and his friends think me a fool..." Edmund murmurs to himself. Varian and Harmony look at him weirdly. "Hmm, just wait until I reveal the figgy pudding in my pocket! That will change their tunes!"

The two teens facepalm at him. He turns around and clears his throat. "I have something in my pocket that will change your tunes..."

"Did you just say you have figgy pudding in your pocket?! I don't know what's weirder. That you have figgy pudding in your pocket, or that your armor actually has pockets!"

"Ha ha! But who shall partake in it?" Edmund laughs giddily.

"I don't want any of your pocket pudding."

"You can eat it yourself," Varian crosses his arms.

"You already ate our lunch," Harmony mutters while petting Max.

"Ah, but you do. I can tell a lot by looking into your eyes," He stares at all of them in the eye.

"Apparently, you can't," Eugene deadpans at him.

"But, you shan't have it so easily. To see who claims this figgy treat, we shall have a contest. A game of marksmanship, if you will! Ha ha!"

"Ha, ha! I won't," Eugene calls out.

"That settles it. The game is afoot!" Edmund seems to ignore their reluctance. Eugene sighs, looking towards the two. Harmony groans at this.

"You owe us," She simply says, grabbing her quiver and sword. "Come on, Vari, you can use my sword."

"Um, I'm not sure I should," Varian rubs his neck. "I don't wanna lose it..."

"I trust you," She kisses his cheek and he smiles. "Besides, I know you can aim. You just have to put it to use!"

"Now, to find a target for our contest," Edmund scopes the area, Hamuel flying right past them. He hits a tree trunk, falling onto the platform. He caws at Daisy again to get her attention, but she turns away, holding her head up high. "Thank you for your service, Hamuel. We have a target!"

"Edmund, you can just have the pudding," Eugene informs him.

"And besides, that target looks really unstable," Harmony comments, looking at it while holding the strap to her quiver.

"I think we should find somewhere else for you to throw," Varian looks up at the man.

"Nonsense!" He dismisses all of them. "We shall play this delightful game, and revel in each other's company."

Harmony rubs a temple as he throws his axe, hitting the trunk. "I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, I bet that was a lucky shot!"

"Not even close to what we were thinking," Eugene states, and Edmund takes his sword, along with Harmony's.

"Let's try for two in a row!" He throws the swords and they hit the trunk.

"Ugh," Varian rolls his eyes. His alchemy belt gets taken away and the king throws it. The belt goes around the trunk. Now he's just showing off...

"And now for the arrows!" Edmund snatches away Harmony's quiver.

"Wait, no-!"

He fires all of them at the same time, and once they hit the trunk, it goes over the edge and falls off the cliff.

"Edmund, our weapons!" Eugene shouts as they sink into the water. "Brownie, can you get them?"

"No, I can't sense objects unless they're evil. Sorry," Harmony frowns towards the lake. "But I made those arrows myself and my sister gave me that quiver! And Eugene gave me that sword!"

"And my belt from my mother..." Harmony and Eugene stare at him in shock. They just thought that he made it himself. But his mother played a part of his interest in alchemy... "We told you it was unstable!" Varian whips around to Edmund.

"Hm. Well, lucky for us, nothing is more dangerous than our cutting wits, eh, Horace and Millennials!"

"It's Euge—you know what? This is impossible," He walks off in the direction.

"No food, no weapons, and we're not even halfway towards Mount Saison!" Harmony holds out the map.

"Let me see that," Edmund takes it and the wind flies the map out of his hand and into the water...

"...ARGH!" Harmony tugs at her hair as they follow Eugene.

"If something is not impossible, it's not worth doing!" Edmund recites to them. Harmony and Varian stop walking, eyes going wide.

"I mean, what is wro—wait," Eugene turns around to him. "Did you just say if something is not impossible-"

"It's not worth doing!" They all repeat in unison.

"Why yes I did!"

"Flynn Rider and the Lost Treasure of Scotia!" Eugene smiles in recognition.

"One of my favorite books!"

"Me too!" Eugene gestures to himself. "Until I lost it. I accidentally dropped it off a cliff."

"I grew up on those books!" Varian smiles as Harmony nods in agreement.

"I read a lot of books in my room to pass the time. The Tales of Flynnigan Rider were always my favorite."

"Hey, do you remember when Rider was on the canoe, heading for the waterfall?"

"Yes, he leaped onto the rocks," Edmund jumps on a rock. "But not before saving the treasure!"

"Ha ha!" Harmony jumps into the air slightly, doing a little dance like Varian did with his father when he asked to go to the castle.

"Oh, it was brilliant!" Eugene wipes away a tear.

"Maybe you aren't so bad after all," Varian smiles gently to Edmund.

* * *

Rapunzel and Fidella can hear crying, following the sound into an alley. Daisy and Pascal reach the two guards.

"How'd you find us?"

"I tracked those muddy footprints," She bends down to them, untying the knots. "Those guys should really wipe their shoes. Also, it helped that you guys were weeping loudly."

"Just doing our part," Pete salutes to her.

"I'm sorry, Princess, the Stabbingtons came out of nowhere!"

"It's okay. I'm sure they're after Eugene. Good thing he's out of town..." She notices their hesitance, realizing something. "Wait...you didn't tell them about Mount Saison, did you?"

"Uhh, yeah..."

"Ugh, you know what? I'll take it from here, guys. Come on, Fidella," Rapunzel jumps onto the horse. "We're bringing in the Stabbingtons."

The two run out of the alley.

"That was your fault!" Stan elbows his partner's arm.

"Nuh-uh, it was yours!" Pete pushes him and they start waving their arms like children towards each other.

* * *

Eugene chuckles as they're going through a path full of wheat. "And-and do you remember when Flynn Rider says, the kingdom and I aren't exactly simpatico at the moment?"

"Yes! And people think it's a kids book. Adults everywhere appreciate the nuance of Flynn Rider's adventures."

Eugene looks around in alarm, shushing them. "Quiet. I don't think we're alone."

"He's right, I can sense major evil intentions...towards you," Harmony points up at him.

"Right again, Rider."

They turn around to see the horses being tied up by the Stabbingtons. "Or is it...Eugene?"

Harmony gasps at the sight, Varian's mouth going wide. "Silver!"

"Don't ask," Eugene deadpans at them.

"So...these must be the Stabbingtons," Varian cringes at the sight of them. Patchy appears a few feet away.

"And you must be the little sister," Sideburns points to Harmony, who glares at him. "I don't think we've properly met..."

"Let's see...oh, right, the Stabbingtons!" Harmony waves it off. "I distinctly remember putting you on that prison barge. And Eugene mentioned you too. Not fondly."

"Edmund, long-lost father, meet Stabbingtons," Eugene gestures to the two. "Life-long nemeses. Edmund claims he's my father, but you know, I actually have more of a history with you guys. So, in a way, this is kind of like a family gathering for me! Say, who wants some pudding?"

"I can tell he wants some pudding!" Edmund throws it right at Sideburns' face.

"He can tell a lot by looking into a man's eyes!" Eugene jumps forward, kicking down the man. Harmony's hands glow as she spins around. A makeshift whip appears, grabbing Sideburns' legs. She tosses him into the air and he lands flat on his face. "Ha ha! En garde!" He holds up some wheat as a sword. He hits Sideburns from behind, who turns around and slices at the duo. Harmony creates a black rock shield on her arm, blocking the blows.

Sideburns cuts off the wheat and Eugene peeks between it, only to get punched in the face.

"Hey!" Harmony yells at him as he lands in the wheat.

"Where'd you go?" Sideburns looks in the wheat, disappearing into it. Varian and Edmund dodge Patchy's swipes from his daggers. He spins one into his hand, Edmund grabbing his arm and disarming him.

Eugene and Sideburns peek from the wheat. "Hello!" He exclaims, surprising Harmony. Sideburns runs off. "Ha, didn't see that coming, did ya?" Sideburns stabs into the wheat, but the man completely disappears and then reappears. "Hey, how's your day going? Oh, missed me." Using the wheat, he trips the man, causing him to do a split. Harmony giggles at them.

Edmund protects Varian as he grabs Patchy and spins him around. He throws him right into his brother, Eugene pumping a fist.

"Yes!"

They fall off the tiny cliff and into the ground.

"Alright, alright, they're not gonna stay down for long. We'll need to buy more time," Eugene informs all of them.

"How? Mount Saison is all the way up there, they'll intercept us before we arrive," Varian points up ahead.

"I have an idea," Edmund speaks up, the three glancing to each other.

Once the two brothers return, they don't see anyone in sight. They start searching through the wheat. "We gotcha!"

All they find is a yo-yo and a crow winding toy, confusing them.

"RIDER!"

"Edmund, that was ingenious!" Eugene hugs him, quickly pulling back. "Uhh, yeah, ingenious!"

Edmund stares after him as Eugene walks off. "Heh!" He joins the trio. "Who knew this bag of lucky baubles would come in so handy?"

Eugene chuckles...and then they see the sash in his bag. "The sash. Wait, you stole this from my room? You had this the whole time?"

The teens' mouths open in shock.

"Well...yes, I did. It was I who wrote the ransom letter and sent us on this errand..."

"This is an errand?!" Eugene turns around to him in anger. "We're stuck in the middle of nowhere with no food, no weapons, no map, and two maniacs on our tail, but yeah. Lovely little errand this is!"

"You ate our food and wasted our time when we had plans!" Harmony gestures to herself and Varian. "W-What were you gonna do when we reached the mountain?!"

"I wanted to be part of your life, Horace. And I wanted to make amends with you, young millennial. And then I thought a trip might-"

"Might what, huh?! Make up for 24 years and almost killing my friend?! And for the love of everything that is holy, we have names! My name is Eugene, her name is Harmony, and his is Varian! You know what?! Here's your sash. We're headin' back to town..."

"I can't believe you did this," Varian turns to him. "Mona has been wanting so long for a normal life, and a fake trip you forced us on was gonna make up for that? Why don't you try an actual apology?"

He gives a sad look as he watches them leave.

* * *

Rapunzel and Fidella reach the field, the blonde jumping off. "There was a fight here...a big one. She notices the distraction. "A wind-up toy? And a yo-yo? They should have called it a hey-hey. Alright, we're getting close. Come on!"

Edmund is at Mount Saison by himself. "Hamuel, I've really bungled things with my son and his friends..."

The Stabbingtons have caught up with him, standing behind the man. "I'll give you a chance to make it up to them."

He turns around to see them. "Take us to Rider and his little friends. Now."

"I'm not foolish enough to help you," Edmund denies, glaring at the duo.

"Well, I know somebody who is..." He looks to the scatterbrained crow.

"I cannot believe we fell for that nice guy act," Eugene tells the two as they're on the path back home.

"This whole day was just a waste of time," Harmony mutters to herself.

"This was all my fault," Eugene frowns towards them. "If it wasn't for me, you two wouldn't be here right now, you'd be out there enjoying yourselves like you deserve!"

"We did it because you're someone we trust, Eugene," Harmony places a hand on his shoulder. "Edmund tricked all of us. It's not just you he lied to."

"I guess you're right..."

Hamuel flies up to them, holding something. "What are you doing? Wait, I know that dagger...the Stabbingtons." The crow hits a tree. Eugene groans as the two horses come to a stop. "Dads are more trouble than they're worth. Come on, guys. The old man needs us..."

"Someone's gotta help him, right?" Varian sighs a bit. Hamuel snuggles up to Daisy, who smacks him across the face, knocking him off Harmony's shoulder.

"Ooo," All three of them wince, Max neighing in laughter.

"That's gotta hurt..." Eugene comments at the display.

"She's not big on crows," Harmony shrugs slightly. "She prefers eagles."

"Aren't they a little too...big for her?" Varian turns to the duckling.

"Daisy is more into the bad bird type..."

* * *

Hamuel guides them to Mount Saison. "Edmund? Edmund?"

They only see his horse. "Hey, Domino," Eugene gets off Max. "Where's Edmund?"

"Right here, sonny boy!"

They look up ahead to see the Stabbingtons. "You want him? Come and get him!"

Edmund protests to the group, trying to tell them something. Harmony stares at him and gasps. "Guys, wait!"

Patchy kicks a rock in their path, which falls over their heads. "Max, guys, watch out!" Eugene pushes the three out of the way, the rocks landing. They turn around in shock to see that he's no longer standing there.

"Eugene!" Harmony screams in horror.

"No!"

Patchy lands nearby, wiping his hands. "The great Flynn Rider is gone..."

Edmund looks down in sadness. "Come on, now we have a sash and a king. Get rid of the other two."

Patchy walks up to the teens as Sideburns takes Edmund away. Harmony flashes moonlight in his face to distract him. The man rubs his eyes, seeing that they're no longer standing there. They start the water as they jump onto the log.

"Things are looking up..."

Rapunzel and the horse slide to a stop. "I don't see any sign of them."

Fidella looks to her left, narrowing her eyes as something approaches. It's only just Max and Silver, however. Harmony and Varian burst out of the bushes.

"Max? Harmi? Varian?"

"Sis!" Harmony shouts, pulling her into a hug.

"Oh, thank goodness you found us. We need your help!" Varian pleads with her.

"Why? What happened?" She asks in concern. "Why aren't you with Eugene and Edmund?"

"Rapunzel...the Stabbingtons caught up with us, and once we got away from them...they kidnapped the king. We went to go rescue him, but Eugene...he saved our lives when a giant rock fell over us. We managed to escape when they tried to attack us. We didn't have time to look for him, I'm not...I'm not sure he made it out alive. But we can't take those guys on our own, we lost our weapons."

"No. Eugene would not be defeated so easily," Rapunzel shakes her head, refusing to believe that. "Show me the way."

* * *

"First he lies, then he gets me trapped in a cave!" Eugene says bitterly, trying to push the rock out. "Definitely Father of the Year contender." He leans back, crossing his arms.

Domino snorts at him, turning. A light flashes from his satchel, hitting Eugene in the eye. "Hey, watch it." Hamuel flies straight for it and hits the rock. He follows it like a cat with a laser pointer, taking something from the satchel. It falls onto the floor, the contents spilling out.

"Would you quit it, bird? You're making a mess—wait a minute," He looks at a tiny wooden horse, gasping. "These are all things from when I was a kid! Ha ha, my marked deck of cards, my two-headed coin, and my loaded dice! This is my first hand mirror. He has been keeping tabs on me. Flynn Rider and the Lost Treasure of Scotia, my old book! You had it, I can't believe it! And what's this?"

He pulls out a note...that he wrote for Harmony. And by the date, it was the day when they left the Dark Kingdom.

_Dear Princess Harmony,_

_How I regret my actions towards you. How could I have placed something so awful into the hands of a child? Not a day goes by that I don't think of you and how you must be suffering...I should have never given it into your hands...and I am so ashamed of myself for trying to end your young life...perhaps someday you will find it in your heart to forgive me._

_King Edmund_

"So he really does regret it..."

"Eugene! Are you out here?" Rapunzel calls out as the others have returned.

"Rapunzel, I'm in here!" He shouts back from inside.

"Eugene!" The teens cry out in relief. Rapunzel lets down her hair, grabbing a rock. She then wraps it around the horses.

"Pull!" Together, they pull, and get the rock. Eugene and Domino step out. "Eugene!" The two hug.

"Ah, thanks, Blondie."

"Thank goodness you're okay," Harmony smiles at him.

They look towards the Stabbingtons to see them getting away. "Alright, that's it. No more Miss Nice Princess!" She stands on one log, the teens on the other. She grabs the lever and pulls it. "Just for the short term. After we deal with these guys, I am totally nice again."

"I was worried, but thanks anyway!" Eugene calls out as the water pushes the couple forward.

Harmony quickly grabs a stray sheet, tying it to a pole on top of the log. Grabbing Varian, they jump on and speed down the dam in a make-shift boat. Varian couldn't help but stare at her in awe. The four horses run forward, going to the only lane not filled with water. The four speed down, jumping when they go over a small ramp. They watch the Stabbingtons down below, Varian and Harmony on their trail. The four catch up with them and Eugene jumps onto their log.

"Rider!" Patchy exclaims at the sight of him.

"Yup, still alive. You dropped a boulder on me, and you missed. I mean, who misses with a boulder, really?"

They start to attack him, but he jumps, the brothers bumping into each other.

"They're not the sharpest tools in the shed, are they?" Varian asks in amusement from behind.

"Nope," Harmony smirks slightly.

"Horace, you're alive!" Edmund exclaims happily. "And you came to rescue me!" The log bumps a bit and the former thief catches him.

"Well, what did you expect?" Eugene asks while holding onto him. Sideburns raises a dagger from behind, Rapunzel snatching him and throwing him off.

"Nice try."

The four horses are sliding down a line, Domino pulling a tree branch so that it hits the duo. "Ha ha!" Eugene releases his father as Harmony encases them in a black rock cage. "Nice teamwork!"

"Guys, log jam, log jam, log jam!" Rapunzel calls out as they look up ahead. "Everybody, my log, pronto!"

The four horses jump on two logs to reach her. Harmony and Varian jump onto Silver and Fidella as they pass by.

"Oh, who am I kidding? They're like family, right?" Eugene runs over to the Stabbingtons.

"Son, we cannot save these cretins in time. It's impossible!"

"If something's not impossible-"

"It's not worth doing!" Edmund finishes for him, laughing.

"Ah, better hurry!" Varian points up ahead as they're nearing the logs. The sash drops onto the log.

"Oh, the sash!"

"Leave it, Eugene."

His eyes widen at the man. "Dad...you called me Eugene."

"You called me Dad!"

"Guys, seriously?" Rapunzel calls out.

"Not the right place for bonding!" Harmony tells them.

"Go, go, go, go, go, go!" Eugene and Edmund jump across with the Stabbingtons, the log they were just on breaking. Eugene and Patchy soar up into the air, but Rapunzel catches them in time. Both lanes crash behind them.

"Ha ha ha! This woman is amazing!"

"I know! And she's getting much better at her landings," Eugene smiles at his girlfriend. She smiles proudly.

Harmony smiles and grips the pole with one hand. Leaning to the side as far as she can, she reaches out her hand and touches the water, her hair flying behind her. Varian looks at her in awe, the other three smiling.

* * *

They make it back to land, Pascal and Daisy running up to them. The chameleon is holding only the Brotherhood symbol, which is broken.

"You went out of your way to rescue us, again?"

Max snorts at them.

"Just so you guys know, we didn't do it for you," Harmony deadpans at them. Sideburns sits back down.

"I guess my son believes in second chances," Edmund smiles softly at his son, who smiles at Rapunzel.

"I learned that from the best, He holds her hands, kissing them.

"And I guess that your beliefs...were worth listening to," Varian grins at Edmund, who rubs his neck.

"I'm...truly sorry for what I've done."

"...It'll take a lot for me to forgive you, but...I guess we can take it one step at a time," Harmony says slowly.

Hamuel lands in front of Daisy, the top of his head slicked back. He's wearing a tiny blue coat as he caws enticingly at Daisy, trying again to impress her. She just gives him a blank look and walks off.

"Aww, cute, birds in love," Rapunzel smiles at the two. Varian and Harmony look at each other skeptically.

* * *

"Guys! Check this out, isn't he great?" Eugene winds up the toy, Pascal and Daisy playing with it. They're in Eugene's room, checking out his childhood toys. Harmony has the coin while Varian has the trick dice.

"Hey, hey, hey, you guys, I invented a move. I call this one stroll with a bloodhound," She rolls it in front of her.

"Uh, Blondie, they already invented that move, actually it's—you know what? Never mind," Eugene smiles nervously once seeing Rapunzel's glare.

Edmund clears his throat, getting their attention. "Edmund! Ah, we were, uh, we were, reminiscing! Uh, not playing. Reminiscing, like adults do! With my old toys."

Rapunzel gives him the yo-yo, smiling as the three leave the room. "I decided we didn't need that old sash anyway. Xavier and I made you a new one!"

This new one has the Corona symbol with the colors of the book they talked about. "White and gold...just like the Flynn Rider book."

"It's one of my favorites, you know."

Eugene hugs him and he returns it, smiling. "Oh, Harmony, Varian!" He calls out, stopping them just before they leave the hall. "I have something for you both."

He leads them and Eugene to the dining room, and when he opens it, they gasp. In front of them is a candle-lit dinner, with the food that they had replaced.

"Edmund...! You did all of this for us?"

"I hope you enjoy this, you two. I shouldn't have intruded on your personal time," He smiles and the two grin, taking a seat. "She's a keeper, huh? Not like that Morgan girl."

Harmony gets a sour look on her face as Varian sinks in his chair. Both of them knew he didn't do anything with her, but it felt like the young crown princess was accusing him with that face…

"Okay, well, we're leaving now. I'll make it up to you tomorrow, bye bye!" He guides Edmund out the door and shuts it. "You know…that was a nice thing you did for them. But for the love of god, that name is never spoken in the castle!"

"Um…" Harmony bites her lip nervously. Varian is digging in when he notices her hesitation.

"Something wrong?"

"…Listen, I love you, Vari…and I don't wanna make you uncomfortable, but…would you mind telling me about your mother?"

He freezes in his bite and swallows after a few seconds. "Her name was Scarlett…she's the reason why I got into alchemy. She was a scientist," He smiles weakly. "She was intelligent, funny, beautiful. From what I remember, she noticed me playing with her chemicals. I thought she'd be mad, but she actually…encouraged me. She bought me alchemy books when she would go to the bookstore, and read pages to me. I loved her. I still do."

"…What happened then?" Harmony asks slowly, feeling a bit of dread.

"She died when I was young…cancer. An aggressive kind. Nothing to cure it." Her eyes grow sad. "I just…sat there and…watched her slowly fade away…"

Harmony slowly puts a hand to her mouth, tearing up. She could literally feel the grief that he experienced at such a young age…

She gets onto her feet and rushes over to his side, hugging him. "I… I'm so sorry, I should've just kept my mouth shut. I'm sorry about her…"

"It's okay," He hugs her to his chest. She closes her eyes. "You're…the first person I've ever told about her."

He wanted to cry, but he had to stay strong for both of them.

"…She would've loved you, you know." He speaks up, getting her attention. "If she were still here…"

"… I think she is," Harmony smiles softly. "Is that why you never talked about it? Because it's hard for you?"

"Well, yeah…but I also didn't wanna upset you. Since your parents lost their memories…it's almost the same watching them in pain…"

"Vari…" She looks up at him. "I don't care how much it hurts, but…you never have to feel like you need to hide from me. After recent…things, I really hate secrets."

"I get it," He kisses her forehead. "Do you wanna know more about her?"

"Yes I would."

"So one day she took me to the tailor to make me an apron…"

Cass walks up to a black rock, eyeing her reflection. She holds out a hand, trying to control it. "Just...focus..." She grits her teeth when nothing happens, kneeling. "I can't!"

"Cassandra..." The same voice Harmony heard at the great tree lingers…

**Angel: Personally, I don't really know what actually happened to Varian's mother, but I imagine that Varian's an alchemist because of her. Quirin clearly didn't approve when we first saw him. My first assumption is that she met Quirin after he left the Dark Kingdom. Maybe he met her in Old Corona. Then after Varian was born, she died of an illness that couldn't be cured considering the time period the show is set in, so I said cancer XD**


	54. Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

**Angel: To those of you who read all my stories, including this one, and are wondering about Rise of TMNT, I've started writing the new episodes. But I don't know when I'll release them. I still have assignments to turn in and exams to do, so most of my time lately has been dedicated to that. Having said that, please be patient because this is 4 episodes in a row, and I have to do my schoolwork. All I can tell you is that I've only finished one episode so far. I don't wanna upload them until I'm done with all 4. I haven't forgotten about that story, believe me XD**

**I put up a poll last night to determine what movie to do this summer. I don't know if it'll be just one or more, but for now, I'm doing one. No, Tangled isn't on the poll XD I don't think it's even necessary to do the movie at this point, since Harmony isn't in Corona at the time that the events of the film happened. It'd be impossible for her to be there since in canon, she was in another kingdom at that point. Kinda wish they'd do a sequel where they have a 3D Varian XD I think the show is the last thing we'll get from this franchise...**

On a full moon, a wolf howls into the dark night. Two pairs of bare feet run away. Rapunzel and Harmony glance behind them in fear. A large shadow is chasing after them. The blonde trips onto her sister, causing both of them to fall. They hide behind a rock, the chaser walking past them. It lets out a low growl as they peek out into the open.

Harmony's eyes go wide. Suddenly, the shadow appears right behind them and they turn around, pressing their backs against the wall.

"My...what big teeth you have..."

"And those claws," Harmony cringes nervously as it approaches them...

* * *

_34 hours earlier_

A banner is between two buildings: Rebuilding Old Corona Together. Rapunzel, Harmony, Eugene, and Max are walking through the renovations.

"Hi Mary," Rapunzel greets her.

"Well, hello princess!"

"Looking good up there, Monty," He simply glares at her.

"Nope, he still hates you," Harmony comments to her sister.

"Red and Angry, welcome...to New, Old Corona!" Rapunzel turns around to them.

"Thanks again for pitching everyone together to help out, you guys," Varian walks up to them.

"No problem. It was due for a remodel," Harmony places a hand on his shoulder and he smiles, glad that his home is finally being rebuilt.

"You know...it's about time you guys decided to settle down near us," Lance lightly touches Angry's cheek.

"We were getting kinda sick of life on the road," She kicks a rock. "Never knowing what you're gonna eat or where you're gonna stay. I mean, you should see the treehouse we've been staying in," Angry jerks a thumb behind her.

"Yeah! It's-"

"A total dump," Angry interrupts and Harmony notices Red's slightly annoyed look.

"With the princesses' initiative to rebuild Old Corona, you're gonna have your choice of places to live!" Eugene gestures to everything around them. Angry smiles while Red is holding onto the leaf necklace that her sister gave her.

"Ugh!" Angry rolls her eyes. "What is with you? You're acting weird."

"It's just..." Red sighs a little, looking at the leaf symbol. "I like the treehouse."

Angry groans again. "Not this again, Red. Look, _this_ is what is best for us," She gestures to Harmony and Old Corona.

"But-But I-"

"Your majesties, help!" A man runs up to them.

"Earl, what's the matter?"

"It's my sheep. Come quick!" He beckons them forward and Harmony waves a hand to her sister.

"You guys go on without me, I'll meet you there."

They nod and run off. The two girls run past her. Harmony clears her throat, crossing her arms towards the girls. "Not you two. Over here, come on."

She sits in front of them as they stand in front of her. "Listen," She looks towards Red first. "If you don't wanna stay and for me to take care of you, that is completely your decision. Are you sure you two wanna move here?"

"Yes! We talked about this," Angry gestures to herself and Red before the red-haired girl can even speak up. "Or maybe we can stay in the castle with you?"

"Only if you both want to, but..." Harmony glances to Red. "This doesn't seem to be a unanimous decision for you both."

"Red's fine! Now come on," Angry pulls her forward.

* * *

The sheep have somehow gathered themselves into a heap on a hill. "What are they doing up there?"

"Something's got them scared," Earl informs the princesses.

"Like what?" Rapunzel puts down the telescope.

"I'm not sure," He rubs his chin, "But the same thing happened to my neighbor's flock. In fact, livestock all over Corona's been acting strange."

"He's right. It's been like this for the past few days now," Varian tells the two sisters. "Ruddiger's even too scared to come out of the lab."

"Huh..." Harmony stares at the sheep. "It had to be something big."

"Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of this," Rapunzel walks up to the others. "Max, do your thing!" He sniffs the ground as Red sees something in the bushes. She stares at something, gasping when Angry places a hand on her shoulder.

"Come on!"

Red looks back to the bush, following after them. Something didn't seem right to her over there...a low growl comes from the bush before whatever it was runs off. Max continues sniffing, neighing as he's caught something. They skid to a stop to see giant footprints in front of them.

"These look like...wolf prints," Eugene eyes them.

"Makes sense with all the animals here," Harmony turns to Varian. "Wolves tend to prey on small animals like the ones in Old Corona."

"If they are wolves," Angry measures the footprint with her hand. "That is _one _big wolf."

"No, this is something else," Rapunzel eyes the print closer. "These tracks aren't side-by-side. Whatever made them walks on two feet."

"That can't be right," Angry shakes her head.

"It can be if it's-"

"Uhh, are you sure about that?" Rapunzel interrupts Varian as she notices something watching them from the trees. "Let's move!"

They run after the stalker, who jumps off a small cliff. The two princesses take the lead, jumping on small ledges to reach the bottom. Eugene and Lance land behind them.

"Eugene, Lance, come on! Stay on it!" Rapunzel slides to a stop. She runs to her left, letting out her hair as her sister follows. Lance and Eugene run after the person, and when it jumps, it's grabbed by Rapunzel's hair and caught in the trees. She lands on the ground, Harmony pointing her bow and arrow. She lifts it up into the air as it struggles, growling.

Rapunzel glances to the two men, who shrug.

"That's no wolf," Harmony rolls her eyes, lowering her weapon. Rapunzel holds out her hand and takes off the skull mask. A woman screams at them and Rapunzel quickly puts it back down.

"Who are you?" She demands to the stranger.

"Captain Creighton. World-class big-game tracker, at your service."

"Oh yeah? Never heard of you if you're in the game," Harmony deadpans towards her.

"Ehh, I'm more of a freelance tracker. Do you treat all of Corona's guests this way?"

* * *

Once they return to the castle, she stuffs herself with food, eating a drumstick whole. She then pours gravy into her mouth, the others except Angry disgusted at her manners.

"Should we be impressed or disgusted?" Lance asks them as Pascal and Daisy faint. "Disgusted it is."

"So, uh, Captain...what is a world-class tracker doing in Corona?" Rapunzel couldn't help but ask.

"Uh, tracking?"

"Okay, that's-that's on me," Rapunzel admits, the little girls and teens laughing. "Could've been more specific. Tracking what?"

"Uh, that thing that's been terrorizing your sheep? A werewolf."

The two pets lift their heads up in shock. "Now who do I gotta slug to get a glass of water around here, huh?" She doesn't seem to notice the baffled looks on their faces.

"D-d-d-d-did-did you just say werewolf?" Eugene stammers nervously. Creighton licks her lips, pulling out a book out of nowhere. She drops it in front of her, and it hits the table with a thud.

"It's all right here in this book. What we're dealing with is Maledicta Lupus: the wolf's curse. But for you laymen...a werewolf."

"Mona, is this for real?" Varian whispers to her.

"She wouldn't be here if it wasn't," She whispers back to her boyfriend.

They all gasp at her words. "The wolf's curse travels the globe. In search of host bodies. It feeds on untapped rage, so its ideal host is someone who harbors a deep-seated anger. It inhabits his body, and causes him to turn into a raging werewolf, every full moon...for the rest of his life!"

She shuts the book closed. "And here's where it gets interesting. The wolf has found a new home, here in Corona."

"W-Who is it?" Lance asks in fear, almost hiding behind the table.

"Who is it?" Creighton mocks him. "If I knew that, you'd think I'd be wasting my time with you milksops?! The wolf can be anybody!" She slams down a fist, all of them gasping again. "And maybe...it's right here in this room!" She points right at Harmony. "What do you have to say, princess? Or maybe...werewolf?!"

"That's crazy!" Varian immediately denies. "What untapped rage would she even have?"

She raises a skeptical brow at him. "There was what happened during the storm, you turning against us twice, Edmund...but I've let go all of those things," Harmony waves it off. "Trust me, I'm not the wolf, I already have enough on my plate."

"But the good news is, I'm not just tracking this thing..." Creighton places a crossbow on the table. "I'm not leaving Corona until I've destroyed it!"

They all stare at the woman, appalled by her decision. Harmony's eye twitches as Rapunzel hums slightly. She pushes away Eugene and clears her throat, the two sisters approaching the woman with calm looks.

"Uh oh," Eugene comments at this.

"She's got that 'ready to kill' look on her face," Varian eyes his girlfriend.

"Let me be clear, Captain," Rapunzel moves down the woman's feet. "You will _not _be destroying anything in our kingdom."

"Oh, I'm not sure you can stop me," She challenges back and Harmony waves a hand, creating a black rock near the woman. She recoils back in fright.

"Try us," The girl narrows her eyes.

"I ain't scared of ya!"

* * *

She's soon thrown out of the castle by Pete and Stan, the two princesses staring at her. "Oh, you're making a huge mistake!"

"We will take that-" Rapunzel slams the door. "I didn't time that right, I wanted to slam it after chance."

"We knew what you were going for," Eugene smirks a little. Max nods in agreement as Lance is eating a drumstick.

"Next time," Harmony pats her sister on the shoulder. "I'm sure that this isn't the last we'll see of her," She looks towards outside.

"Okay guys..." The two sisters walk past them. "There is a werewolf out there and we have to take action."

"We have to make sure that we take precaution on this," Harmony joins her side as they read the book Creighton left behind.

"Uh, excuse me, uh, princesses," Lance calls out from behind. "Ah, just a question here. Was throwing the werewolf hunter _out _of the castle the best idea?"

"But you heard her! She wants to destroy the monster! Well, that monster is one of our subjects!" Rapunzel points outside.

"So, we have to find it before she can," Eugene speaks up.

"Too bad we don't have a way of knowing..." Harmony rubs the back of her neck.

"Would you be able to sense them? You've been able to sense bad people since the trip," Rapunzel points out.

"Out of all the people in Corona? I mean, I could try, but I'd have to sense the whole town," Harmony frowns up at her. "And that's not going to be quick."

"The plan is, we do this quietly. We do not want a panic on our hands," Rapunzel approaches the doors and opens them, only to cringe towards outside. Somehow, everyone knows about the werewolf at this point, as they've gathered outside the castle in protest. Rapunzel smiles nervously and shuts the door behind her. "Okay, we're gonna need a new plan..."

Everyone is outside trying to calm down the public. "We know you've all heard about the werewolf rumors, and we are here to tell you there is _nothing _to be afraid of. We have everything under control-" She suddenly turns into a werewolf, Angry looking on in horror. Her hair is black as her arms are furry. For some reason, no one is freaking out as Angry backs away out of fear, looking up to see Lance, Harmony, Eugene, and Varian werewolves as well.

She holds her sister's hand. "Come on, Red! We gotta go!" They suddenly run through a crowd of werewolves.

"We're not going anywhere!"

She turns around to see her sister in the same state. "We belong here. You said so yourself!"

Angry falls from the balcony, screaming as she spins around.

It turns out that it was all a dream as her eyes go wide, panting. "Red, I just had the weirdest-" She looks towards the other bed, only to find it empty. "Where'd you go?"

* * *

Red is standing at the balcony from the entrance to the castle. Rapunzel and Harmony notice as they walk up to her.

"Red? What's wrong?" Rapunzel places a hand on her shoulder. "You seem so sad since you got here."

"I know something's on your mind, and it's not just the werewolf thing," Harmony joins her other side.

"No, no. I like it here," She says quickly, "But this..." She looks towards the castle. "This is not me. I mean, Angry says this is what's best for us, and-"

"Does she know you feel this way?" Rapunzel interrupts in concern.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Harmony gestures to herself. "I don't want to make you move here if you don't want to."

"I tried, but...she doesn't wanna hear it. And you've been through so much that...I didn't wanna bother you," Red looks up at her.

"I know it's not easy, but you have to find a way to get through to your sister. If it were me, I would definitely talk about it with Harmi. And I would understand, and do whatever I could to make her feel comfortable."

"Communication is the best way to strength any relationship," Harmony sits in front of Red. "And Red, I will _never _be too busy to listen to you. Trust me, your problems are my problems, and it's okay to tell me about them. I wanna help you the best way I can."

Pascal crawls onto Red, giving her one of Rapunzel's flowers. "Thank you," She hugs Harmony, who hugs her back. "Was it...hard having your sister back when you came back home?"

"Well, it wasn't exactly a walk in the park," Harmony bites her lip a little. "But by the time of the coronation...I knew that we would always be sisters no matter what happened. Especially after certain...stuff."

"I tried so hard to get past her 'proper princess' personality," Rapunzel chuckles slightly. "But she would always keep to herself while a...friend would always keep me busy so I wouldn't think about our relationship much. Slowly, though...we started to talk more and more, and then we both finally adjusted. You could say that we influence each other."

"Yeah, I've become more independent and open with not just myself, but with my hobbies," Harmony smiles, gesturing to her sister.

"And I've gotten more mature on decisions for Corona, plus I'm a mean archer," Rapunzel jerks a thumb to herself.

"Hey," Harmony pouts playfully, the other two laughing.

"In the meantime, we've gotta figure out a way to find this werewolf. Wow, that's something I'd never imagine myself saying," She leads Red away, Harmony giggling.

* * *

"It's called the Mark of the Wolf," Rapunzel reads the book the next morning in front of Harmony and Varian. They're sitting nearby Monty's Sweet Shoppe, and Attila the Bun. "And Creighton's book says that if a werewolf in its human form has this blue paw-shaped blemish somewhere on the person's hands, arms, or face..."

Pascal jumps onto the table, covering himself with white skin and blue pawprints. Rapunzel giggles at him, Harmony nuzzling his forehead with her finger.

"Well, tracking them should make it easier on me," Harmony shrugs a little. "Still nothing since this morning, though."

"Maybe it's because that there's never been a werewolf in Corona that you're having trouble," Varian suggests to her.

"Maybe. What else does the book say, Punzie?"

"The only other clue is that Creighton's curse feeds on someone with repressed rage...? That shouldn't be so hard. Everyone in Corona is so sweet," She smiles towards the street, but Old Lady Crowley is arguing with the florist.

"You call this plumbagos?!"

Pete and Stan fight each other while Ulf is doing mime.

"Oh yes, the invisible wall. Let's go..." The two citizens walk away, Ulf running right into a wall.

"Okay, this is gonna be harder than I thought..."

"Wow," Harmony blinks towards the people.

"And I thought Old Lady Crowley was the only one," Varian whispers to her.

"Gonna be a full moon tonight," They turn around to see a smug Creighton. "Better hope you find your little wolf friend...before I do."

"You arrogant-!"

"Um, excuse me," Monty approaches their table. "I'm sorry, Princess Rapunzel, Princess Harmony, and Varian. Listen, I know we've had our differences, but I've really come to appreciate how much you do for our kingdom! And I thought I'd bring you an olive branch, and your favorites! The branch is made of licorice," He winks at them as he holds up three plates.

"Dark chocolate!" Varian's eyes widen at the bar.

"And a slice of blueberry pie with cream!" Harmony places her hands on her cheeks. "Oh, thank you, Uncle Monty. That's really nice of you."

They take their items and Rapunzel's eyes widen to see something on Monty's neck.

A blue paw-print!

"Uhh, actually, I don't like licorice," Rapunzel turns to him, standing up. "In fact, no one likes licorice, Monty," She guides him into his shop, slamming the door despite his protests. She smiles widely at the woman who walks away. The citizens follow after her with pitchforks and the temporary queen sighs in relief.

"Uhh, what was that all about?" Varian blinks up at her since they weren't facing Monty.

"I was a fool to reconcile with you, Rapunzel! But the desserts are still free, you two. A fool, I tell you! Enjoy, you crazy kids!"

"Thanks?" Harmony asks him in confusion and Rapunzel helps them stand up.

"We gotta go. Right now!"

* * *

"Uncle Monty the werewolf?!" Eugene exclaims once they meet back up. "Come on, no way!"

"Forgive me, princess, but that's...ha ha ha, I mean, that's just...that's just crazy talk!"

"Come on," Rapunzel insists to him. "You've never once suspected Monty had a darker side?!"

The men and teens shake their heads no. "Are you sure this has nothing to do with you hating each other?" Varian raises a brow.

She sighs and hangs her head. "...Okay, fine! But he has the mark. We should at least investigate that! Harmi, are you sure you didn't sense anything?"

"If he is the werewolf, I can't tell for sure...but you're right, we should check it out."

* * *

Later that night, the three adults and two teens watch Monty closing his shop for the night. A horse and carriage wait for him outside.

"Alright," Rapunzel whispers to everyone, as they're all wearing matching black cloaks. "It's closing time."

They duck their heads, watching him exit the store. He throws a sack over his shoulder, closing the door behind him. He sees the five watching him from the reflection of the mirror and they hide behind the barrels. He narrows his eyes suspiciously in that area, going up to the front seat and leaving.

"Giddy-up!"

The five come out of hiding.

"He's trying to get away!"

Rapunzel whistles with her fingers, the three horses running up to them. Rapunzel and Eugene catch Max, Lance catches Fidella, and the teens catch Silver as they run by. Monty ends up in the woods, looking behind to see them following.

"Alright," He holds up some licorice from his pocket. "Let's see how you like cinnamon taffy!" He throws it towards Max, who slips behind.

"Sour balls away!" He tosses little green balls at Lance, some of them hitting Silver. One of them lands in Lance's mouth.

"So good...but sour!"

Monty grins as he holds up a little pyramid of red balls in his hand. "Oh no, not the gumballs! Not the gumballs! Noooo!" Both him and Fidella get hit with them, and the horse ends up falling. Lance holds his hand out and catches a gumball just before it could hit the floor. He eats it, leaving only Max and Silver to chase after him.

"Tell my story!" Lance calls out after them. Harmony rolls her eyes silently.

Monty looks behind him to see nothing, only for the two horses to stop them in their path. "What? Hol-Princesses?! What is wrong with you?"

"We _know _your secret," Rapunzel looks at him accusingly.

"Alright!" He holds up his hands. "Alright, fine. I found a bunch of stale licorice in my back room. I was just trying to get rid of it! Lock me up! It's wrong! It was wrong!"

"Huh. Guess you were right about licorice after all," Varian looks up at the blonde.

"No! Wait, what?" Rapunzel is majorly confused. "No, we're talking about the wolf's curse." They circle him and he stares at him, offended.

"The wolf's cur-Hold on! Wait, you think I'm the werewolf?" He gestures to himself.

"I saw the wolf's mark on your neck," Rapunzel points at it.

"What, this?" He rubs his neck. "No, this is—this is paint! Paint from the renovations this morning!"

Lance joins them and blows a bubble, which pops all over his face. "But...why did you run away from us?"

"Well, five people hopped out of the shadows and came after me! What would you have done?" He replies back. "Besides...if I were the wolf, shouldn't I be sprouting fur and fangs about now?" Monty turns around to the full moon.

"Oh no, the full moon!" Rapunzel walks past him, and the real werewolf can be heard in the distance...along with screams. The five run into town as the people run around in fright. "Lance, help these people out of here!"

"And hurry!" Harmony points to her left, watching him run off. A fog starts to arrive, combing the area as the wolf starts destroying things, roaring. It approaches the four, Varian hugging Harmony close, but mostly out of fear. They look up with fright as the tall wolf looms over them, growling.

"You know, Old Corona should really consider enforcing leash laws," Eugene comments, getting slightly elbowed by Harmony.

An arrow suddenly flies between them, and the werewolf looks at the arrow. It's definitely not one of Harmony's due to the gold color; Harmony's are more of a beige color. The wolf bares its teeth and growls at Creighton. She's on top of a roof as she's firing at the werewolf. The wolf scampers away.

"Eugene, you and Varian keep Creighton busy. We're going after that wolf..."

"Be careful, Mona," Varian tells his girlfriend.

"I will," She pecks his lips and the two run off.

"Team Awesome again...but not in the best circumstance," Eugene winces a bit.

They run past a water puddle, the full moon reflecting in it. The wolf howls as they continuing running through a dark forest.

"Uh, something tells me that we're not chasing it anymore, guys," Rapunzel comments to the three. Pascal and Daisy glance to each other, looking up ahead nervously. Nevertheless, the two keep running down the path and to a rock.

"It's coming in close!" Harmony calls out as the wolf appears behind them in the fog. They trip onto the ground, but find a hiding place behind a few rocks. The wolf's shadow walks past the small rocks with a growl. They hear footsteps and then nothing, peeking out from the rock. Harmony's eyes widen as a shadow looms over them from behind. They press their backs against the wall, smiling nervously. The wolf stands right in front of them, growling at the two.

"My...what big teeth you have."

"And those claws," Harmony bites her lip nervously, sinking a little bit from the close proximity.

* * *

Creighton yells as she runs up to Eugene and Varian. He clashes his sword with her crossbow. "Ooh, tsk tsk, Captain. Never bring a crossbow to a sword fight."

He pushes it away and they briefly sword fight. He throws it out of her hands and it lands in Varian's arms. She growls at them and runs off.

"You're still milksops!"

"Well, it's no frying pan," Eugene looks at his weapon. "But there's nothing like a classic to get the job done."

"I think I'll give this to Mona for her next birthday," Varian smirks at the crossbow in his hands.

"If she finds out where it came from, she will never use it."

* * *

The wolf howls as it inches closer to the two princesses, both of them moving away. It sniffs their hair, drooling in front of them. Rapunzel opens an eye to see something golden from the neck of the wolf. She nudges her sister, who sees the same thing. The blonde moves away the fur...

To see a golden leaf necklace.

"No, it can't be..."

The wolf notices their expressions and runs off. "The wolf..." Harmony starts off.

"It's Red!" Rapunzel finishes for her as they look to where she left.

Rapunzel opens the door to the girls' room to see only Angry. "Angry! Where is Red?"

"What's-what's wrong?" Angry wakes up.

"Okay...oh, how do I say this? Maybe it'll be better if she hears it from you," Rapunzel looks to her sister.

"Um...Angry," Harmony kneels in front of her. "Your sister...is keeping something from you...something big."

"Let me guess," She narrows her eyes. "She doesn't wanna settle down in Corona?"

"No, well, yes, yes, she is hiding that, but this is something...else," Rapunzel speaks up.

"Angry, please believe me when I say that this is important," Harmony gives her a look.

"And it's not something we can really tell you right here," Varian glances away.

"...Okay, I'll take you to her."

* * *

She leads them to the treehouse that they used to stay in. "If Red's anywhere, this is where she'd be."

Rapunzel moves away the curtain, only to find no one. She steps forward inside, goes up the steps, and finds the little girl hidden in a blanket.

"I'm not the monster," She tells them meekly.

"No one said you were a monster," Rapunzel inches towards her, Harmony doing the same. The blonde removes the blanket as Harmony holds Red's cheeks. She wipes away the left marking to reveal the blue paw-print.

"I...I'm sorry..."

"Red..." Angry kneels in front of her, concerned. "How did this happen?"

"Last month. When you decided we needed to settle down, I wanted to tell you that I liked it out here. I wasn't ready to move, but...you wouldn't hear me. I went for a walk that night, and...that was when it found me."

_A wolf ran past her and suddenly blue smoke came out of nowhere, forming into a werewolf. She looked up in horror._

"It told me it could help me be heard, that it could use all of my angered feelings and give me what I want. All I had to was...let it."

_The curse entered Red._

"You should've told me, Red," Angry tells her.

"That doesn't matter now," Harmony sighs a bit. "Come here."

Red sits on her lap and she strokes Red's hair. "Red, no matter what is going on in your life, I will listen. Tell you what, if you really don't wanna stay in the castle, you don't have to."

"Or in Old Corona," Varian smiles a bit.

"...Really? You're not mad?" Red sniffles slightly, and they shake their heads.

"What we care about is your happiness," Harmony shrugs a little. "Well, and your safety."

"Guys, the important thing is there's a way out of this. This has a ritual that can get rid of the wolf, but...we can only do it on the final night of the full moon."

"That's tonight," Lance speaks up from behind.

"Now here's the tricky part..." Rapunzel stands up. "It has to be done on mystical ground...and the only place like that around is..."

"Janis Point," Eugene answers knowingly. Harmony pinches her nose at the memory.

* * *

They stand at the top of Janis Point, an owl hooting. Varian looks around at the area as they finish planting torches.

"Hey, remember that art teacher who brought us out here for her painting class?" Lance asks casually with a laugh. "Whatever happened to her?"

"Well, she turned out to be a hideous she-demon who tried to steal your very soul..."

"Oh, right. Tight..." Lance looks towards the ground.

"Uh, what are you talking about?" Varian looks up at them and Harmony looks over her shoulder.

"Remember...I told you about that during the trip. I went to go see you in your lab and saw Quirin before I even met her."

"Oh...oh!" His eyes go wide, coughing awkwardly. "Now I remember."

"Okay Red," Rapunzel turns around to the girl. "All you have to do now is repeat what I say."

Angry gives her an encouraging smile and Red nods. "I swear this wolf away."

"I...I swear this wolf away."

"Not to give into its rage. Wolf, be gone!" Rapunzel repeats from the book.

"Not to give into its rage. Wolf, be..." She closes her eyes, hesitating. With this wolf, she can do what she wants, and now...she's just going to give that up to be a follower?

"Red, you can do it. Just say it," Rapunzel whispers to her. Harmony stares at her in concern, glancing to Varian.

"It's okay, kid. You're almost there," Eugene encourages her.

"Come on, Red. You have to!" Angry insists to the girl.

"Guys, I think we should-"

"I don't want to!" Red interrupts Harmony and moves away from her sister. "Maybe I like being the wolf! Maybe I'm tired of almost everyone telling me what to do. And I'm sick of people assuming I'm okay, just because I won't say I'm not!" She stands on a podium. "And another thing, I don't even like the name Red! I only went along with it because everyone expected me to!"

"I told you not to give 'em nicknames," Lance comments to Eugene, earning a glare in return.

"Okay, okay," Harmony says in a soothing voice. "Red-or whatever you'd like to be called, just calm down."

"What if I wanted to be the angry one? Just once, I wanted to be the one to call the shots! Being the wolf lets me do that!"

"I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to be so bossy. We can figure this out, together. But let's just finish this," Angry tells her.

"It doesn't matter if you finish."

They hear the new voice, Creighton coming in out of nowhere. "This whole ritual is bunk. I added it to the book so I'd know when and where the wolf would be. Thanks, princesses."

Rapunzel throws the book away.

"Wait, so you tricked us so that you would destroy her anyway?!" Harmony shouts at her as she and Varian jump, landing in front of Red. Rapunzel joins their side as the girl pulls out her bow and arrow, Varian equipping his hands with his alchemy balls.

"Leave the girl alone," Rapunzel adds in.

"As long as we're here, you are not laying a finger on her," Harmony points her bow and arrow to Creighton.

"Because that's what family does!" Varian glares at her, Red staring up at the two in surprise. Even after her outburst, they still cared for her...

"She ain't a girl anymore. She's a monster, and the sooner you realize that, the better!"

"How. **Dare **you," Harmony grits her teeth as Red growls behind them. Her eyes turn red and then she forms into the wolf right behind the three. She howls out loud and Creighton aims her crossbow.

"No!" Rapunzel stops her, the wolf howling. Red runs off and jumps onto black rocks below, jumping across them. They run up to the edge, staring after her in concern.

"Wow...she's fast."

Creighton runs away from the scene. "Where could she be going?" Rapunzel looks up at Eugene. Lance looks behind them.

"Uh, guys? Where's Creighton?"

"What?" They all look in the same direction.

"Angry," Varian speaks up and she turns to the two teenagers.

"What you can do for Red is now...is to talk to her. And I mean really talk. No more bossing around, no more expecting her to do what you want, and listen to her," Harmony looks at the black-haired girl. "It'll not only help her, but you too."

Angry nods slowly up at her.

Creighton is in the forest, looking around for Red. "The hunt is on..." She murmurs to herself. She closes an eye as she looks around, looking behind her and firing. However, it's just a wolf-shaped tree. She keeps her crossbow ready as she steps around, on alert in all directions.

Red slips right past her, and she looks in that direction. Red moves again, and she smirks, looking towards the bushes.

"Gotcha."

The bushes rustle as she points her weapon at it...and a bunny comes out, hopping away. "Ugh, false alarm. Dumb bunny."

Red roars behind her, throwing her onto the ground. Creighton looks back as Red jumps out of the fog, landing in front of the tracker. She knocks the crossbow out of the tracker's hands, roaring right in her face. She swipes in front of Creighton, her arrows falling onto the floor. Creighton's back hits a tree and she screams, leaping onto the ground. She lands on her back as Red looms over her, roaring in her face again.

"Please, I-I wasn't gonna hurt you. Uh, I'm actually a dog person, and I...uh, I love dogs," She cringes as she looks away, actually scared for a change.

"Catalina, stop!"

Red, or Catalina, turns around to the fog, where Angry steps out. "It's me, Kiera. Please don't hurt her. She may be a jerk, but...you're not a monster. I'm sorry I didn't listen better. I promise I'll try harder, but, please, let her go."

"It's okay to be angry and frustrated," Rapunzel, Harmony, and Varian join her. "But this? This is not the way you deal with those feelings."

"We'll all help, Catalina," Lance steps forward with Eugene. "I promise."

"We can start by listening to you," Harmony gestures to Red.

"Please...I love you."

Catalina's eyes widen at her sister's words as she holds her head. She lets out a whinny. "Yeah! Listen to her!" Creighton calls out, and Catalina roars at her. She runs away out of fear into the bushes. Then she comes out surrounded by bunnies. "Bunnies!" She runs off screaming.

"Good riddance," Harmony narrows her eyes at her. How heartless would someone have to be to destroy a little girl? "As soon as we get back, I'm putting her on the ban list."

Catalina steps up to the group, Angry hugging her. Catalina pulls everyone into the hug. "Best. Hug. Ever."

"But you're crushing us!" Varian lets out a wheeze.

* * *

The next day, a new treehouse has been constructed for the girls to stay in. "Ground floor, please, Ulf," Kiera steps on a platform, and the mime lowers it. She lands in front of Rapunzel, Eugene, Pascal, Daisy, Harmony, Catalina, and Varian.

"I brought some of the princesses' old paintings from the castle," Lance puts down a box. "I thought it might spruce the place up." He holds up a painting of himself. "Best one of the bunch. Look at that. Ooh, so handsome."

They all laugh at him. "Thank you so much for fixing this place up for us, Rapunzel and Mom."

Harmony blinks at the name, but smiles at her. "Aw, I'm just glad we found a way for you guys to stay close by after all."

"Yeah, not quite civilized, not quite the wild. I'd say it's picture perfect," Eugene bends down in front of the girls. "But just promise me if you ever need anything, you know, like help managing the...rawr, then you're gonna ask for it."

"I promise," Catalina smiles softly at him.

"Because the last thing we want is for you to bury your anger again," Rapunzel states and Angry nods, holding her sister's hand. "That never helped anyone..." Rapunzel picked up a certain painting and put it back in the box...

A painting of her, Cass, and Harmony playing with her hair.

"Are you two really okay with us staying here?" Catalina looks up at the two teens.

"Of course. I mean, this way, you're in between me and Mona," Varian holds his girlfriend's hand.

"And all I want is for you guys to be happy," Harmony kneels in front of them. "As long as you are, I don't mind where you stay. But just remember to take care of yourselves, be safe, and that you can visit us whenever you want."

"So, does this mean…?" Catalina asks hopefully, Harmony looking up at Varian.

"Well, I'm still too young to be your official mother and adopt you, but…what I decided to was become your legal guardian. I'm a statesperson, so that nulls the age requirement. It'll last until I'm 18 and then we can sign the papers, but…it's the first step. If that's okay with you both."

Kiera turns to Catalina and they both smile. "Yeah, as long as we can still call you Mom."

"Of course you can," Harmony smiles softly at them.

The two girls hug Harmony, and she pulls Varian into it. He smiles as he joins in, and the others smile at the family moment.

* * *

Cass is pointing her hand at black rocks, trying to control them again. She bends down in exhaustion.

"You're doing it wrong."

"You..." She looks behind her. "What are you doing here?"

The Enchanted Girl floats in front of the woman. "I'm here to help you master the moonstone's power. It responds to hatred and anger. If you truly want to wield the moonstone, you mustn't be afraid to tap into the depths of your deepest rage. Remember what they put you through."

She looks at her hand in agony. "And use that fury, Cassandra."

She clenches her fist, gritting her teeth as she can feel it. She then starts to move a black rock...


	55. The Lost Treasure of Herz Der Sonne

A beautiful throne room stands in front of everyone...or so it seems, as it was just a picture Rapunzel puts down. The actual throne room is an absolute mess. Rapunzel frowns a little as she looks at the picture and the throne room. The fight with the Saporians left it this way, and since then, they haven't gotten around to fixing it...

"Okay everyone. After the Saporian attack, this kingdom could use a real pick-me-up. And what better way to bring everyone together than with a community project?"

Everyone except Old Lady Crowley cheers, of course.

"With a little hard work, and a whole lot of Corona spirit, we can rebuild this kingdom!" Rapunzel starts off.

"If we can rebuild Old Corona, we can do anything!" Harmony pumps her fists, her sister take a few shovels from the barrel.

"So let's do it!" She tosses the shovels and everyone catches one.

"Ha ha, yes!"

"Okay!"

"Let's do this thang!"

"Hey! I have the artistic eye!" Catalina protests to her sister as they literally butt heads.

"You dip, I paint!" Kiera argues back.

"I know this is typically your thing, Sunshine," Eugene peeks over the catwalk he's standing on. "But if you're trying to bring everyone together, maybe grueling manual labor isn't the best idea?"

Rapunzel chops a log in half. "Don't think of it as grueling manual labor. Think of it as creativity, through destruction."

Something falls, emitting dust around Feldspar and Old Lady Crowley. "Oh, now look what you made me do!"

"That was your fault, ya loafer!" She insults him.

"Loafer? I've never been so insulted!"

"Feldspar, Old Lady—uh, Mrs. Crowley," Rapunzel steps between the two. "Let's not fight. Yes, we were supposed to keep that wall, but hey, this just gives us more work to do together."

The two groan at her. "This is why Crowley works alone!" She grumbles, walking off. Feldspar clears his throat.

"I'll go get glue," He walks off.

Harmony sticks out her tongue slightly as she's finalizing the design at a makeshift desk. Xavier, Monty, Old Lady Crowley, Varian, and Catalina walk up to the girl.

"Uh, Princess," She looks up at Xavier. "We couldn't help but notice..."

"It seems like..." Monty tries to finish, but he didn't want to be rude about it.

"Your stuff is everywhere, Princess!" Old Lady Crowley interrupts sharply.

"What?" Harmony asks in confusion, sitting up fully. "I don't have my stuff everywhere."

"Um..." Rapunzel gestures to all of her blueprints strewn out everywhere, prototypes in every corner, and tools sticking out from toolboxes, all of it hers.

"...Okay, maybe my things are a bit too much around here," Harmony rubs her neck sheepishly.

"For a Princess, you're not too organized," Varian crosses his arms with a small smirk.

"Says my alchemist of a boyfriend," She retorts back playfully. "Anyway, I'm sorry, but I'm too busy to put everything in one place. There's renovations, my parents, making sure everything is tended to, not to mention people coming and going...some with intentions that are not fan of heart," She glances away, remembering Creighton from not too long ago...that wasn't fun.

"You can use our treehouse!" Catalina offers her.

"And you can put some of your things in my lab," Varian smiles at his girlfriend.

"That's sweet, but while I'm temporary crown princess, I need to help my sister and both locations are too much to go back and forth all the time. And I can't think of a place that has enough storage for all of my stuff. Kiera, get away from there," She walks past all of them, the group staring after the girl.

"Hmm, we need to find a way so that she can store all her things in the castle," Rapunzel rubs her chin. "But later."

More pieces of the wall fall off and Rapunzel turns around, shocked at the sight. It looks to be a map on the wall.

* * *

"Here lies King Herz Der Sonne's lost treasure?" Rapunzel exclaims once she's gotten everyone gathered around. "Ha ha! You guys! Wait! This is an honest-to-goodness treasure map! Harmi, did you know about this?"

"No," She shakes her head. "That wall was always untouched, but I guess with the renovation, it finally revealed itself."

"I have heard about the legend of Herz Der Sonne's lost treasure. It is said to be buried in his crypt. The tale begins a millennia-"

"Uh, Xaves?" Eugene interrupts politely. "Bottom line us, would ya?"

"She's right," Xavier says simply. "It's a map."

"This is just the thing to bring everyone together!" Rapunzel whispers to her sister.

Everyone is now outside as the sisters face them. "How many of you have ever dreamed of having a treasure of untold riches?" The blonde smiles, Lance grinning dreamily.

_Untold riches..._

"_Now this is living!" Lance is surrounded by gold, eating some fruit. "Don't you agree, Lance made of caviar?"_

"_I'll take them all!" Vladimir is being licked by unicorns, laughing._

_Max smiles as Eugene and Lance are pulling him instead of the other way around._

"We are holding a Corona-wide race for the lost treasure of Herz Der Sonne!"

Everyone cheers at the news. "But wait! It gets better. Because this is about having fun together...everyone will be racing with a partner!"

The cheering turns into groans. Harmony shakes her head at them. "Not going well so far, is it?" Harmony whispers to her sister.

"Terrific..."

"Who picks our partners?" Vlad asks the two.

"Ah, ah, not who...what," Rapunzel moves away the cloth that was hiding something between the two sisters.

"Couldn't we have just pulled names out of a hat?" Eugene questions them.

"Oh, but it is a HAT!" Harmony holds up a finger. "We call it the Horotory Automated Team-Builder, or HAT. I reused the schematics from the senior bingo at last year's Goodwill Festival," She smirks, hands on her hips before glancing at her sister. "Took a long time to figure out a name to fit those letters, lemme tell ya." Varian smiles at the girl after she was done explaining. It reminds him a little bit of himself. "Rapunzel, would you like to do the honors?"

"Gladly!" She turns the crank, which levitates bimberries to Gregorio. He starts running in the hamster wheel, ringing a bell. A hammer activates the parts that draws the names, which go to a tiny slide and to a bowl. "And our first team is...Stan...and-"

"Pete! Stan and Pete!" Pete cheers, hoping that his partner is his teammate.

"Angry!"

"What? This is an outrage! It's Stan and Pete! Everyone knows it's always Stan and Pete!" He protests at this. Daisy rolls her eyes at him, lightly chirping.

"Yeah, and I don't wanna be paired up with some dopey guard," Kiera complains with her arms crossed.

"You're not paired up with some dopey guard, you're paired up with—ohhh..."

"Kiera," Harmony gives her a stern look, hands on her hips.

"Sorry Mom."

Two more fall into the bowl and Rapunzel reads them. "Pascal and Max! Aww, cute!" She smiles at this. Pascal holds out his fist, and when Max hits it, he sends the chameleon flying. Daisy flies after him, Max smiling sheepishly.

"Xavier...and Varian!"

The two smile at each other.

"Ruddiger...and Hamuel!"

"Oh," Harmony winces at this. She knew that when she wrote that name down, that no one would be lucky to have him as a partner...Rapunzel throws the two names away and they land on the crow's eyes. The raccoon visibly sags at this.

"Eugene...and of course, Lance."

Eugene laughs at the pairing. "Are you kidding me? Me and Lance, together, searching for treasure? Just give it to us right now, folks!"

"Someone's cocky," Harmony smiles in amusement, rolling her eyes.

"And finally...me, and Feldspar!" She laughs, holding up her hand. "Up high, Feldspar, come on."

"Oh, please don't hit me!" He recoils back before realizing she wouldn't do that. "Oh, oh, I get it, it's a gesture of camaraderie! Well then, I'm all in! Up high, woo hoo!" He holds up her hand and high-fives her. "Ow."

"Okay everyone, Harmi will now give you the rules!" Rapunzel smiles at everyone.

"Uhh..." Lance glances around. "But we're an odd number of people."

Daisy chirps at him angrily for forgetting that she counts as well.

"Oh, I must've forgotten to put our names in when I was building this," Harmony facepalms, turning to Daisy. "Well, then I guess we get to join another team. Wouldn't be fair if we paired up since..." She glances towards the smug former thieves, Max, and Pascal.

"How is it fair that two other teams are getting help?" Kiera crosses her arms.

"Kiera!" Harmony gives her another warning look. "It's only coincidence that Eugene and Lance are a team and know how to get treasure. Not to mention that Pascal and Max have been friends for a while. Every single team has their advantage," She holds up a finger.

"Sooo, how are we choosing who gets extra help?" Varian puts his arms behind his back, hoping that Harmony is on his team.

"Daisy's gonna choose based on who she thinks both of us will benefit a team the best," Harmony gestures to the duckling.

"Yes!" Varian pumps a fist, he had this in the bag.

"She'll choose my team first."

Daisy chirps, taking flight and everyone watches in anticipation as she lands on Catalina, causing the red-haired girl to smile. Varian gives a slightly disappointed look at this.

"So I'm with Pete and Catalina and Daisy is joining..." Daisy lands on Varian next, chirping happily at him. "Xavier and Varian!"

"Take a good look at this map, guys," Harmony gestures to the map that she managed to carve onto another rock. "Be sure to memorize it, because you cannot take it with you. It's up to you and your partner-"

"Or should you say new bestie," Rapunzel chuckles a little.

"To find your way to the treasure. You can go by foot, air balloon, or water. Whoever finds it first wins! And no cheating! No copies of the map, even if you wrote it down yourself. And you're not allowed to have the prize if you didn't work together or if you show up without your assigned partner."

* * *

The bell rings as everyone gathers around the gates. Varian stretches his arms while Pascal meditates for a little bit. Sweat drips down Monty's face as Vlad takes a step forward. Everyone stands with their partner, ready to go. Ruddiger chitters towards Max, who huffs back at him. Pascal squeaks and the raccoon looks towards Rapunzel and Harmony. Rapunzel is holding a torch while Harmony has a white flag in her hand.

"Good luck, everyone," Harmony tells them. Varian glances at her and winks, causing her to giggle.

"On your mark, get set..." Rapunzel lights the cannon. Hamuel shoots out of it as Harmony waves down the flag. "Treasure!"

Everyone takes off into a run.

"It's sad, really," Eugene speaks up as him and Lance are sitting at a table. "All these people getting their hopes up, when Lance and I are obviously going to win."

"Arrogant much?" Harmony deadpans, hands on her hips.

"Oh, I'll tell you what will be sad. The look on your face when me and my partner get to the treasure first," Rapunzel smiles at him. "Right, Feldspar?"

"Ooh!" His head is stuck in a wheel somehow. "Does anyone have any butter?"

Eugene, Harmony, and Rapunzel help him out. "Uh, thank you."

"You guys are gonna do just fine." He coughs loud enough for them to hear. "In second place."

"Ha ha. Laugh now, but Feldspar and I are gonna be a force to be reckoned with. Right Feldspar? Feldspar?" She looks around for him.

"Wouldn't you just know it?" He asks from the wheel right next to her. "I did it again."

"Good luck..." Harmony murmurs to her sister as she runs off, and she means that a lot.

* * *

"Unicorns, unicorns, unicorns, unicorns, unicorns," Vlad recites as he runs off with Monty, who's hanging onto the log.

"Uh, Feldspar?" Rapunzel asks from inside his shop. "I appreciate how excited you are, but you really don't need to pack much."

He places down a rather tall backpack on the table. "Wow...what do you have in there?" She asks curiously.

"Well, shoes mostly. Of course, shoe polish, shoe horns, shoe laces-"

"Uh, you know what?" She rubs her neck as she watches him toss things into the bag. "Uh, why don't you fill me in on the way? We are, ugh, already behind."

"Yes, yes, you're right," He agrees, holding out his hands. She then realizes what he wants her to do and picks up the heavy bag. She puts it on him, slightly exhausted. "Okay, don't worry. We're going to win! After all, we're the only team with a map." He holds out the map on parchment paper.

"What?!" She snatches it from him. "W-Where did you get that?"

"I took an impression of the map," He explains, taking the map back.

"No, no, we can't use the map. That's cheating, like Harmi said so herself."

"Well, that's one word for it."

She sighs at this. "What's another word for it?"

"W-What do I look like, a thesaurus?!" He tries to get through the front door, only to get stuck because of the big backpack.

"Feldspar, come on. We can win this fair and square. We don't need a map!" She insists to the man.

"You know what? You're right, and when you're right, you're right. We can, nay, we must win this using nothing but our wits!" He pulls the bag through the door, falling onto the cobblestone street. Rapunzel rolls her eyes as he actually broke through the wheel from a wagon, which is now stuck around his neck.

"So, wagon wheel, we meet again..."

Stan and Kiera run right past him, the girl in a wheelbarrow. "You know, I can't help but wonder why I have to push you in a wheelbarrow."

"Because _I'm _not big enough to push you in a wheelbarrow. Now hurry!"

"Oh, I get it now," He comments in understanding.

Xavier holds up a finger to feel the wind. "Mm, a northerly wind is coming."

They see Stan and Kiera running past them, Varian packing his backpack. Daisy chirps as she lands on his shoulder and he nuzzles her forehead with a finger. "If only there were a way to catch its mighty draft and use it to our advantage..."

"W-Wait!" Varian exclaims as he comes up with an idea. "The Saporians use hot air balloons. Uh, I know how to build one!"

"Oh, that reminds me of the legend of a mighty balloon...in days of yore, an intrepid traveler ventured into the sky..." Varian turns around and pushes him forward.

* * *

Ruddiger walks along a path in the forest, panting in exhaustion. He turns around to see Max and Pascal headed their way. He hears squawking, looking up to see his...partner peeking at a bee hive. He smiles as he gets an idea, wiggling his fingers together. He takes the now-opened bee hive, holding it over his head. Max and Pascal run right past, and Ruddiger throws the bee hive. Unfortunately, his aim was off.

He cringes at the bees behind him and a few moments later, he's covered in bee stings...

Hamuel looks up, the bee hive stuck over his head.

* * *

Pete sniffs the ground, licking the dirt. "Yup...it's what I was afraid of. What we got here is a good old-fashioned Corona sap pond. Okay, girls, to cross this, we'll need expert timing, balance, and agility." While he's talking, Catalina points up to a vine. Harmony smiles and takes it. She holds out a hand to determine the right angle to jump. "Now, fortunately, I've got the training-"

"Later, Pete!" They exclaim in unison as Catalina jumps onto Harmony's back. She takes off into a run, laughing. She expertly swan dives off the cliff, the little girl hollering as it felt like they were flying. Harmony lets go of the vine and they soar into the air, landing on the ground. They tumble to a stop, Harmony's hair lying in the grass in all directions. Catalina giggles next to her as they're laughing.

"Oh..." Pete takes the vine as they stand up, Harmony cleaning herself up. "Okay. Pete, your time to shine."

He jumps off, but he hits the sap...

"Great," Harmony sighs at this.

* * *

Lance smiles at the eggs and broccoli in front of him.

"Ahem. Another tea cake?" Eugene holds it out to his friend.

"Why not?"

"Yeah, it's not like we're in a hurry," Eugene looks at his pocket watch.

"Say, is that a new watch?"

"Why, yes it is, old chap. I bought it with some of the gold we're going to be getting from the treasure."

Lance laughs at him. "Good for you. Some days, you just gotta treat yourself," He takes a bite out of his cake.

"Speaking on the treasure, though, old buddy," Eugene pours himself some tea. "Maybe we'd better not take this race lightly. I mean, after all, everyone in Corona is competing..." He looks to his friend and then they start laughing. "I'm sorry, I just had to go there! I know, I know, this is the oldest joke ever, but I couldn't help myself! And I just can't keep a straight face! We are so gonna get that treasure first."

"Ha ha. You said it," Lance yawns, stretching his arms. "Food coma, here we come..."

"Oh, I'm way ahead of you, bud..."

* * *

Rapunzel watches Feldspar eating a steak with potatoes and peas. An annoyed look is on her face as he chews very slowly...like a sloth. She narrows her eyes as he continues chewing this way, and when she thinks he's going to swallow...he takes one last bite and swallows it. And then he brings it back up!

"Feldspar!" She shouts of frustration and he finally swallows fully. "Are you, um...almost done?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, but Mother always said never treasure hunt on an empty stomach," He takes another bite.

"Uh, couldn't you have eaten some nuts on the way or something? Did we have to stop so you could fry a pork chop?"

And they literally spent most of the kitchen supplies they had to do that...

"Well yes," He chuckles awkwardly, taking out a napkin. "Wait, Feldspar, is that your map?"

"Might as well use it for something, huh?" He looks back at the map. "Oh, this says...beware the crypt."

She snatches the map from him. "What are you talking about?" The acting queen asks nervously as she inspects the unfamiliar letters. She hands it back to him. "You can read this?"

"Oh, I'm fluent in Saporian, of course. The Saporians invented the wing-tip loafer. Don't you know? Any cobbler worth his shoehorn knows Saporian."

"I will be honest, I did not know that," She looks away. "And unfortunately for me, Harmi doesn't know Saporian that well...what else does it say?"

He clears his throat. "All who claim the treasure shall be made to banana."

"Made to banana?" She asks in confusion and he looks back on that last word.

"Oh, what am I thinking? Zarothay is banana. Zarotho means suffer in an eternity of doom."

"You mean..." She turns him around to face her. "I just sent my entire kingdom and my sister to their doom?"

"Well, suddenly frying a porkchop isn't the worst thing one of us has done today, "He comments and she stands up.

"We have to get there first, so we can stop the others from disturbing the crypt. Here, give me the map," Rapunzel holds out her hand.

"But you said that would be cheating," He points out.

"FELDSPAR!"

"Okay, fine...but can I at least finish my parfait-?" She drags him away instead.

* * *

Stan is rowing a boat with Kiera down the river. Vlad and Monty run right past them.

"Unicorns, unicorns, unicorns, unicorns, unicorns," He splashes Kiera as he continues reciting this. She looks up ahead in dismay, turning around and going through Stan's bag.

"Excuse me. I couldn't help but notice you're rifling through my personal effects?"

"Hey, Captain Stashe, look around," Kiera gestures to where the two just left. "We're losing. I'm looking for anything that might give us a leg up." She holds up another helmet. "...You brought a spare uniform?"

"A good soldier never travels without an extra uniform."

Kiera looks up and sees a hot air balloon hovering over their heads. She smirks at how high up they are. "Good idea!" For once during this whole hunt, she's actually glad that she's paired up with Stan.

"Ha, this is so great!" Varian exclaims from the hot air balloon as he's collecting clouds. "I feel like a bird! Which, in hindsight, did actually happen to me."

Daisy flies in front of him, chirping and he laughs sheepishly. "No, I didn't mean it as a bad thing! It's...an experience," He smiles fondly as he remembers him and Harmony doing that little love song together as birds.

"Hm, indeed," Xavier joins his side after elevating the balloon. He puts his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Have you heard of the legend of the lone birdman of Swandalay?"

His eyes go wide as he looks like he wants to be a bird again. "No...I, well, no, but, um..."

"The ancient people of Swandalay were actually a seafaring tribe-" Varian drops his arms in exasperation over the basket as Daisy rolls her eyes, landing on the basket. They both notice what looks like to be another person in the water.

"Uh, hey, look! Someone needs help!" He points up ahead. Xavier lowers the balloon. "Hold on! We're almost there!" They run up to the river once the balloon touches the ground, but Varian inspects it closer to see that it's just a uniform.

"Huh?" He looks at the helmet in confusion. The balloon flies over them. "Hey!"

"What are you doing?!" Xavier shouts at them.

"Looks like we're winning!" Stan smirks at the three.

"You're playing dirty!" Varian accuses them. Daisy chirps at them angrily, looking peeved as well.

"There's nothing in the rules that says we can't be smarter than you!" Kiera quips back, and all they can do is watch them fly off.

"She reminds me of the legend of the Perpetua Demosthenese, the young girl who thought she was smarter than all of those around her."

Varian slams the helmet over his head to try and drown Xavier out. Daisy chirps at him pleadingly and he lifts up the helmet so she can land on his head.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ruddiger has set a trap for Max and Pascal to try and slow them down. He holds a rope attached to a stick holding up a rock. He pulls it, but the rock doesn't come off. The raccoon crawls up to it, jumping up and down. He watches the two animals pass by and tries again. A hole hollows out from the rock and he falls onto it. He then moves out of the way as the rock is about to come down, only to get a faceful of honey thanks to Hamuel. The rocks land on them anyway...

"I know how this looks, kids, okay, but rest assured, I-I have this under control," Pete falls in front of the girls, covered in sap and thistles from the bush in front of them, which the two girls crossed easily. "Oh, that-is that a...Well, that's a lot of...can you pry off some bramble?"

"Shoo, shoo!" Catalina tries to get the bird from the nest on his head to leave. Harmony steps forward, flinging some bird seed on the ground. The bluebird flies from the nest onto the ground. The two sigh and try to pull off the thistle.

"Out of the way, slowpokes!" Shorty is pulling Old Lady Crowley with a wheelbarrow. However, he trips and both of them go flying. He lands on Pete while Old Lady Crowley opens up the umbrella she had, floating towards the thistle bushes.

"This is why Crowley works alone..."

"Maybe it's time someone else took charge," Harmony stands up, sweeping her hands. She raises them slightly to create a wagon made of black rocks.

"Cool! But...we don't have a horse," Catalina looks up at her.

"That's where all of his training comes in," She smirks towards Pete. "If I angle this right, I can free his legs."

* * *

Rapunzel looks up from the map to see the teams now in close proximity of each other, or at least, most of them. "Okay Feldspar, we will never catch them on foot." Feldspar sits down, some of his items falling onto the grass. "Time for a new tactic. Ugh, think, Rapunzel. Think, think, think..." She eyes the various objects on the ground.

"What did you say was in your bag?"

He stares at her in confusion, wondering where she's going with this.

"And so, goes the legend of the wise man's dummy," Xavier recites as they've taken Stan and Kiera's abandoned boat. Varian's paddling when Rapunzel and Feldspar speed past them.

"Where'd they come from?! How are they moving so fast?"

Rapunzel is on skates, holding the map as Feldspar is holding onto her unbraided hair. "I've never felt so aliveeeeeeee!" He exclaims in excitement.

"Wait," Varian inspects the duo closer. "She has a map. HEY! You're cheating!" He suddenly falls out of the boat, Daisy looking on in concern for his safety. Suddenly, he scrambles back into the boat.

"Using a map is cheating indeed." Daisy agrees with Xavier in anger, chirping as she shakes a winged fist towards the two. "Which reminds me of the legend of the Cheating Willows-"

"Enough with the legends!" Varian shouts out of frustration, padding the rest of the way with his hand.

Another bluebird has landed on Pete as Feldspar and Rapunzel skate right past them. "If only my mother could see me now!"

"Huh? Wait, she has a map! Well, two can play at that game!"

"You have a map?" Catalina asks him as he's not even moving his feet, he has skates on his feet like Rapunzel. Harmony is guiding them up in front.

"No, I do not..."

"It's okay, buddy," Shorty pats him on the shoulder.

"I can't believe my own sister would cheat! And all of this was her own idea," Harmony narrows her eyes.

Ruddiger is creating yet another trap for the other animal team, rubbing his hands together. He's made a hole, having covered it with sticks. He runs off to go hide behind a tree, Max and Pascal running right over it. He looks on in disdain before Rapunzel and Feldspar skate over it.

"Faster! Faster!"

The raccoon looks at the trap, steps on it...and falls into the hole. Hamuel falls into it as well, with a beehive. Both of them get stung.

"I'm free as a bird...is what I would be saying, if you hadn't steered us into a tree!" Kiera exclaims at Stan, as vines have stopped them in place.

"You know, I'm starting to get why they call you Angry," He states while trying to get the vines free. Feldspar hollers as they skate on the dirt.

"You might say, I'm on a roll!"

"She's got a map!" Kiera grits her teeth.

"HEY! Cheaters!" Stan points at them.

* * *

Lance and Eugene are snoring, still in the same spot in Corona next to the café. Eugene wakes up first. "Lance!"

"Who, what, where?" Lance sits up in alarm, frosting on his face.

"Look, we have overslept. If we don't hurry, we're not gonna win that treasure!"

"Ah! Caviar Lance!" They finally get a move on.

* * *

Rapunzel sighs in relief as they've reached their destination. "Whew! This is it." She moves away the vines from the entrance and they both step inside. In the room is a bunch of tombstones on the walls, with the treasure sitting on a pedestal with the Saporian symbol on it. "We made it here first!"

"Alright, I'll block the entrance."

"HEY!"

Feldspar turns around to see everyone else arriving. "Cheaters!"

"For shame!" Xavier adds in.

"I can't believe you would do this, Rapunzel. Since when do you cheat?" Harmony looks at her sister in disapproval.

"I'll block the entrance from here," Feldspar stands behind the blonde. "If that's alright."

They all step towards the duo. "You're cheaters!" Kiera accuses them.

"Yeah, that's right!" Varian adds in angrily. "B-But you're one to talk! You stole our balloon!"

"That was well within the rules!" Stan defends himself and Kiera.

"Turn me around so I can get in on this," Shorty calls out from Pete's back. Everyone goes back to arguing.

"Stop fighting and listen!" Rapunzel calls out, the room being quiet again. "No one can take the treasure. It's cursed."

"Why should we listen to a cheater?" Stan points at her and everyone seems to agree.

"I'm not a cheater!" Rapunzel argues back, "Okay, you could make an argument that I did cheat, but it was to save your lives! It says so right here," She gestures to the map.

"What?!" Harmony snatches the map from them and reads it. "...Made to banana?"

"Hey, the girl's got the treasure!" Vlad pushes past Monty and they look to see Catalina holding it in her hands.

"No, wait, wait, wait!"

They run up to the girl, and she tosses it to Pete, the chest sticking to his body. Everyone walks up to him, determined to take it.

"Stop! Listen to me, everyone, please. It says right here if you claim that treasure, we are all doomed!" Rapunzel tells them.

"What do you mean by doomed?"

"Clarify doomed."

Eugene comes out of nowhere, rolling to a stop near Pete. "Yoink!" He snatches it from him, holding it up to Lance. Since they didn't hear Rapunzel's warning, they open it up.

"No! Eugene, don't!"

Her warning is too late as a beam of red light shoots out of the chest, going through the hole at the top of the crypt. Some people start screaming in fear as Lance punches the chest into Eugene's hands.

"What did you do?"

"Ten on the doom scale! Ten on the doom scale!" Varian exclaims as Harmony turns around.

"Look!"

She points to the Saporian symbol glowing from the pedestal where the chest was. Rapunzel and Feldspar cringe towards each other and then the tombstones nearby glow. A robed skeleton opens the door from the inside, followed by others. Feldspar and Rapunzel back away until their backs touch.

Xavier gasps sharply. "The legend is true! The undead protectors of Herz Der Sonne's treasure have risen!"

"What?!" Varian asks in a panic. "You know, next time, lead with the—the high-doom ratio legend!"

"Eugene, put the lid back on," Rapunzel tells him. He does so, but this doesn't change anything. His eyes widen as the skeletons advance towards them. "We have to put it back where it belongs!" She undoes her hair, throwing it at a skeleton. It runs up and grabs her, tossing her towards Stan, Monty, and Vlad. Harmony spins around, tossing a rope made of moonlight at it. She catches the skeleton, who grabs the rope and pulls her onto the ground.

Eugene makes a run for the altar, only for a skeleton to stop him in his path. He tries punching it, and the boned hand catches it. He uses Eugene's fist to punch the former thief himself in the face.

"Whoa! I pack quite a punch."

The skeleton tosses him onto the ground, and the chest flies out of his hands.

Lance grabs one, only for the arm to come off and hit him on the head. "Ow, ow, ow! Man, this is weird." The hand tackles him onto the ground, causing him to scream.

Feldspar tries to make a break for it, but a skeleton grabs him and tackles him to the wall. "Oh please. I am but a humble shoeman!"

The skeleton throws him to the group. Rapunzel notices Eugene and Lance running off as Harmony slides past a skeleton, landing in front of the others.

"So much for bringing the kingdom together..."

"What do we do?" Harmony glances over her shoulder to look at her sister.

Rapunzel beams at the chest nearby. "It is not too late to do that, Feldspar," She turns him around so that he's standing up. "We are getting out of this, together. Everyone!"

They gather around in a huddle. "Our only chance out of this is to put that treasure back on its altar. So let's show these mummies what Corona spirit can do!"

"Together!" Harmony pumps a fist and they cheer, running towards the skeletons. Rapunzel jumps onto a rock as a few skeletons surround her. She takes the treasure with her hair and tosses it around above her head like a lasso. She tries to get it to the altar, but a skeleton catches it. Vlad and Monty ambush it, ramming it to the wall. The bones fall from the robe, and the two give each other a thumbs up. A few more surround the blonde, but Kiera and Stan attack the two.

Catalina takes a stick from Pete and uses that to defend herself. Rapunzel sees the chest near the end of her hair, jumping off the rock. She takes it into her hands.

"Out of the way, coming through!" She gasps up ahead. "Eugene!"

She sees him surrounded by skeletons, Harmony running up to them. She creates some black rocks to defeat them, Rapunzel smiling. Then the girl looks to Varian as he cringes at a skeleton in front of him. A tongue grabs the arm before he could strike the boy, and they both look to see that it belongs to Pascal. Max kicks away the head, which lands on Pete. Ruddiger waves his hands to Hamuel and Daisy. The crow is holding a bee hive.

He flies it into the robe while Daisy pecks away at the hands. The skeleton runs around in a panic, causing Varian to laugh. He turns around and sees another one.

"Ah, returned from the grave, I see," Xavier speaks up. "Much like the mummy of Questiana," The skeleton looks bored from the story. "Or so the story goes." Varian takes Harmony's hand and walks off. "You see, there once was a mummy who..."

The skeleton literally drops dead from it.

"You didn't bring your weapons?" Varian asks his girlfriend in exasperation as two more skeletons appear in front of them.

"Didn't think I would be fighting skeletons today, so no," She retorts back, defeating them with black rocks.

"Okay Feldspar, time to separate the steel-toed boots from the galoshes!" He looks towards the boat that Xavier and Varian had. He beams at it, getting an idea. He lets out a yell as he places it down on the rock. Then he grabs Rapunzel and places her on one end.

"Feldspar, what are you doing?" She asks in confusion as he takes off his backpack, holding it in his hands.

"Oh Princess Harmony!"

She raises a brow as she walks over. "How am I on angle?"

She looks over to the altar and then the boat, beaming. She realizes what he's gonna do. "Perfect!"

"Princess, need a lift?"

Rapunzel smiles as she realizes what he's doing. "Feldspar-"

He drops the bag and she goes flying. "You're a genius!" She finishes as she lands in front of the altar. She holds it over the stone and slowly places it back where it belongs. The Saporian symbol glows as the red beam of light hits the crypt. All of the skeletons go back into their tombs and the sun shines in the crypt again.

Everyone cheers for their victory. "We did it!"

"I did it. Alright, we did it. But I did it mostly," Feldspar adds in with a grin.

* * *

Everyone starts to leave as Stan pulls Shorty off Pete, who's still covered in sap. "Not bad for a big, dopey guard," Kiera comments as she and Catalina walk past.

Stan chuckles a little. "Aw, thanks. You know—wait a minute..."

Xavier walks past Varian, who's leaning against the doorway. "Good job, Xavier," He speaks up, his hands behind his back with a smile.

"Yes, you too, Varian."

"You know what? Hey, Xaves? I-I just realized something. You, uh, you never finished the legend of the Cheating Willows." After all that's happened today...he suddenly wanted to know more.

"Really?" Xavier looks excited. "Well, it is a rather long story."

"I got time...if that's okay with you," Varian glances to Harmony, who walks up to them.

"It's fine with me," She smiles, kissing his cheek. "Go on," She pushes him towards the blacksmith, the two smiling.

"Hmm," Xavier guides him away. "The Cheating Willows is a story that begins with..."

Rapunzel joins her sister's side, smiling softly at the sight.

"Well, after this whole adventure, I definitely learned something today," Harmony places her hands on her hips.

"That making a new friend isn't that bad?" Rapunzel smiles hopefully.

"No; that I need to learn Saporian from Feldspar."

Both of them let out a small laugh, the blonde placing a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Listen, I'm sorry I cheated. When he told me what it really said, I panicked...I thought the whole kingdom, and you, would get hurt...I put you in danger."

"...Eh, couldn't really say you did," Harmony shrugs, getting a wide-eyed look from Rapunzel. "I think we've been in far worse situations than this one. And besides, we've dealt with the living dead before anyway."

"True," Rapunzel hums slightly. "So am I forgiven?"

"Rapunzel, no matter what you do, you'll always be my sister. You have a reason for everything. I think I only overreacted because of the race, honestly," Harmony rubs the back of her neck. "Even if a solution is downright crazy...I trust you."

The older sister smiles, placing a hand on her sister's back as they walk away together.

* * *

"And so, it is our honor to present to you, our brand new throne room," Rapunzel states as she and Harmony cut the rope. Everyone enters to see all the hard work they did together. "Well, the treasure hunt didn't go quite how I planned, but it did bring everyone together."

"Ah...even if I never got to meet..." Lance sniffles a little. "Caviar Lance, it was still exciting."

"You know, Sunshine, I think it all kinda turned out well for everyone," Eugene puts an arm around her.

"...Oh no!" Harmony suddenly holds her hair in a panic. "Guys, we forgot Old Lady Crowley!"

They all gasp sharply, taking off into a run.

"Is anybody there?" Old Lady Crowley calls out from the thistle bushes. "Hello?"

* * *

"Where are we?" Harmony asks as Rapunzel is standing in front of double doors. Everyone surrounds the two. "And why do I have to be blinded?"

"Crown Princess Harmony...you may enter."

Eugene and Lance open up the doors, and her sister removes her hands. Harmony gasps sharply at the sight in front of her.

It's an extremely large room with a high roof, white walls, and roof. The doors behind her are cream colored. There's a big globe, an inventor's desk, some paintings by Rapunzel, a magnificent array of machines, thousands of selves, some carpets, and a few chairs on the marble floor. Blueprints are in some of the shelves with an elevator that has a pulley at the top which leads to the second floor. There are also a few ladders and bouncy goops. There are two long windows with white curtains made of sheer material. There are some stone gargoyles around.

"This is amazing!" Harmony comments as she steps further inside. "Is this the new library?"

Everyone laughs at her question, confusing her.

"Nope!" Rapunzel places her hands on her hips. "Say hello to your new lab!"

"Lab...?" Harmony blinks slowly, unsure if she heard that right. "My-my lab? All of this is my new lab?!"

"Yup. Lance and I stumbled upon on it once," Eugene smirks, crossing his arms. "A secret passageway led us here, and then I found out from Nigel that this room's been abandoned for a while!"

"You have done so much for our kingdom, Princess," Xavier gestures to everyone in the room.

"All of us helped," Kiera smiles proudly.

"We thought we could return the favor," Monty winks at her.

"Do you like it?" Catalina asks, but Harmony is already looking at everything.

"You guys!" She laughs happily. "I get my own lab, I get my own lab, I get my own lab!"

"I think she likes it," Lance smiles slightly, crossing his arms. Harmony turns to the teenage boy.

"You knew about this!" She gasps slightly, hugging him.

"I did," He chuckles at the girl. "You won't ever have to worry about storage again! And there's space for you to take a load off if you want to," He gestures to two comfy chairs in front of a fireplace on both floors.

"Thank you," She pecks his cheek. "Thank you, everyone! Go on and take a look around!"

Harmony runs off to go see the shelves.

"I'm glad she's happy," Varian smiles at the sight, Rapunzel joining his side and grinning herself.

"Me too. Varian, thank you for being there for my sister," She places a gentle hand on his back. "She's gonna need it, and all this space for her inventions."

"No problem," Varian grins up at her. "Anything to make Mona happy."


	56. No Time Like the Past

**Angel: Wow, didn't think I'd get two reviews about Varian's mother's name XD Just so you guys know, I did not make up that name. That name was from the wiki of the show before they took it off for some reason. Maybe they just decided to leave it off, but I saw her name from that page probably about two months ago. And so I just decided to leave it as Scarlett instead of coming up like a different one. But shout out to anyone else named Scarlett or who remembered that her name is Scarlett XD**

**Just for guests to know, I allow votes for my poll on reviews XD So far I only have ten votes. Rise of the Guardians is in the lead!**

**This episode is one of the reasons why I didn't give Harmony the moonstone. No need to tell you the details. Just read XD**

"Alright Eugene," Rapunzel and Harmony meet him in front of a hallway in the guards' area. "Agenda us." Lance and Varian join their side.

"Okie dokie, we're gonna start off with what promises to be tons of fun. The Semi-Annual Wheat Crop Report."

Rapunzel holds up a paper. "Already reviewed. And I know you were kidding, but believe it or not, it was fun."

"Varian was a big help too," Harmony smiles sweetly at her boyfriend and he returns the sentiment.

"Next, you've gotta approve the design for the castle's new footbridge."

"Did it this morning," Rapunzel hands him a scroll. "And while I was at it, I designed a few more footbridges, or would it be feetbridge...?"

"Footbridges, definitely. And I also approved the design for a new library," Harmony smiles, and they hear the shocked noises of Eugene.

"What? I'm used to getting a lot done by 7:15," Rapunzel explains to the former thief.

"And I have a lot of experience since...well, you know," Harmony shrugs lightly.

"How about breakfast?" Lance smiles as he sees a maid walking past with a plate of croissants.

"Breakfast? I eat motivation for breakfast." She smirks and Pascal gets a croissant for her. "Well, and cherry croissants. Thanks Pascal."

"I prefer a nice apple," Varian replies as he holds one out to Harmony. She takes it into her hands and has a bite.

"Being a crown princess gives me a lot of multi-tasking during the day," She muffles from the bite.

"You know, I gotta say, girls, even I-" Eugene screams at the punching dummy with his face painted onto it.

"Cass' sparring dummy?" Rapunzel eyes it closely.

"Oh, that's rich. Cass isn't even here and she still finds a way to annoy me," Eugene deadpans, the three looking up ahead to see all of Cass' things in the hall in front of them.

"Mrs. Crowley, what are you doing with Cassandra's things?" Rapunzel asks defensively.

"Meh. She's gone, so now it's junk," She takes a guard's helmet in her hand.

"Now, just a minute. I have faith that Cass will return, so...kindly put her things back where you found them."

"Sure. While I'm at it, are there any beds you want me to unmake? Or trash that needs to be brought back in, your highness?" She replies sarcastically.

"No, no, I guess I'll just do it..." The blonde pouts in defeat, realizing how much time the woman must've spent taking it out of the room.

"Help yourself," She hands Rapunzel the helmet. "I'm on my break. The rest of her stuff is in the storage vault."

The acting queen frowns at the helmet in her hands.

* * *

In the storage room, Rapunzel tosses a book to Lance, and then a few other things which he thankfully catches.

"Cass' stuff has gotta be here somewhere...aha!" She steps forward and moves away a frame that has the Corona symbol. A weird hourglass with two different colors of sand is touched, and it glows for a brief few moments.

Rapunzel opens up the chest and sighs. "It's Cass' things, alright...Look, her shield, her mace...oh, her lucky halberd head."

"Look, I know you love Cass, and I can totally understand why you'd want her back in your life. But don't forget that she betrayed you and Brownie," Eugene tells her, both sisters tensing up.

"She's still a friend..."

"I just don't wanna see you get hurt anymore, that's all. It's time to put yourselves first and let her go."

"Oh no," Harmony winces at this statement.

"He didn't," Varian sighs at this.

"Eugene, friends don't leave friends behind. Okay? I need you to understand that," Rapunzel defends, staring at him in the eye.

"Rapunzel...she's the one who left _you_."

Rapunzel stays silent, and the two teens could just feel the tension between the two.

"Hey!" Lance decides to break the silence, holding up a target with Eugene's face on it. "Look what I found. Ha, for once, they even got your nose right. Not to mention that this..." He looks forward at the couple. "Is so very awkward," He ducks away, the two teens stepping back.

"It's okay, guys," Rapunzel turns to them. She places down the crate and things from the other side of the wheelbarrow go flying.

"I-I got it, I got it." The rest rush off to help, and they don't notice the strange hourglass falling into the crate. Rapunzel looks at the goblets that fell.

"I think I'm gonna go outside, get some air," Rapunzel walks off with the crate. "And reorganize this stuff."

She walks past Eugene without a word, and he earns a glare from Harmony. "...I was too hard on her, wasn't I?"

"Ya think?!" She flicks his ear, hands on her hips. "Eugene...I don't exactly like the fact that she turned against us either, but my sister doesn't want to believe that Cass is gone forever. That's just who she is, and I don't blame her. I want Cass back too...but understand it from Rapunzel's perspective. She lost a friend..."

And with that, she follows after her sister with Daisy, who narrows her eyes at Eugene. He frowns sadly, realizing that he might've gone too far.

* * *

The two sisters and pets are sitting near the café. The older sister sighs. "I remember painting this, guys..." She holds up the framed picture that Cass had in her room of the two women with one arm around each other. Harmony is between them with a big smile, Eugene's part partially ripped off. "All these things have their own story..."

She looks at the Owl plush and finally notices the hourglass. "Wait, what's this? Mm? This isn't Cassandra's. Do you recognize it, Harmi?"

"No..." Harmony eyes it and it starts to glow purple.

"Whoa!" Rapunzel drops it and it breaks, emitting blue and purple smoke. "Harmi!"

"Rapunzel!"

The smoke clears and Harmony is suddenly gone. "Ugh. Well, I can't say that wasn't weird. Wait, where's Harmi?" Rapunzel looks around for her sister, gasping at the sight in front of her.

Harmony's dress is on the floor, but it seems to cover something up. And the teenage girl is nowhere to be seen.

"Why is my dress bigger than me?" A child-like voice asks as something wiggles around inside the dress. Once she peeks out from the skirt, she looks up at Rapunzel. The blonde queen, Pascal, and Daisy all look at her wide-eyed, mouths dropped. "Why are you so tall? And why are you guys looking at me like that?"

"Umm..." Rapunzel glances away, unsure of how to say this. She gets out of the dress. "Little sis...I think you should see this...well, you," She grabs a nearby water bucket that just happens to be laying around and hands it to the girl.

"Why? What's..." She looks into the water bucket and sees her reflection. She drops it, gasping sharply and patting down her body. The water spills onto the street, but that's the least of her problems. Harmony is in her dress, but a smaller size as she is now at least 6 years old. Her hair is at medium length, stopping at her shoulders. It's in the same style that she has currently as her older self, and she's at least half Rapunzel's height.

"I'm-I'm...look at me! How did this happen? Why did this happen?" She holds her hair.

"Thief!"

A voice calls out from the jewelry store nearby as two people in cloaks slide out the entrance.

"Hey, careful! That egg's priceless!"

"Come on, Burnsie, you're gonna get us caught!" The one with a diamond in hand pushes Rapunzel.

"What?"

"Go, go, go, go! Oh, nice job kidnapping the princess!" He smirks at the little girl, who stares at them in confusion.

"Who's Burnsy? And I didn't-"

The boy pulls them forward into the alley. "Stop! Thieves!" The shopkeeper calls out, the guards chasing after them.

They stop in the alley, looking up ahead to see the guards run past. "Now just hold on! Okay?" Rapunzel stands up, dusting herself off. Harmony gets onto her feet. "You had better tell me who you are right-" Her eyes widen as they removes the cloaks. "Now...?"

Harmony's mouth goes wide open as they're looking at a teenage Eugene! He has pimples, and his hair is in a ponytail, but it's definitely him.

"Uhh, w-w-what are you staring at, Burnsie?" He glances to a teenage Lance, who has a mustache growing and no hair.

"Am I finally growing facial hair?" Lance rubs his chin.

A horse whinnies and they get out of their stupor to see a white teenage horse behind them, snorting. He chases after the group.

"Oh, not him again," Eugene takes Rapunzel's hand and runs off. Lance grabs the little girl and throws her over his shoulder.

"Put me down!" The girl hits his back repeatedly.

"Lance, apple pie!" Eugene calls out as they turn the corner.

With one hand, Lance tosses apples into the alley. "Oh yeah."

The horse trips on them and falls, followed by the other guards. He takes a bite from the apple.

"Quick, in here!"

They hide in a costume shop, the two teen thieves throwing off their cloaks. They find hiding spots as the guards run past the shop. The horse lingers for a moment before running after them. Eugene sighs in relief, laughing at the blue diamond-encrusted egg in his hands.

"No more gruel for us!" He kisses it. "Tonight, we eat lobster! Not to mention, we'll finally be able to pay off the Baron!"

Their mouths go wide as they blink. "This is crazy! A young Lance and Eugene? It can't be!"

"Who's the man?" Eugene admires himself in a mirror. "You're the man!" He chuckles, adjusting his hair doing...something with his lip.

"Uh, what is wrong with your face?" Lance joins his side.

"I-It's just a little something I've been cooking up. I call it...the blaze."

"Blaze?" Lance laughs it off. "That's barely a smolder."

"Yep, that's them, alright," Rapunzel sighs a bit. "And either they found the fountain of youth, or..." She turns around and sees...a missing poster for herself. "Pascal! Harmi, Daisy! That's the poster from when I went missing! We just went back in time..."

"What?!" Harmony whispers in alarm, looking at herself. "But why did I change into a kid?"

"Wait..." Rapunzel rubs her chin. "It's because you weren't born yet when I disappeared! So...this is well after Gothel took me!"

"And because we're in the past, I'm 6 years old here..."

"Aww, look at you being all eloquent with your speaking," Rapunzel bends down to her, cooing. "I just wanna tickle you and eat you up!" She leans forward and starts tickling the girl.

"No, stop!" Harmony giggles, falling onto the floor and wiggling around. Rapunzel just continues, smiling. "Raps, you're embarrassing me!"

"Sorry," The older sister stands up. "You're just so cute!"

Luckily, Eugene and Lance weren't paying attention to notice or hear them. "But why do they seem to know us...? They keep calling me Burns-" She looks at the window and sees herself as the young Sideburns, while Pascal is the young Patchy. Rapunzel gasps, Pascal falling off her shoulder in surprise. Harmony squeaks in absolute shock at the reflection, covering her mouth with her hands. Daisy flaps her wings in alarm.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" Sideburns, in his form, is panicking as Rapunzel.

"Burnsie, shh! Keep it down!" Eugene tackles the duo onto the floor.

"I heard something this way!" A guard runs off in the other direction.

"Okay, so apparently, we're trapped in the bodies of the teenage Stabbingtons?!" Rapunzel whispers to her sister. Pascal shrugs at her. "I don't know, for now, we...go with it? And try to remain calm till we can figure out what's happening."

"I think it's because time would be greatly affected if it was you, but younger. That must be why Daisy didn't change and why I'm not in someone else's body. This is just great," Harmony pinches her nose. "We have to make sure no one sees me and thinks that you kidnapped me. Papa might increase security if he knows I'm gone at this point."

"Hmm...aha!" Rapunzel sees a black cloak for a child, which isn't that impossible since they're in a clothing store. She leaves the money for it on a table and drapes it over Harmony's body. She then puts the hoodie over her hair. "Wear this...even though you do look adorable!"

Harmony pouts as Rapunzel adjusts the cloak so that it's snug. "I'm supposed to be in hiding, stop calling me cute..."

"We know you boys are in there!" A guard calls out from outside the window. "We have the building surrounded!"

"Alright, nobody panic, we can get out of this if we all work together..." Rapunzel finds herself alone with the three. "Great, they ditched us."

"They never liked the Stabbingtons, did they?" Harmony rolls her eyes. The guards storm in, Harmony making sure to cover her head.

"Where are the other two?" The guards surround them, pulling the little girl away.

"Uh, to be honest, I don't even know where I am right now, so-"

A guard pulls her up, and she's reminded by the mirror in front of her that she's somebody else.

"Take these wise guys to the wagon. We'll find the others. The little girl needs to be taken back home." One of them snatches up Harmony into his arms and walks off.

Eugene and Lance are actually hiding as displays, wearing dresses.

"Ah, the old mannequin shenanigans. Works every time," Eugene smirks, fist-bumping Lance. They then share a secret handshake.

"You think we should, uh, help with the Stabbies?"

"You know the rule, Lance. Every man for himself. Besides, I'm sure they're fine...true, they took our hostage, but we'll get her back!" Eugene waves it off as they fist bump, walking off in the dresses.

* * *

The little girl herself is standing near the prison caravan while the guards are trying to figure out where her 'home' is. Thankfully, they haven't noticed that she's actually the young princess who's supposed to be in the castle. And it seems that her dad hasn't noticed that she's gone...either that or no one's checked in on her for the past hour or so.

Daisy sees something and gets the girl's attention, chirping as she lightly tugs on her hair. Harmony turns around and gasps, seeing a familiar kid. And she knows that it's him, because of what happened at the House of Yesterday's Tomorrow with that spinning top. She'd know that outfit anywhere.

"Vari!"

He walks up to the caravan, seeing Patchy, or Pascal, hit his head against the bars. Harmony pulls her hoodie over her head so that he doesn't see her. Varian watches them with that emo look still on his face like it was when he was a kid the first time. He licks his lollipop and starts to leave.

It's surprising that he's seemingly all alone at the age he is, but then again, he's responsible…

Lance peeks around the corner as he was looking for the princess (he needed his get-out-of-jail free card), and notices the boy. Then he comes out of hiding and snatches the lollipop right out of Varian's hands, running off.

Harmony gasps at the action as the little Varian stands there, looking at his empty hand. His eyes fill with tears as he starts crying. Harmony clenches an angry fist, running after Lance, who's not too far away from the boy. She leaps into the air and kicks him in the head, knocking him onto the ground. She holds out a hand and catches the lollipop. Varian, who had seen all of this, could only stare.

She huffs towards Lance and walks back up to the boy. He's still looking at her as she places the lollipop in his hand. "Here."

Varian blinks and finally notices her, the tears drying up. He drops the lollipop in shock for what she did. "Wow..." He murmurs in awe of her.

"Umm..." She feels very awkward now since she knows that it's him, and yet she's talking to her boyfriend in the past...

"H-Hi," He stammers at her and she rubs her arm.

"Hi."

"Umm..." He glances around, trying to figure out what to say. His heart beats a little and despite his young age, he's smart enough to know what's going on with him. He knew what this was, and that he wants to say something to her. He just can't find the right words…

His eyes land on the lollipop on the ground and he picks it up. "Like butterscotch?"

She giggles at him, easing up a bit. He's her boyfriend in the present; she should be able to talk to him. After all, she's seen him as a child before...

"I'm Varian," He introduces himself.

"I'm Harmony," She realizes what she said and covers her mouth with her hands. "Oops."

_Dang it, Harmony! Time travel was supposed to be less complicated!_

His eyes blink rapidly as he inspects her closer. A look of realization hits his face. "Princess H-"

She covers his mouth before he could finish, shushing him. She looks around rapidly, and thankfully, no one heard him. She lets go of him. "I'm only out here to be out of the castle for a change," In actuality, she's just trying to get home, well, the right time, but she figured that'd be the only reason why she's in town. "You can't tell anyone! Pinky swear!"

"Okay Mona," He smiles sweetly, holding out his pinky. She blushes at the nickname and locks pinkies with him. She's heard it a lot of times, but this time felt different. Maybe because of the fact that they're talking to each other at a young age—notably younger than when they first met, that is.

"Umm..." Varian digs around in his pocket, holding out a piece of un-melted dark chocolate. "Here. Uncle Monty gave me some chocolate, and I heard that you like chocolate too!"

He didn't really know if she did, but it was chocolate. No kid would turn that down.

"Thank you!" She takes it into her tiny little hands and has a bite. "Nom!"

"Aww. So cute," Rapunzel clasps her hands together at the moment. To her, it was like the two were in school, if Harmony had attended.

"Why are you hanging around these two for?" Varian looks up to Rapunzel and Pascal, or in his eyes, the teen Stabbingtons.

"It's a long story that you'll hear about in 10 years," She states to his confusion.

"Huh?" He raises a brow, wondering what that meant.

"You'll understand! Here's something to remember me by," She leans in and kisses his cheek. "Mwah."

Varian's face turns red at the contact and he literally faints right in front of her. She bites her lip, feeling bad.

"It was the only way I knew how to get him from asking further..." She rubs her neck.

"As adorable as that was, why did you tell him your name?" Rapunzel stares at her, slightly not pleased by that.

"I panicked!" Harmony hisses quietly as she turns around to her. "Remember that I'm a six-year-old. Anything could come out of my mouth." She sighs slightly, looking around for something. "He needs a new lollipop, where are my coins?"

She finally catches sight of them...rolling away. She looks at her bag that has a hole in it and sighs. Harmony reluctantly looks up at Rapunzel.

"C-Can I have some money?"

"Aww. Of course you can!" Rapunzel smiles as she slides forward to the bars. Harmony cups her hands together, holding them out to the bars. She places the coins into the tiny hands and watches the girl rush off to Monty's shop. "I know we're in a crazy situation right now, guys..." She looks to Pascal and Daisy. "But sometimes I wish that I could have seen her like this more...and that we could have been like this when she was younger..."

The two pets look to where Harmony left, feeling sympathetic for the two sisters. Neither of them got to see the other grow up because of their...drastically different and yet somewhat similar childhoods. Pascal tries to get out again, to no avail.

"Relax, okay? Breathe. I can get us out of this. I am well-versed in Corona laws, so, hm...we'll probably only be detained for a night."

"You two scrubs are wanted in all seven kingdoms!" The Captain speaks up, and they look towards him. "You're going away for a long time..." He locks the door and leaves, to Rapunzel's dismay. Harmony returns to the caravan and leaves the lollipop into Varian's hands.

"Hopefully us being here won't dramatically change the future," Harmony sighs, crossing her arms.

"That can happen?" Rapunzel asks in surprise.

"Put it this way," Harmony starts off. "If anything life-changing happens here..."

"Then our present won't be the same when we get back," Rapunzel finishes for her. "Ah, I get what you're saying. But you do still look adorable!"

She reaches out her hands and Harmony backs away from her. "Get away from me with those fingers," She points to her sister in a warning tone. "No tickling!"

Rapunzel pouts sadly and upon seeing it, Harmony sighs lightly.

"...Okay, maybe later."

The same horse from before walks towards Pete and Stan. Surprisingly, Pete has the mustache. He nudges Stan and looks up ahead.

"Looks like somebody wants to help haul the wagon, doesn't he, Stan?"

"He sure does, Pete," Stan smiles in amusement. Rapunzel looks up as Harmony turns to the little Max. She beams at the sight.

"Max!"

Pascal smiles at him and Rapunzel crawls up to him. "Aw, teenage Max was so cute!" Rapunzel coos, but the horse just sees Sideburns' weird smile. Max disregards them and Harmony pats him on the head.

"Aww, I remember sometimes that he'd come up to my room and play with me before Daisy," She digs an apple from her cloak and hands it out to him. Max whinnies and eats it from her hand. Then he notices the blue peeking out from the sleeve, looking up at her in shock. Harmony's eyes go wide as she holds her wrist, shushing him.

"Max, please don't tell anyone that I'm here! It's a...complicated situation," She glances to the two inside the caravan. He stares up at her, a little skeptical as she clasps her hands pleadingly. Then he nods in agreement and she bends down, giving him a hug.

"Thank you!"

He whinnies happily at the contact and Rapunzel coos again. Max walks up to the two horses, ready to be mounted to the wagon.

"Aw, it's okay, Max. Maybe one day, you'll be big enough. Who knows? Maybe even a horse in the royal guard," Stan pats him on the head and Harmony rolls her eyes at the irony.

"We've gotta get back to our own time, but first we've gotta get out of here," Rapunzel glances around the caravan. "Harmi, can you use your black rocks?"

"No, that'd give me away," She turns around to her sister. "I don't think you'd want the guards to lock me up back in my room if they know I'm here. And while I can see you as Rapunzel, I don't think you can use your hair if you're in the body of Sideburns."

"Hm...I think I know what will do the trick," Rapunzel gets onto her feet. "Hey Patchy, we might be behind bars, but I'll tell you what the real crime is. That guard's mustache."

Max, Pete, and Stan turn to Sideburns. Harmony raises a brow at her sister. "You know, I'll tell you who should have a mustache? His partner. Now that guy has a stache face."

Max seems to agree as Stan turns to Pete. "I told you I should be the mustache guy!" Stan hisses to Pete.

"Nobody said you can't."

"Nah, you can't both be the mustache guy," Rapunzel smirks a little as they stand in front of her.

"You know, he's right. It's just ridiculous!"

"You're ridiculous," Pete stares at him.

"I'm sorry, but your face and the mustache, they just don't go together!"

Pete gasps sharply at this. "How dare you, I'm-"

Stan slaps his hand away and they start fighting each other, well, flinging hands at each other. Harmony pinches her nose at this as Pascal snatches the keys from Pete's waist. He runs up to the door and Rapunzel unlocks it.

"Cut it out! Ow, ow!"

They sneak out of there, Harmony running after them.

"Nice one, Rapunzel!" She winks up at her.

* * *

"Okay," They hide around a corner. "Xavier has all kinds of books on mystical stuff, so if there's a way to get back home, this is where we'll find it."

They run up to the blacksmith's shop once he's left for a break. Rapunzel makes sure no one's watching, looking at his reflection from a cauldron. He sees himself as Patchy and squeaks in fear, running off. Rapunzel's head hits something above.

"Ow! Forgot that I'm a foot taller."

"This isn't going to be easy to do if you're in somebody else's body," Harmony murmurs at her sister.

"I wonder why you can't see me as Sideburns," Rapunzel rubs her chin.

"Might have to do with the fact that we time-traveled together. I guess Daisy and I are the only ones who know that you're...well, yourselves? Even though you're technically not? Time travel is so confusing."

Pascal goes flying from a falling halberd. He and an axe land near a shelf and the chameleon falls down onto the ground holding a book. Daisy covers her eyes with her wing out of embarrassment.

Pascal looks up to see the same hourglass on a page, pointing to it. "Pascal, you genius! Okay, okay, the hourglass, blah, blah, blah, has great power, yada yada, it will send any who fall within its mist forward or backward in time ten years?!"

"Hurry up, mustache man, they went this way!"

They gasp as they hear the guards approaching. "Quick, the secret passage!" They run up to the fireplace.

"Again with the insults?" Pete asks his partner.

"How is that an insult..."

"How did he open this again...?" Rapunzel pulls on a horseshoe and they slip inside.

"I know sarcasm when I hear it!"

Harmony rolls her eyes at the two guards arguing.

"Now I see what you mean on why we're the Stabbingtons!" The two walk down the steps, the older sister walking in front. "And why you're 6! They must have been the two people closest to where we traveled through time! And you turned 16 during our trip because of your birthday!"

"October 8th. It's a blessing and a curse," Harmony smirks lightly, crossing her arms.

"So does that mean you're older or younger than Varian?"

"Well-wait, Rapunzel, focus," She stops herself.

"Right. Okay," She closes the book. "We gotta break into the castle and steal the hourglass so we can get back home, guys."

Pascal hands her a marker. "True. If we're gonna pull off a castle heist, we're gonna need some help."

"From people who can get me through the castle undetected..." Harmony crosses her arms. She already knows that if she's seen, they're done for, and there's no way they could do this on their own...

* * *

Eugene laughs as he and Lance inspect the egg. "Now that we don't have to split the profits with the Stabbingtons, I'm gonna take Stalyan out on a really fancy date!" They're hiding in a cave. "I'm talking a place with tables and napkins and utensils? You know, a nice place."

"Hello!" Rapunzel and Harmony suddenly come out of nowhere.

"W-What?!" Eugene stammers as he falls off his chair.

"Um, I mean, hello, jerks," She storms up to them like Sideburns would, and the little princess had to bite back a laugh. "We have another, um...opportunity we thought you two might be interested in."

"Nah, we're all set," Eugene stands up. "Besides, I'm surprised you came back. We left you and Ugly high and dry back there. But you did bring back our get-out-of-jail-free card, so thanks for that."

"Me and Ugl-Who's Ugly? He's not ugly, he's adorable," She pokes at Pascal's head, and the two look on as the two brothers are being weird. "Who's adorable? You are. You are, buddy, that's right, my little buddy."

Harmony clears her throat, and they turn back to the duo. "Uh, you feeling okay, Sideburns?"

"Oh, right!" Rapunzel keeps forgetting that she's not in her own body. "Nah, he's ugly. And tough. We're both tough. Nothi-nothing but a couple of tough guys over here," She punches Eugene in the arm, and the egg goes flying. Suddenly, a red one lands in his hand and Lance gasps at this.

"You told me there was only one egg!"

"There was..." Eugene hides his hands behind his back. "After I...took the first one."

"You tried to cheat Lance?" Rapunzel points at him accusingly.

"Ha! I should've known. You were always trying to cheat me, Flynn," Lance crosses his arms.

"I'm not always trying to cheat you, Lance," Eugene defends himself. "Alright, let's call it 70/30."

"You're a selfish jerk!" Lance points at his nose. "You know that?!"

"Yeah well, being a selfish jerk is how you get ahead in this world!" Eugene retorts back.

"Ohh, that's it!" Lance tackles him and they start fighting. The four could only stare, the eggs breaking.

"Lance!"

They stand up, some egg pieces on them. Eugene clears his throat. "After some spirited discourse, Lance and I have decided we'd like to partake in your opportunity as we have come into some...rather...let's call it, unfortunate financial limitations. I wonder what we could get for the princess?" Lance wipes off the glass from Eugene's head.

"Nothing," Harmony smacks his hand away. "Because I'm coming with you."

"What?! We'll get caught if they see that we have the princess!" Lance gestures to her.

"Who said we'd get caught?" Eugene replies in a cocky tone. "We'll be fine. Who knows, the kid might actually have a good time?"

"Wise choices, boys," Rapunzel lays down a map of the Corona castle.

"So what's the mark?"

"The royal vault," Rapunzel smirks a little.

"Come again?"

"You say what now?"

"Once it's dark, we'll creep in through a small crack in the curtain walls surrounding the castle. Then, we'll make our entry here," She makes an X.

"Uh, that's the guards' tower. You know, where all the _guards _hang out? We'll never be able to sneak past them!"

"We won't have to sneak past them. We're gonna sneak under them," Rapunzel elaborates and when it's nighttime, she opens up the secret tunnel.

"Wait, how do you know all this, Sideburns?" Eugene couldn't help but ask.

"Quiet, Flynn! Let the man talk," Lance tells him.

"From there, we take the west corridor."

"But that's the long way around." Lance pulls Eugene away from a goblet.

"Yes, but it's closed for cleaning at that time, so it's virtually empty."

They sneak right past Crowley, who pays no mind to them. She turns around and walks down the ladder. The face part of the helmet falls to reveal Rapunzel's eyes. She glances around as Lance and Eugene are pretending to be part of a painting. Crowley glances at them and walks off. Lance falls, bumping into a vase full of flowers. Eugene thankfully catches it in time.

"Next, we'll lower you down the walls to the vault level, so you can pick the lock."

"Flip to see who goes first? I call heads!" Eugene flips the coin and moves his hand to show the coin. "Sorry, buddy."

Lance grunts a little and Harmony narrows her eyes suspiciously. Something wasn't right about that coin. Eugene drops it and it rolls over to Pascal. He picks it up with his mouth.

"Better luck next time," Eugene chuckles as the dumbwaiter appears. He starts to roll Lance down and Pascal hands him the coin. "Picking it up with your mouth was an odd choice."

"Pst," Harmony tugs her sister's skirt, pointing to the coin. Rapunzel notices it.

"But thank you?" Eugene finishes in confusion.

"Hey, that's a double headed coin!" She snatches it from him. "You cheated Lance again, Eugene!"

Harmony's eyes widen as she looks between her and Eugene. "Rapunzel," She whispers quietly so that the teen doesn't hear her.

"Oh come on!" He waves it off. "He's fine. In fact, he's the one who gave me this coin." He gasps as he realizes something, releasing the lever. "Wait a second! How did you know my real name is Eugene?"

"Ah, I-I didn't say Eugene. I said you're mean."

"That's so not true, Burnsie," Eugene crosses his arms and they hear Lance crash. They peek around the corner as Max comes in, running towards them.

"Come on! Dive for it!" Rapunzel snatches Harmony and jumps, Eugene and Pascal following. Max comes into the room just as Daisy flies inside. He looks around and runs off, the others landing on top of the dumbwaiter. They crawl onto the floor. "Sorry," She starts to pull Lance up. "We had to make a quick exit."

Lance stumbles onto the ground, Harmony wincing at him. "Hey, I think you guys crashed into me and stabilized my voice," He gestures to his throat as he sounds exactly as he does now. "I sound incredible!"

"Well, in that case, you're welcome," Rapunzel pushes him away.

They run up to the vault door and Eugene picks the lock with ease. "Voila. Beauty and brawn, am I right?" He holds open the door for them.

"I don't get how either of those things helped you crack the lock."

"Just get in there," Eugene points inside, embarrassed as he hears Harmony's giggling.

"Would you look at all this stuff?" Lance asks as Rapunzel slides a ladder in front of a shelf. Harmony looks up at her.

"Where do we start?!" Eugene exclaims as Rapunzel notices something.

"Oh no, it's not here!"

"Where was it when we time-traveled...?" Harmony rubs her chin.

"Hey, what is that?" Lance points up ahead to the sundrop flower. Rapunzel stares at it.

"Oh, that's nothing," She waves it off.

"Not really worth anything anyway," Harmony scoffs towards the two.

"There's nothing here," Rapunzel slides down the ladder and notices a chest nearby. "But the kingdom's priceless treasures," She pushes the chest towards them with her foot.

"We'll take it!" They open it up eagerly.

Daisy chirps at them, pointing to Pascal. He gestures to the hourglass on a shelf. "Yes, yes, you found it!" Rapunzel whispers happily.

"Nice job, you two," Harmony smiles, kissing Daisy on the forehead. They hear something and look towards the entrance.

"You know, I am really starting to hate that horse," Eugene states as Max sniffs around outside, looking up and seeing them. His mouth opens once he sees Harmony and he charges towards the door. Eugene and Lance close it and the horse hits the door.

"Whoa! That was close. I think we're safe."

Max hits the door with his hooves. "Uh huh, sure. But one tiny thing: we're trapped in here now!" Lance tells him.

"Uh, so I guess we just move in," Eugene looks around. "It's not that bad." Max hits the door again. "It's got some nice archways, exposed brick."

Something shuffles in front of them. "Guys, get down here," Rapunzel whispers to them.

"What in the what?!" Eugene exclaims as the two crawl down a ladder into the tunnels. "Again with the secret castle stuff?!"

"Uh, let's just say I'm a history buff?" Rapunzel chuckles a little.

"And I live in this castle, thank you very much," Harmony calls out from the tunnel.

"You're only 6," Lance deadpans at her.

"Come on. And don't touch anything," Rapunzel joins her sister's side. They're going into the exact same tunnels they visited with Varian. The two follow the four inside as Max gets ready to ram the door. He slides into the room, only to land on where the secret entrance is. He huffs angrily and runs off to go get the guards and the king. This time, he thinks that they kidnapped Harmony, since she's supposed to be in bed.

They reach the end of the ladder. "What is this place?" Eugene wonders as Rapunzel hands Harmony the hourglass.

"No time for questions, boys. Just keep it moving," They run into a hallway.

"I think we lost him," Lance looks around.

"Uh, you thought wrong," Rapunzel points to her left as they can see Max's shadow.

"Hurry, this way!" The blonde leads them to the right, Harmony holding up her skirt as Lance runs through a spider web.

"Abandoned, spider webs?!" He sounds exactly the way he did before all of a sudden. "Oh no, my voice crack is back! Why is everything awful?!"

"This path feels familiar..." Rapunzel whispers to the little girl. "That silver brick springs a trap, so watch your step."

"You don't have to worry about me! I'm light on my feet," Lance brags to them from behind. "In fact, they call me the Sweet Feet Cham-" He steps on the brick regardless and a wall appears in front of them. "W-w-wait, Flynn!"

Eugene turns around and runs up to him. "Help, come help!"

He tries pulling on the bars, but they're made of steel. Max whinnies from behind as a light approaches Lance.

"Sorry, Lance," Eugene frowns a bit. "You know the rule, buddy. Every man for himself."

And with that, he leaves Lance behind. "Eugene! Wait!" Lance calls out in shock that his friend would do that to him.

The guards, Max, and the king run up to him. "How'd you little boil-brained barnacles know how to get down here?" The Captain demands.

"And secondly, who do you think has a better face for a mustache? Me or Stan?" Pete points between him and Stan.

"And where is my daughter?" Frederic demands, narrowing his eyes.

He couldn't answer two out of three, and the only one he could answer... "Mm. Stan."

"Lock him up," Pete says angrily.

* * *

Rapunzel opens up the door from the docks, crawling outside. Harmony crawls after her, hourglass in hand. "Whew, that was close. I am so winded. Sideburns really needs to...step up the cardio."

"And running in this tiny body is no easy task," Harmony coughs a bit, hands on her knees.

Eugene crawls out after them. "Wait a minute!" Rapunzel looks through the passage. "Where's Lance?"

"Uh, he, uh...sort of got a little bit arrested. B-but hey, he knows the deal. Every man for himself. That's just how it goes," He cracks his knuckles. "So let's split up the loot and, uh, get out of here."

Harmony gasps sharply at what they're hearing. "Eugene Fitzherbert!" Rapunzel shouts at him. "How could you?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Enough with the real names, Sideburns!"

Harmony points her bow and arrow at his face, narrowing her eyes. "Whoa! ...You've had that the whole time? I knew we should've tied you up!"

"Just listen to us. I know you better than you think I do. You say it's easier to walk away with the excuse ,every man for himself, but Lance? Lance is not just every man. He is a friend. He is your _best _friend. Like Harmi is mine. And friends don't leave friends behind."

"Wow, Burnsie, that was remarkably insightful, and so not like you," He looks away.

"You bet it was! And don't pull anything like that again or I will come after you," Harmony threatens him.

"And what makes you think you can, little girl?" Eugene teases her and yelps when an arrow goes flying past his head. "Got it, will take that message to heart, please don't hurt me!"

"Good boy," Harmony lowers her weapon. She takes the hourglass out of her quiver where she put it and hands it to Pascal.

"Take this to the woods and guard it with your lives," Rapunzel tells the two pets. "We'll be back soon. We've got a friend to save."

She crawls back inside, followed by Harmony. "Why are you even helping us?"

The little girl looks to Eugene, sitting on her knees. "We kidnapped you. We're thieves. You could easily tell your dad and get us executed."

"...Because my si—Sideburns has a point. You guys may have snatched me...well, in retrospect, not really, but you guys are friends. And I know how much you really care about Lance. Besides...being out in the open like this...it's what I've always wanted. Why would I put someone else's life in jeopardy just for that?"

His eyes widen at her and he watches the girl crawl after Rapunzel. He glances to Pascal and Daisy, both of them blowing a raspberry before Daisy grabs the chameleon and flies off. Eugene takes a slight breath, thinking about what the two said...

* * *

Lance and Shorty are sharing a cell. "What are you in for?" Lance turns to him.

"Oh, I didn't get arrested. I just like the food here," He licks off his finger. "Five star gruel!"

They hear clicking and turn to the girls. "Sideburns?! What are you doing here? And with the princess?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? Unfortunately, I don't know how to pick a lock."

"I don't either, but I know friendship when I see it," Harmony winks at Lance.

"Step aside, Burnsie," They turn around at the voice to hear Eugene approaching. "Let a real thief handle that."

"Flynn!" Lance shouts as the others smile. "You came back for me?"

"Ah, I guess I've got a new rule. Friends don't leave friends behind." He winks at the two.

"W-W-Wait a minute. Raise that eyebrow again. N-now, pucker those lips. Little more. More. Oops, okay, th-that's the duck face. Okay, no, right, there you go! That, Flynn Rider, is your blaze," He holds up the plate to show Eugene.

"Wow, you're right! It's exquisite. Although, I think I'm gonna call it the smolder."

Rapunzel smirks in amusement, crossing her arms. Harmony shakes her head slightly. "It's got a nice ring," Eugene fist-bumps Lance.

A whinny is heard in the distance. "Not again," Eugene runs off.

"What is it, Max? What's wrong?" Stan calls out.

"Uh, Flynn? Can you unlock me?"

"Oh, yeah! Sorry about that, buddy," Eugene unlocks the door within a second.

"Shorty, you coming?" Lance peeks into the room.

"And leave all this?" Shorty gestures to everything around him.

"Guys, come on, we gotta go!" Rapunzel cries out and they run off. Max reaches the cell with Pete and Stan.

"Shorty, what did we tell you about sneaking into prison?" Stan asks him.

"Sneak? How dare you! I just walked right in!"

Max looks up ahead and runs off. The two guards follow him.

"You first, bud," Eugene gestures to the exit.

"No, you first, I insist."

"No, I insist. You go ahead."

"Oh, I simply couldn't. You go-"

"Both of you get down here right now before I knock you into the middle of next week!" Rapunzel shouts in frustration, shocking Harmony.

"Ah, now there's the Sideburns I know!" Eugene comments and both of them try to go, bumping their heads.

"Ow!"

"Get in there," Eugene pushes Lance inside. Something stops him from moving forward. "Huh?"

Max is pulling at his coat. He screams, the end ripping from Max's mouth. They reach outside and Eugene closes the door. Max rams it open, and goes left, followed by Pete and Stan. Inside the tunnels, they try to chase after him, but the three get lost. Then Pete bumps his head against a plank.

"Ow! Who lowered that?"

The four run right past Pete and Stan.

"Halt in the name of the...oh..."

Max runs after the four.

"You know, walking is just as exciting."

The four turn a corner, the horse trailing after them. Stan and Pete walk after him in exhaustion. None of them notice the four hiding up in the ceiling, smiling towards each other. They exit into the forest.

"At last! Sweet, sweet freedom!" Lance calls out in relief. "The air smells so fresh, oh, the trees are so green!"

"Lance, you were in jail for 12 minutes!" Eugene informs his friend. Daisy flies Pascal onto a rock and he places the hourglass down. Rapunzel smiles as she takes it into her hands.

"Alright, Patches, show us what we got!" Lance rubs his hands, and she turns around to show the hourglass. "What the?! A junky sand clock?"

"Look, we promise we'll explain everything to you in about 10 years. I'm really happy we got to spend time with you as a teenager."

"Sideburns, what are you talking about?" Eugene asks as she holds it above their heads. "No, no, no!"

Rapunzel smashes it, the mist spinning everything around. "Great, you dropped it, Burnsie," They're looking at the real Stabbingtons. "If that thing had any sort of value, we could've used it to pay the Baron back!"

Sideburns drops his brother as the real young Harmony has fallen asleep. "Drop what? Where are we? We were just running away from the guards! How did we get here?"

"Don't worry, Flynn," Lance bends down to the broken hourglass. "We'll figure out how to deal with the Baron. We always do."

"That's true, buddy. Everything's a little easier with a friend by your side," Eugene smiles, placing a hand on Sideburns' shoulder. "Isn't that right, Burnsie?"

"Get your hands off me," He pushes Eugene away into Lance.

"Yeesh, this guy's dealing with some major mood swings today," Eugene rubs his arm.

"Teenagers," Lance scoffs and they hear Max behind them.

"This horse is getting to be a pain in my side..."

Max just smiles at them, seeing Harmony nearby.

"Gotta go!" The boys run off and Max can't go after them, because he has to take the little princess back home.

He nudges her slightly and she sits up, rubbing her eyes. "Max...? What happened? How did I get out of the castle...?"

The guards arrive, followed by the Captain. "Princess Harmony! Are you alright?"

"I mean, I guess..." She lets out a little yawn. "I'm tired. I wanna see Papa now..."

The Captain picks her up and starts to walk all the way back home.

* * *

"Pascal! Doesn't it feel wonderful to be back in our own skins again?" Rapunzel looks at herself in the water from the fountain. "And look at you! You're back to your adorable self! And Harmi, you're 16 again!" She hugs her sister, who smiles at her arms.

"Yeah, feels good to be myself again. Well, my current self."

Max walks up to them from behind. "Max! You are looking so grown-up today," She pets his snout and Harmony hugs him.

Eugene takes a crate into Cass' room, which is where Rapunzel finds him. "Eugene? What are you doing?"

Harmony peeks into the room, surprised to see all of Cass' things inside again.

"I'm bringing the last of Cass' things from the vault."

"But I thought you said we should leave Cassandra in the past...?" She asks slowly and he just laughs.

"Very funny. Oh wait, you're serious. Sunshine, did you forget? I'm the one who told you Crowley was trying to toss all of Cass' stuff."

"You did?" She smiles a bit, glancing to her sister, who smiles back. It seems as if their little adventure changed his perspective on things.

"Yes! I mean, look, as much as I dislike Cassandra's taste..." He cringes at the ax in his hand, putting it away. "You gotta put friends first. Especially if it's a friend like Cassandra," He places the portrait back where it belongs.

"Really?" She joins his side.

"It's like I always say. Friends don't leave friends behind."

She smiles up at him and Harmony grins. Later, she's in her lab, turning around to see Varian arriving.

"Vari!" Harmony sees him in relief.

"Mona," He smiles as she runs up to him. "I was actually just thinking about you."

"Huh? You were?" She tries to act normal since she's already seen him in the past.

"Well, the first time we really met, actually. You snuck out of the castle and you managed to somehow kick someone in the head," He chuckles at the memory, putting down a crate of tools. "And then when you gave me back my stolen lollipop, I pretty much embarrassed myself. I was so different as a kid. But...it was one of the memories I wanna remember for the rest of my life. It was because of you that I'm who I am today."

She smiles softly, pecking his lips.

"...Why were you standing there anyway?" He couldn't help but ask.

"Well...get ready for this, because I have a lot to tell you," She notices Lance walking past and narrows her eyes. "But first. Lance!"

"Hm?" He turns around, sweating at the angry look she's giving him. He had no idea if he did something, but he was scared now.

"You better apologize to Vari later for stealing his lollipop when you were a teenager!" She points at him, confusing them both.

"Huh? How did you—oh..." Lance snaps his fingers. "Because you were there! I remember now!"

"Wait, you were the one who stole my lollipop?" Varian points to the man.

"Yeah..." Lance rubs his neck awkwardly. "Sorry about that, little man."

"Oh, it's fine," Varian smiles as there doesn't seem to be any resentment coming from him. "Besides, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have met Mona for the very first time. And I could've missed out on who she really is..." He takes a hold of her hand and she smiles bashfully, her cheeks flushing.

Lance sniffles, wiping away a stray tear. "That's beautiful!"

Harmony giggles at him, turning to Varian. "Come on, I think this time you owe _me _a lollipop," She smirks playfully at Varian, who smiles. "And on the way, I'll finally tell you what happened."

She starts to tell the story as they walk off together, holding hands.

**Angel: I kind of got the discovery of Harmony from the Princess and the Frog, where Tiana is turned into a frog. This episode was definitely a favorite, because little Harmony was adorable XD And so was Varian as a kid! And yes, that was one of the reasons why I didn't give her the moonstone. I feel like this opportunity would've been missed if I had gone through with that, and it was fun to write.**


	57. Beginnings

**Angel: Thank you to Megan Guess for all of your ideas for this chapter. I managed to find and implement all of them into it XD Also, for some reason, the spacing from last chapter is being weird. I've noticed this in other chapters of my stories too. I don't leave edited episodes like that, I think it's just because of the ads that they're like that XD Rise of the Guardians is still in the lead for the poll!**

At the Dark Kingdom, pieces of the two caravans are lying around where they crashed. Two black boots step onto the planks, walking to a certain telescope. The foot kicks at a bag as it belongs to Cass, Owl flying up to her. He turns to the woman and she sees something that was miraculously intact; a painting of her, Rapunzel, Harmony, Pascal, Owl, and Daisy.

"I sense your guilt, Cassandra."

She turns to the Enchanted Girl. "After all, the two sisters were your friends, and you betrayed them. But, one could argue that they deserved it."

"Maybe..." She looks at the painting forlornly.

"Oh, yes. More than you know...for they have already taken pieces of your newfound power."

This stirs up anger in Cass as she turns around, lightly touching the moonstone.

* * *

"It's just on the other side, almost there," Rapunzel is leading a handmaiden down the secret passage. "Just a little farther."

Moths fly out, to the woman's horror. "Da da da da~!" He moves away the curtain. "Secret passage."

She takes one look at the dirty, musty, rat-infested passage and recoils back. "Uh, what does that have to do with being a lady-in-waiting?" She asks slowly.

"Well, you never know when you might need to sneak out of the castle," Rapunzel pulls her forward. "Right? Plus, it's so much fun down here."

"Oh my..." She notices a skeleton nearby. "Is that a millipede?"

Rapunzel eyes it closely. "Oh, it's a centipede, actually. But, you were only off by a few hundred pedes."

The handmaiden books it out of there. Pascal eats the centipede as the woman bumps into Eugene, Harmony, and Varian.

"Oh, whoa, whoa. Sunshine, there you are," They notice her walking into the hall. "Hey, I'm trying a new hair product today. Tell me, honestly, too stiff, or just bouncy enough?"

"Please, someone answer the question," Harmony closes her eyes pleadingly.

"Oh! Hey, get a load of this. Eugene's preening again. Huh, huh?" She leans in towards the handmaiden. "Do you wanna, uh, zing him with some sort of witty one-liner?"

Harmony and Varian glance at each other knowingly. "Uhh...I should go hem something," She moves away awkwardly.

"Oh, okay. Well, thank you, for all your help today!" Rapunzel calls out as they watch her run away. Varian holds out a complimentary muffin out for her and she takes it from the basket. "What a dud."

Harmony stares at her sister, raising a brow. "Really, Rapunzel?"

"Okay, sorry, that was harsh. I didn't mean that. Still, I don't think it's gonna work out."

"Not that!" The girl sighs at her.

"This is the fifth handmaiden we've tried out. I mean, don't you think maybe you're expecting your new lady-in-waiting to be someone she's not?" Eugene places his hands on her shoulders.

"I am not expecting her to be Cassandra," She moves away, crossing her arms.

"I never said that."

"Well good, because she's gone. And I'm over it," She keeps a glare on her face and even Harmony can tell that she's lying.

"Well, maybe you need to give the dud a little more time."

"He's right," Varian nods in agreement. "Why do you think we keep baking these muffins for them?"

"You and Cass took a little while to warm up to each other, just like you and your own sister, didn't ya?" Eugene asks the blonde.

"No," She places her hands on her hips and Harmony crosses her arms, raising a brow. "We all pretty much got along right away."

Eugene and Varian look to the young crown princess, who shakes her head in denial.

"_I can't stand her! I want out!" Cass complained to Old Lady Crowley._

_2 years ago_

"_No, you're not getting reassigned," The old woman denied._

"_Look, being a lady-in-waiting to one princess is one thing, but I did not sign up for this!" She gestured to the redecorating that Rapunzel had done in her short time of being in the castle. Her younger sister, Harmony, had returned home a few days prior and while Rapunzel had tried, she hadn't yet to appeal to the young princess._

"_Cry me a river. Listen, unless somehow a better job falls into your lap, you're stuck with the princesses."_

"_Ms. Crowley, you don't understand," Cass started off. "It's not just the painting, it's the constant singing and the ventriloquism and-"_

_One of the painted knights' armor shook behind her, a rat coming out of it. It ran right past some people and they screamed in fear._

"_Ugh, come on, it's just a rat," Cass groaned, walking up to them. _

_"Get away! Get back beneath the castle!"_

_They ran right past Rapunzel and Pascal. She peeked from the doorway as Cass picked up the rat into her hands. "Let's go, little guy." Rapunzel watched as she opened the window and fist-fingered the rat, which left._

"_See that, Pascal? I told you she had a good heart. Harmony, Cass, and I are gonna be best friends yet!" She tripped and fell onto the floor. Cass saw her and she waved with a smile. "Hi."_

_Cass sighed, rolling her eyes. She glanced to the hallway behind the brunette to see her younger sister walking past, reading one of her books for her lessons._

"_Sister," She stepped up from behind and saw her on the floor. "Mother has asked me to help you learn about how to act."_

"_Oh, well, we can always do that later!" Rapunzel stood up. "You've only been back for a few days. How about we do something fun together?"_

"_Perhaps teaching you about what forks to eat with?" Harmony held up the book._

"_Um...I was thinking..."_

* * *

"_Tada!" Rapunzel held up a needlepoint she made of Cass, Pascal beaming nearby. The banana for the mouth fell off and Pascal put it back into place._

"_Why?" Cass asked after a few seconds._

"_I can't help but feel like all of us aren't exactly...hitting it off? I mean, you are a great lady-in-waiting to us, but why can't we all be great friends, huh? Hence, ta da!"_

_Cass gave an annoyed look. "Okay, not a fruit fan. Now I know you're gonna love this one," She moved away a curtain to reveal make-shift statues of the two, even though they looked ridiculous. "Hmm?"_

_Harmony signed nearby, pinching her nose. "What about it? It's us, we're-"_

"_Smiling, yeah," Cass deadpanned at her. "There is no way that is going in my room." She walked off._

"_See? Told you we shouldn't have made it so big!"_

_Pascal just shrugged, Daisy rolling her eyes at him. "I must take my leave now," Harmony curtsied to her sister and started to leave._

"_Uh, Harmony? You don't need to do that every single time, you know," Rapunzel called out, the girl looking over her shoulder._

"_I am a princess. I do what I must to show respect," She closed her eyes, shutting the door behind her._

* * *

"_Why is it so important to you, oh right there on the temples, to be friends with Cassandra, anyway?" Eugene asked the brown-haired princess as she paced in front of him. "And you're trying too hard with Harmony. She doesn't seem like the type to hang out."_

"_Because they're...real. Eugene, I spent 18 years of my life with someone who lied to my face. And here's Cassandra and Harmony, sure, yes," She removed the cucumbers from his face. "Cass may be rough around the edges, but she's forthright and honest and just-"_

"_We're still talking about Cassandra, right?" He asked, getting a look in return. "Okay, okay."_

"_I know what a lot of people have said about Harmony: that she's evil, dangerous, and not friendly, but what I see is a teenage girl that is smart, kind, and really loves Corona."_

"_Ooh, that feels great, but could you give us a second, thanks?" The man moved away from him to give them a moment. "What about bonding activities? You know what, my friends and I used to bond over the jobs we pulled. Oh ho ho ho, man! This one time, we stole-"_

_Frederic cleared his throat as he, Arianna, and Harmony were now in the room. "The show! With our dance number! No joke. It—it was soft shoe, it brought the crowd to tears. I could do a little bit for you if you'd like. You a fan of the soft...Zapato?" He noticed the king's glare. He stepped back into his chair._

_Rapunzel got onto her feet. "Rapunzel, Harmony, an official princess event is upon us! The Contest of the Crowns!" He announced to his daughters._

"_Contest of the Crowns? Are you kidding? That's great!" She smiled happily. "I can't believe it, the Contest of the Crowns! The Contest of the Crown...what is the Contest of the Crowns?"_

"_It's a friendly competition between the princesses of the seven kingdoms," Arianna told her._

"_What are we competing in?" Rapunzel asked curiously._

"_Well, we don't know yet. You see, it's up to each queen to select an event."_

"_And the most important part, you'll need a partner for the competition," Frederic stated, glancing to Harmony. "And both of you will be competing for Corona."_

"_Father, that seems a bit unfair," Harmony raised a brow._

"_Yes, but it's the first one you two will be participating in!" He smiled, putting an arm around her shoulder. "You may choose your sister or someone else if you'd like, Rapunzel."_

"_Hmm, a partner, huh?" Rapunzel tapped her chin as she got an idea._

* * *

"_Are you sure you don't wanna ask somebody else to be your partner?" Cass asked as she sewed up Rapunzel's sleeve from her dress. "Eugene? Old Lady Crowley? Your sister? ...That fern?"_

"_Cass, this is a great opportunity to become better friends!" Rapunzel exclaimed in excitement. "I have all the time in the world to spend with Harmony, and besides, they're holding an event for her to find a partner."_

"_Listen, I have my job to do, and you have yours. We can be partners if you want, but a lady-in-waiting and a princess becoming friends?" She walked off with her knitting supplies, laughing. "That's like a one-in-a-million chance." And with that, she closed the door._

"_Wow, did you hear that, Pascal? One in a million?"_

_Pascal squeaked at her encouragingly. "I know! It means there's a chance!"_

* * *

_Inside a cottage from Old Corona, a young boy was building a helmet. He looked up at the path in front of his window that led to the castle. He thought about the young princess of their kingdom, and why he was doing this. He had started to like her for a few months now, but had never actually met her. Of course, that was only because she had been raised in the castle with no human contact to the town. He felt bad for how she was raised, not unlike him._

_So when he had heard that this girl was evil, he didn't really believe in that. There was more to her than what everyone else was saying...despite what he had heard, he still thought that she was a good person. After all, she never used her power, and because her sister had cut off her magical hair, her powers had since been inactive. She was beautiful, and sure that she was just a girl that needed a friend..._

_And a partner._

_He already knew that no one would partner with her because of her past...powerfulness. But he hoped that she would choose him and that he would finally get to meet her...know her better..._

_He just had to make sure that she didn't know his real identity. If he went down there as himself, she would never pay any attention to him. He was a poor boy from a village, and she was the princess of his home._

"_Here we go…" He took a deep breath, putting on the mask._

* * *

"_People of Corona," Frederic announced to the people in front of the castle doors. "As you know, the Contest of Crowns is upon us. However, Princess Harmony shall require a partner. If you wish to be in the contest with the princess, step up now."_

_Everyone inched away from the stage, Harmony shaking her head. She should have expected that reaction: they were still not used to her and her power, and it seemed as if that affected their decision..._

"_Father...perhaps I should withdraw from the competition," She spoke up. She knew better than anyone that no one would be her partner for this. Which was why she had a bit of doubt ever since this started. She could just not compete and support her sister from the crowd._

"_Well...if that's how it must be, then-"_

"_I volunteer!"_

_Their eyes widened at the voice as a boy stumbled past the crowd. He was wearing a black and gray coat and a gray bauta, which brought out his light blue eyes. He crawled onto the stage, standing in front of the princess._

_He cleared his throat awkwardly, bowing to her. "I would be honored to be your partner, Princess Harmony."_

"_Erm..." She noticed his mask, eyeing him closely. He sweated a little. "I do not believe I have ever seen you before, uh..."_

"_Oh! Um," He glanced around, "Ruddiger. My name is Ruddiger!"_

"_Ruddiger...well, then may we prevail in the contest," She curtsied to him._

* * *

_Carriages arrived in Corona for the Contest of the Crowns. "Welcome, one and all, to the Contest of the Crowns!" The announcer boomed. "The Queens of all seven kingdoms have selected seven spectacular challenges. But only the top two teams will reach the final event, and have the chance to have their names engraved for eternity on the hallowed Contest of the Crowns trophy!"_

"_Is your mother on that trophy?" Ruddiger whispered to the young princess._

"_Yes," She smiled a bit and he blinked upon seeing it. "She and my Aunt Willow won a few years ago. I was very proud of them." She cleared her throat and said nothing else._

"_Competitors, your time is about to begin!"_

"_This is so exciting!" Rapunzel gushed to Cass, Ruddiger, and Harmony. "I have never seen so many princesses from so many places before."_

_They took one look at Harmony and gasped, turning their backs on her except for two groups. Ruddiger glanced at the girl, who didn't seem to care by this action. "Koto, Neserdnia, Bayangor, Galcrest, Pittsford, oh Ingvarr."_

_The two were sharpening their weapons, looking up at the four._

"_Whoa," Cass murmured at this._

"_We are gonna have so much fun together! And I'm sure you and your partner will become great friends, Harmony!" Rapunzel stretched her arms. Harmony glanced at her partner, and if she could see past the mask, she would see him smiling._

"_Maybe, in a few months time," She remarked, earning a small frown from him. But it was better than never, right?_

"_Which kingdom did you go to again?" Rapunzel asked her sister._

"_Galcrest. They had sent a letter requesting assistance for better living. Their people were limited on certain technology, so I built a few crop cutters, some feeding machines for their animals, and that was in the course of about 6 months."_

"_That's very admirable of you."_

_Her eyes widened as she turned to Ruddiger. "Uh, what you did," He rubbed the back of his neck. _

_She blinked slowly at the compliment. No citizen from Corona ever thanked her for it. "...Thank you."_

"_That's exactly what friends should do!" Rapunzel gestured to them. "I even made us, ahem, wait for it, spirit bracelets!" She held them out to Cass, one of them having her name on it. She took it into her hand, hearing the snooty laughter from one of the teams. _

_"Spirit bracelets..."_

_Harmony glared at them and they flinched, quickly running off._

"_Why do you let people fear you?" Ruddiger couldn't help but ask._

"_Because they do not know what else to feel around me."_

_His eyes softened at her nonchalant tone regarding her answer._

"_Now let's go get 'em!" Rapunzel exclaimed, holding out her hands to Cass. "Come on, bring it in!"_

"_Ah, ah, ah, personal space," Cass warned her._

"_Air hugs only. Check," She hugged the air and Harmony sighed, shaking her head._

"_Sister."_

_Cass groaned and walked off._

* * *

"_Our first event has been chosen by the Queen of Koto! Ballroom dancing in the traditional Kotoan style."_

_The two princesses curtsied before starting to dance. The Queen of Ingvarr rolled her eyes in disdain over the whole thing._

"_Ooh, fancy," Rapunzel commented from the crowd._

"_You mean, unbearingly stuffy?" Cass pointed out, to Rapunzel's slight annoyance._

"_Contestants, please, take the floor."_

"_Um," Ruddiger coughed awkwardly. "Do you know how to do this dance?"_

_Harmony grunted a bit, clearing her throat. "Yes...follow me."_

_The others stepped forward and Cass sighed slowly. Ruddiger and Harmony stood in the middle of the contestants. "Raise your right hand with the other behind your back." He did so and she placed her hand over his. "Now, watch my feet. Turn slightly and then switch hands."_

_He was a fast learner, and thankfully, he managed to perform the dance as well as the others._

"_You do realize that you do not need to be my partner if you wish to drop out."_

_He stared at her as they continued the dance and she had a forlorn look on her face. "Most people would have left me to withdraw from the competition...but you did not. Why is that?"_

"_Because I want to get to know the real Princess Harmony. I never...feared you, you know. There's more to you than what people say or think."_

_Her mouth slightly dropped open as she stopped dancing, looking into his eyes. No one had ever told her that before..._

"_I'm totally gonna respect your personal space thing after this," Rapunzel stated as they spun around. "I promise...ugh. You're right, Cass, this is stuffy. Let's say we make this a little more exciting, huh?"_

_She stepped backwards, alarming Cass. "Rapunzel, wait, what are you-"_

_The older brunette looked to Pascal, who held out a flute to her. She started playing a little song while Pascal was on the bongos._

"_Do you wanna lose this competition?" Cass whispered to her. The Queen from Koto gasped sharply, huffing as she waved a fan._

"_How embarrassing," The princesses from Koto walked past them and Harmony looked on in slight horror._

"_Stop that, don't-give me-would you just—give me that," Cass jumped over Rapunzel, grabbing the flute and landing safely. This shocked the Queen from Ingvarr, to say the least. Rapunzel noticed the instrument was out of her hands, and they were put in third, much to Cass' annoyance._

"_Oops...at least it was fun."_

"_Fun? Yeah, that was real fun!" Cass walked off, the Queen of Ingvarr staring at her. She stormed off into the hall, the two princesses from Ingvarr joining her side._

"_West Corridor at dusk. The Queen of Ingvarr would like to have a word. Don't be late," One of them simply said, and with that, they left her alone. Her eyes went wide as she remembered that they were the two sharpening weapons._

* * *

_Cass entered the corridor. "Uh, excuse me? Your majesty? Your daughter said to meet you in the west corridor?"_

_She was hiding behind one of the columns. She drew her sword and swung for Cass. She jumped to one of the armors from the wall and grabbed a sword from it. She stumbled onto her feet as she faced the woman. They clashed swords, and the Queen quickly disarmed her. She glared up at the woman._

"_You have a fighter's spirit."_

_She could only stare, confused by her words. The Queen sheathed her sword, walking past the lady-in-waiting. "What do you know of my homeland?"_

"_That it's a kingdom of warrior women," Cass answered her._

"_And how would you like to join that army?" She turned around to Cass, who beamed at the question. "My challenge is the final event. Should you triumph, there may be a place for you in my battalion. A chance at a real future for you."_

"_Wow! I-I mean, thank you."_

"_Not so fast," The Queen continued. "Only the top two teams can get to my event. So you'll have to do well in all the others."_

_Cass stood up straight, bowing her head to her. "Yes, your majesty. I'll see you there."_

_She smiled and left, Cass chuckling at the opportunity she was given. But that would mean that she and the other team would have to prevail, and she couldn't do that if Rapunzel wasn't as focused as the other Corona team._

* * *

"_Rapunzel!"_

_She looked up as Cass approached. "Ah, what I said earlier...I was just frustrated."_

_Rapunzel smiled softly. "These games aren't that bad. I, uh, I was actually thinking it'd be pretty great if we win."_

"_Really?" Rapunzel stood up. "Cass! By the time we're done, we are going to be finishing each other's..."_

"_I'm not saying sentences," Cass crossed her arms._

"_But you did!" Rapunzel squealed, the woman rolling her eyes. "Go team!" She waved a flag._

* * *

_Harmony and Ruddiger were walking together in the castle garden, both of them staying silent. They seemed to admire the view instead of talking for the moment. That was, until Harmony broke it._

"_Did you mean what you said to me back there in the first event?"_

_She hugged herself as they continued their stroll. She couldn't stop thinking about his words during the dance. Normally, it wouldn't have fazed her if it wasn't for the fact that it was the first time that someone, much less a boy her age, said that to her. _

_Ruddiger took a deep breath. "Yeah...yeah, I meant it."_

"_You hardly know me," She said quietly. "And yet you speak as if you do."_

"_I know that I might just be a stranger to you, but...it's not fair for others to judge you if they don't get to know the real you. You're their princess, and they should trust you."_

"_I...I will admit that what you say is correct. But I do not have hope that I will ever get along with them or my sister," Harmony sighed as she sat on a bench. Ruddiger sat next to her._

"_If we win, they might change their minds."_

"_Perhaps..." She rubbed her arms, which he noticed._

"_Are you cold?"_

"_Just a little, but-"_

_He took off his coat and wrapped it around her. They were very close now, almost touching as he adjusted the collar. _

"_Is that better?"_

_She stared into his eyes, his hands still on the collar as she tugged on the sides of the coat with her hands. He stared right back, the wind immediately seeming to die down._

"_...Yes..." She smiled softly at him. "Thank you, again."_

"_Not a problem, your highness."_

"_Please, just Harmony," She told him as they turned to look at all the plants._

"_R-Really?"_

"_We are partners until the end of the contest. We might as well address each other by first name...Ruddiger," She murmured slowly, finding his name...unique. He saw a white rose from the red rose bush and plucked it. He held it out to her and she smiled bashfully, her heart beating as she took it into her hands, lightly twirling it between her fingers._

* * *

"_A princess must identify the correct cutlery. Which fork is...the oyster fork?"_

_Ruddiger tried not to gag at the sight of the oysters. "Okay Rapunzel, do not pick up a fork unless you're absolutely sure-" Cass noticed her playing with the oysters, knocking them out of her hand. "Cut it out!" She accidentally picked up the forks, and the announcer thought that was her answer._

"_Half incorrect!" Harmony had the right fork, though._

"_No, these aren't-" She growled as Corona was put into fourth place._

"_Befriending woodland creatures is a must for the modern princess. Whoever emerges from the forest with the most critters wins!"_

_Cass was holding two raccoons, Ruddiger holding up another one. Harmony had some ducklings with her and Rapunzel whistled. A wolf came out of nowhere, scaring the other princesses. The raccoons moved away from Cass' hands, the ducklings flying away as the animals scurried around._

_Cass dragged a hand down her face._

"_I'm too pretty to be a snack!"_

_Corona was now in last place..._

"_Today's final event, Steed Capering, is off to a smashing start! With the first five teams putting in solid performances. Yes, Team Ingvarr is looking perfectly in sync."_

_The two princesses walked side-by-side perfectly. Rapunzel got onto Max, with the two teens having borrowed horses from their stables._

"_Team Corona, please take your mark."_

"_Steed Capering was invented in Corona," Cass looked relieved by this event. "Plus, we've got Max on our side, so we should be able to nail this one."_

_Rapunzel waved to her parents, Harmony simply bowing her head. Cass looked up at the Queen of Ingvarr, who simply nods._

"_Just remember, winners focus on winning," Cass told the others._

"_I know we didn't have the best luck with this last time..." Rapunzel held up her flute._

"_Rapunzel, don't you dare-"_

"_Pascal."_

"_No," Cass complained while the two teens cringed. Pascal played first, followed by Rapunzel. Max started moving along to the music, Frederic shaking his shoulders. Arianna looked at him in amusement and he stopped. Max danced in front of the others, who could only watch. Then he bumped right into Fidella and the other two horses, causing them to run off. She knocked Cass off into mud, Harmony going flying as well. Ruddiger snapped the reins, the horse regaining control and running up to Harmony. He held out his arms and caught her, to the surprise of the crowd. The horse slid to a stop, Harmony's eyes squeezed shut._

_The other princesses from the crowd laughed at Cass. Rapunzel reached the mud puddle, jumping off Max. "Cassandra, let me help-"_

"_Just leave it, Rapunzel!" She snapped at her. "You've already done enough damage."_

_She looked up at the Queen of Ingvarr, who simply looked at the board. Corona was taken off the listing..._

"_I, um, I...uh...I didn't mean to..."_

_Cass simply walked away with Fidella. Harmony looked up slowly at Ruddiger, her arms around his neck. Her heart beat faster again._

"_You saved me...thank you."_

"_Aha...it was no trouble at all, Harmony..." He looked away sheepishly._

* * *

_Cass opened the door to her room, pulling off the headdress. She had just finished getting cleaned up, seeing something set up in her room._

"_What is this?"_

"_I couldn't help but feel like we've been a bit out of sync, so I figured, what better way for two friends to reconnect than a sleepover? And look, Harmony is here too!" She opened up the fort's entrance to reveal the girl._

"_Why can't you understand? We are not friends! I don't like dumb dance moves, or spirit bracelets, or sleepovers! My idea of having fun is not to have fun. Goodnight."_

"_You're right...I was pushing too hard...besides Pascal, I haven't made any friends in 18 whole years, so maybe I don't know how..." She walked towards the door, Harmony looking up at her. "I'll just...leave you alone." She retreated to the fort._

"_But this is my room. Ugh," Cass rolled her eyes, Harmony watching as Rapunzel put on her bracelet. Pascal frowned as he curled up next to her, Daisy chirping._

"_You know..." They looked up to see Cass moving away the door. "I'm probably not that good at making friends either. I grew up with the Captain of the Guards for a father. He's not big on warm and fuzzy. Heh. I guess I...I got a lot to learn about being a friend."_

"_And I have grown sheltered from people who fear me and what power I used to have for my whole life..." Harmony looked at her left hand. "I have not been exactly...friendly towards others because of that."_

"_Maybe...maybe we could learn together?" Rapunzel asked slowly. "Maybe I won't try so hard to be friends?"_

"_And I guess I could try harder not to...not be your friend," Cass replied back. _

"_And I suppose I could be nicer to people who wish to be close to me..." Harmony moved a bang away from her face bashfully, remembering Ruddiger. _

"_Wait…" Rapunzel gasped sharply, alarming Harmony a little.__ "You like Ruddiger, don't you?"_

"_W-What?" Harmony __blushed__ as she __stammered, which was a bit unlike her, to say the least.__ "Me? H-Having feelings for Ruddiger? Whatever do you mean? I..."_

"_Well, do you feel anything for him at all?" Rapunzel __squealed__, jumping up and down._

"_Even I have to admit that it's obvious," Cass smirked, crossing her arms._

"_Everytime I lay eyes on him...I suppose...my heart beats a little faster...than normal," Harmony __played__ with a bang from her hair._

"_Aww," The older sister __clasped__ her hands together. "Your first crush!"_

"_No, no, that is not what has occurred," The girl shook her head quickly. She was a princess, she had a duty to her people...she had to make sure everyone else was safe, and if that meant to put her feelings aside, so be it._

"_But we can help you and then we can have double dates with Eugene and-"_

"_Sister, no," Harmony __sighed__ a little. "I have never had these feelings before...last year, I decided to focus on my hobbies so that...I would not have to fall in...love," She __bit__ her lip. "And now...with this new...experience..."_

"_Hey," Rapunzel __placed__ a hand on her shoulder. "Any guy would be lucky to have you."_

"_She's right. It's not bad for a teenage girl to have these kind of feelings for a boy. I'm sure you'll figure it out."_

_Harmony smiled weakly at them._

"_Hey, what do you say you help me clean my room, huh? Some weird princess made a mess of it," She threw a pillow at Rapunzel, biting her lip nervously. All of them end up laughing together, a rare sight from Harmony. This woman...her sister...she had an air around her that was contagious._

* * *

"_6 teams remain in the Embroider-a-thon."_

_The citizens watched, the two Corona teams working together on their project. Rapunzel bit off the thread and they held up to reveal a large Corona banner._

"_A princess must keep her composure during the wild carriage!"_

_The two princesses from Pittsford flew out of the carriage, the two teams waving to the crowd._

"_And who will win the great cake bake-off?"_

_Cass threw a strawberry to Rapunzel, who swung around and put one of the final touches. Ruddiger held up a vial and poured it on the cake, giving it glitter and leaving four little statues on top of the cake representing the two teams. They waved to everyone and Pascal played the bongos again._

"_And the two teams progressing to the finals will be Ingvarr...and after a surprising comeback, Corona!"_

_Harmony and Ruddiger blinked, beaming at each other. "Yes!" Rapunzel hugged Cass before remembering the rule. "Oh, sorry. Personal space."_

"_Ahh, what's a little invasion of personal space between friends, huh?" Cass put an arm around her. Ruddiger took Harmony by the waist and spun her around, shocking both of them._

_He cleared his throat, placing her down. "Sorry...I..."_

"_It's fine, Ruddiger," She smiled softly and he turned to her in surprise to hear her speak a normal sentence. "Er...what was that you had done with the cake earlier?"_

"_Oh, you mean alchemy? I do a lot of stuff with science..."_

"_Perhaps if we win...you could teach me someday?" She asked slowly and he smiled softly._

"_I would be honored."_

* * *

"_In a matter of moments, the final teams will go head to head in the final event: Capture the Flag!"_

_The four teams were getting ready in a tent. "Cass," Rapunzel looked at her. "I just wanted to say...thank you for being my partner. And Harmony, thank you for what you taught me before this competition. I've learned so much from you."_

_Harmony gave her a small smile and then the Queen of Ingvarr arrived. "Ah, good luck, Cassandra. I have a feeling Ingvarr will be welcoming a new soldier soon."_

_Harmony's eyes widened at this. "New soldier?" Rapunzel asked in confusion. "What is she talking about, Cass?"_

"_Uh..." She felt like a deer all of a sudden. "Nothing!"_

"_Didn't she tell you? I've offered her a position in my army, if she does well in this competition."_

_Harmony slowly stood up from her chair, staring at Cass' back. Rapunzel gave a hurt look. "After all, like you said, Cassandra, you're dissatisfied with your current station. Aren't you?" And with that, she left the tent. _

_Cass turned around to the two, Harmony walking past the woman. "Harmony, wait," Cass called out, but she only stopped. She turned to look towards Cass._

"_Cassandra...how could you? You have been my lady-in-waiting ever since you arrived at the castle. I thought you were a friend..."_

_She took her leave as well as Cass removed her headdress. Ruddiger went after the princess as Rapunzel rubbed her neck._

"_Why didn't you tell me you were unhappy?"_

"_I'm not unhappy, it's just that this is a great opportunity for me!" Cass put the headdress back on. "She offered me a place in her battalion, if I prove myself in the finals. I mean, how could I turn that down?"_

"_So, all this time, I thought we were all actually having fun..." She gave a disappointed look._

"_We were having fun," Cass told her, feeling guilty._

"_You were just using me!"_

"_Rapunzel, I-"_

"_Contestants, get ready!" The announcer interrupted._

"_Let's just win this thing so you can take advantage of this great opportunity. Maybe that will be better for both of us," Rapunzel glared at her face._

"_Yeah...maybe it would."_

_Rapunzel threw her spirit bracelet into her hands and Cass looked on sadly. She opened up the bracelet._

"_It's the moment you've all been waiting for! The conclusion of the most thrilling Contest of the Crowns!" The three teams stood side-by-side in the field. "Brought us by the Queen of Ingvarr..." The woman waved to the crowd with a smile. "It's the final event: Capture the Flag! From the ferocious...fanged fury of..."_

_The ground started to shake, bringing slight concern. "Of...of..." Flames came out of the ground from a trap door in front of them. "Of...Of...The Iron Lion!"_

_Standing in the middle of the smoke from the flames was an iron lion. Harmony's mouth opened in shock, the king and queen concerned about this. The Queen of Ingvarr looked actually pleased from her challenge compared to the others._

"_The f__irst team to grab the flag wins! Good luck! On your marks...get set..."_

"_On my command," A few Ingvarrs were inside controlling the lion. "Right paw attack."_

_Cass looked to the other three, who were dead set on focusing on the lion. She went back to her spot sadly as the announcer blew the horn to start the challenge. Everyone ran forward except for Cass. The trio sped past the Princesses of Ingvarr._

"_Now."_

_One of them pulled the lever, bringing the paw forward to knock Rapunzel into the ground._

"_Rapunzel!" Eugene exclaimed in worry, Harmony sliding to a stop. She ran back to her sister and bent down to her._

"_Sister!"_

_Frederic stood up, only for Arianna to stop him. The lion then attacked the other two princesses, and they went flying. _

"_Rapunzel, you okay?" Cass turned to her._

"_Don't worry about me. Winners focus on winning, remember?" She glanced to the lady-in-waiting, Harmony giving her an accusing look. Cass put on a winner's face as she ran up to the lion, only to get hit along with everyone else. The princesses landed in the fence while Cass, Harmony, and Ruddiger slid to a stop._

"_It's like it's always two steps ahead of us!" Cass looked up at Rapunzel, who narrowed her eyes. The lion roared slightly._

"_Then let's make this a little more exciting!" _

_The three sat up, watching her race up to the metal animal. The right paw moved again, Rapunzel sliding underneath it. She jumped onto the mace, landing on the back._

"_Wow," The three murmured in awe._

_The lion spun around to try and get Rapunzel off, but she was trying to keep her balance. Cass ran up to the Corona flag and grabbed it. Rapunzel slid off the back as the lion stood up, the two teens running up to help. Cass brought herself forward, Harmony doing the same as Ruddiger held onto her. They landed on the head._

"_What was that?"_

"_There!"_

_Cass crawled onto the top, Harmony and Ruddiger reaching the back._

"_Sister, now's our chance!" The two princesses ran over as Rapunzel tried to hang on. _

_One of the princesses grabbed her leg. "Gotcha!"_

_She pulled Rapunzel off and she slid onto the ground._

"_Hey! No citizen alive, Ingvarr or not, shall do that to my sister!" Harmony yelled at them. Cass looked up at the Queen, who laughed and gestured for Cass to take it._

"_Go, __Cass, keep going! Get the flag!" Rapunzel urged her._

"_Get the flag," The Queen of Ignvarr gritted her teeth, but Cass smirked. She got onto her feet...and a shadow loomed over Rapunzel. She looked up to see the lady-in-waiting holding out her hand. Harmony and Ruddiger were standing next to her._

_Rapunzel took the help. "Cass, what are you doing? You have to go get that flag!" Rapunzel tried to push her forward. "If this job means so much to you!"_

"_There's something else that means a lot more," Cass smirked up at the Queen. Pascal squeaked, holding out the friendship bracelet for Cass. She took it into her hands, putting them around their wrists. Rapunzel hugged her and the horn blowed._

"_Uh oh, looks like we lost."_

"_Your Contest of the Crowns Champions, the two teams of Corona!"_

"_What?" The two women blinked in shock and Harmony smirked, holding up the flag from behind her back._

"_Friendship is ideal...however, winning is something we should all share as well."_

_Cass looked up to the Queen of Ingvarr. "Even though I did win...I refuse your offer. I have somewhere else I'm needed," She smiled toward the two princesses. The Queen frowned deeply and left from her place._

"_Let's make a graceful wave for victory," Rapunzel smiled as they waved to the crowd. The two women smiled at each other and Ruddiger held Harmony's hand, holding it up in the air._

"_Go Princess Harmony!"_

"_She did it!"_

_Harmony smiled softly at the cheers from the crowd._

"_I...I have to go."_

"_What?" She murmured slowly to Ruddiger. "But...what about-"_

"_I'm sure we'll see each other again...Princess," He moved away part of the mask, lifting her hand to his lips, kissing her hand. She blushed and he ran off, the girl putting her hands to her heart._

"_Thank you, Ruddiger…"_

Rapunzel looks at the open journal, frowning sadly. "Look, I just think with this lady-in-waiting thing..." Eugene speaks up from the ladder. "Maybe no one's working out for you because you're not over Cass."

"That has nothing to do with it, Eugene," She defends, closing the journal. "I have moved on." She moves away a book to see the two friendship bracelets she made...She takes them into her hands with a sigh, putting them to her heart.

"Oh, oh, hey...hey, Blondie, it's okay," He sits next to her. "Look, I know it's hard. What Cass did, it's a—it's a very big deal," He puts a hand on her cheek, hugging her.

"No...Eugene, she could've had everything she wanted. She had the chance to become a warrior, but she chose our friendship instead," She looks at the yellow bracelet. "And I'm not giving up on her yet."

* * *

Later that night, Cass is demanding an answer. "What do you mean, the sisters stole some of my power?"

"When the two princesses touched Harmony's black rocks...they gave them their protective power. This kept the sundrop and moonstone safe until they made their way to the Dark Kingdom."

"So those powers that they took...belonged to the moonstone..."

"And the moonstone was supposed to be for Harmony, which now belongs to you. So you see, even the power of the Moonstone is not completely yours," She reveals, resulting in Cass creating a black rock out of anger. Even when Harmony doesn't have the moonstone, she still has something that she doesn't. She rips the picture in half and it falls onto the floor.

* * *

Harmony and Varian are in her lab, taking a break as she was thinking about Cass...ever since she came to the castle, the girl was friendly to her before she changed...since she had lost hope that the moonstone's power would never go away at the time. However...she did lose them for a while when Rapunzel had cut her hair. She assumed it had to do with the sundrop and moonstone's connection to each other, and it seemed that she was right since she didn't have her powers again until she touched the black rocks.

Which, of course, were unknowingly her black rocks at the time. And the rest was history...

"Um...Mona," Varian rubs the back of his neck. "Remember the Contest of Crowns two years ago?"

"Ha," Harmony chuckles a little at the memory. "Oh man, that was such a different time, Vari, that I barely think about it anymore. That was about a few days after I returned from one of the seven kingdoms, Galcrest. I was only just starting to teach Rapunzel about how to be a princess...or rather, I was learning who she is. I wasn't even going to compete at first when we asked the people until someone from Corona stepped in. Never figured out who he was."

"Well...about that..." He starts off, but then she interrupts.

"He was my first crush, now that I think about it..." She smiles lightly and he blinks in surprise.

"You...liked him?"

"I know, it's weird hearing that from me since I was different back then," Harmony brushes a bang away from her face. "I mean...I was just so focused on how to be a princess after I got home that I didn't really understand what love really was until I met him. And I really tried to get it!" She giggles in amusement. "I just thought that to focus more on my own life because reality sank in to me a long time ago what I was supposed to do for Corona."

He blushes, rubbing his neck.

"And the one thing I could remember was that he used alc-" She pauses in her words, staring at Varian, who's smiling sheepishly. She only feels shock and happiness right now as it sinks in. "...That...you...you were..."

"Guilty," He laughs in embarrassment. "I...I wanted to meet you, but...I didn't think you'd give me the time of day, so I..."

"Varian," She chuckles happily. "We met each other again? And you...said all of that stuff about me when I was trying to push you away," She blushes at the memory, moving a hair away from her face. "I'm starting to think it's fate."

He smiles, holding her hands. "I think it is too."

"But seriously, Ruddiger? That was the name you could come up?" She giggles as she remembers how he introduced himself.

"I couldn't exactly say my real name at the time, could I?" He rubs his neck.

"Well...I think that was sweet what you did for me. And I wanna thank you."

Harmony steps out of her lab a few minutes later, just as Eugene and Rapunzel arrive. "Hey Brownie. We were just about to come see you," Eugene greets her, causing the girl to turn around.

"We were wondering if you and Varian wanted to go and get a snack. I...could really use some time with my friends," Her older sister smiles weakly, Eugene rubbing her arm.

"Oh, you're gonna have to give Varian a few minutes," She replies, confusing them. The crown princess smiles, hands behind her back. "He's a little...out of it from the reward I gave him," She starts to walk away.

"Reward for what?" Eugene calls out.

"Oh, let's just say for doing something in the past."

Once she's gone, Varian stumbles out into the hall, with lipstick marks all over his face. He smiles goofily, the two staring at him in surprise.

"Varian?"

"I did...I did the thing!" Varian holds up a finger as he gives a mushy smile, dropping his hand.


	58. The King and Queen of Hearts

**Angel: I will probably close my poll sometime in May...maybe on my birthday (the 17th, for those who don't know me that well). If I'm counting correctly, that's also a week after this story is going to end...but if there's anyone who hasn't voted yet and wants to, you're more than welcome! Doesn't matter if it's on review or from my profile, I accept either one.**

**Also, this is for the people who are reading all my stories currently, and not just this one. I'm told that Big Hero 6: The Series and the third season will be released in May, but I have yet to see any specific dates from the wikis on when in May. I'm not even sure where this person found that information...anyway, I just know that summer is the specific time range for now. But I really hope that it doesn't come out after my birthday XD Having it released before or during my birthday would be great!**

**I have two exams left...oh boy...if anyone out there has finished their semester before me, I applaud you for making through online learning. If there's anyone in college who chose to do a summer semester this year, good luck to you. This was my first semester at a different school since I enrolled as a transfer student, which did put a little pressure on me a little bit XD And the outbreak kind of didn't make that easier, but I will be relieved to be done soon.**

A horse arrives in Equis, landing in front of the guards. They allow him to enter. "I bring news from Corona," He bows in front of King Trevor. "The king and queen's memories are lost, and rumor has it they're...drifting apart," He holds out the scroll.

"Drifting apart?" King Trevor reads the scroll. "Foolish Frederic. You may have won Arianna's affections all those years ago, but you cannot hold a rainbow in your hand forever."

Trevor Jr barks nearby. "Yes! Sweet boy, we are off. To Corona. And you, my boy, shall claim what's rightfully yours."

He looks to a young boy who looks almost like him. He's the same age as Harmony and Varian, and he rubs his hands together.

"Finally!"

"To Corona!" Trevor declares, walking off. Trevor Jr turns to his wife as she dabs her eyes. They share a kiss and he crawls away. Over the throne is a picture of the King and Queen...with Frederic's face replaced for Trevor's.

* * *

Meanwhile, the two parents are strapped to a table side-by-side, separated. Varian laughs like a mad man, his mask over his face as lightning strikes. Harmony crosses her arms as she raises a brow and something wiggles around from his shirt.

"That tickles! Ruddiger, get out of my apron, that tickles!"

He crawls out from Varian's pant leg and Harmony takes him, walking towards her sister. He pulls the lever and his machine starts up.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Rapunzel asks in concern.

"If my new machines works the way I think it should, and it will, we are moments away from reversing the effects of the Saporians' memory wand."

Frederic's beard gets all poofy and Harmony had to bite back a laugh. The dials turn all the way up to give high pressure, one of the hoses disconnecting. It covers all but Varian somehow with a pink substance. Pascal moves away from the hiding spot that was Rapunzel's hair and then turns pink like they are, causing her to smile. Daisy lands on the ground, shaking her dirty wing off in annoyance.

"Uh, where am I? And why am I so gooey?" Frederic speaks up.

"I'm sorry, girls, I-I was so sure this was gonna work. I feel like I've tried everything," Varian sags his shoulders.

"It's fine, Vari," The girl smiles softly at him.

"You did your best. And besides, I have another method up my sleeve. Don't get me wrong, the power of science is impressive, but it is nothing compared to the power of love." Some more pink substance sprays over her, causing Harmony to step back a bit, squeaking in alarm.

"Eep!"

Ruddiger lands nearby and takes some into his hand, eating it. Rapunzel tries some. "Mm, strawberry!"

"It's still gross, though," Harmony murmurs as she looks at herself. Varian starts chuckling, to her confusion.

"You actually look kinda funny."

She looks around and smirks, holding up the pipe. "Oh yeah?" The pink goop starts spraying Varian, covering him in the substance. He laughs, trying to shield himself, but it doesn't work. "Not so funny now, is it?"

"Okay, okay, you win," He chuckles, trying to reach for the pipe, but he slips, his body in the substance now. Instead, he grabs her skirt, causing her to fall next to him. Both of them continue the laughter, the king and queen smiling at the sight.

"You two just...bring a familiar feeling to us all of a sudden. Can't remember how...but you are an adorable couple," Arianna tells them.

Varian and Harmony smile at each other, the boy taking a hold of her hand. "What are you two doing for the Day of Hearts?" Rapunzel asks curiously, bouncing up and down happily. She looked like a little kid all of a sudden.

"We're signing the book again," Harmony smiles fondly before cringing, "And hopefully, we'll have a normal Day of Hearts this year. Last time it...didn't really go so well."

"What are you talking about?" Rapunzel wonders in confusion.

"Uh, Andrew tried to steal the book?" Varian crosses his arms.

"Varian and I weren't exactly on the best terms, either," Harmony rubs the back of her neck.

"Right," Rapunzel smiles sheepishly. "At least I brought you two together the first time around, sort of. Maybe-"

"Sis, sis, nooooo," Harmony interrupts her nervously. "Please do not set us up on another date."

"We wanna do this our way," Varian gestures to himself.

"Oh! I understand. Sorry. I'm just really happy for you!" She walks off to go clean herself up.

"How much are you willing to bet that she'll meddle anyway?" Harmony asks her boyfriend, hand on her hip as they stare after her.

"Oh, I'm raising the stakes this time," Varian smiles smugly. "If I win, I get your lab."

"And if I win, I get your stash of dark chocolates," She crosses her arms, looking up at him with a smirk of her own. "Vari, you always bet that she won't, but she does it anyway. I know my sister."

"Well, she's most likely learned her lesson after the last one, so say goodbye to your lab by the end of today."

* * *

The clouds show a heart in the sky as the whole kingdom is decorated for the Day of Hearts. "The Day of Hearts was always your favorite day of the year," Rapunzel tells the two as they're guiding them through the town. "Because it was the day you proclaimed your love for one another, by signing Herz Der Sonne's diary," She looks at the book in front of her. "Remember?"

They look to each other and shrug cluelessly, causing Harmony to cringe.

"You guys!" Rapunzel brings them closer. "It's the Day of Hearts, not the Day Aparts," She pushes them towards the book.

"You know, speaking of signing books, I know one couple that hasn't...committed their love to paper," Eugene speaks up.

"Aww," She turns around to him. "Eugene! Of course we're gonna sign the book together," She smiles softly, moving a bang to her ear.

"Good, good. I was just kind of worried with everything going on that we'd...forget," He pokes her nose.

"Forget? Eugene, I love you too much to forget about something that important. And our parents love each other too, which is why I'm sure that if they remember how it felt when they signed the diary, maybe it will bring back some memories..."

"Aww," Harmony puts a hand to her heart. "That's endearing, sis."

Varian smiles, holding the girl's hand. Today was their anniversary, which was kind of hard to place since they weren't technically officially a couple for about a year...but he'd rather have it on the Day of Hearts, when they knew that they liked each other. Yes, he admitted his feelings for her on her birthday, but that was too big of an occasion to pick for them. And he didn't tell Rapunzel because of what happened when she tried to get them to go on a first date. Of course, he did tell Harmony a few days before to prepare a gift for him, and she's really excited for it.

"What was it like for you two?" Eugene turns to the duo.

"Crazy, since...stuff happened," Harmony snorts a bit.

"But I don't regret it," Varian kisses her cheek, causing her to smile.

"The mind may forget," Rapunzel points to her head. "But the heart always remembers. Bringing up memories of love?" She joins her parents. "Huh? Feelings? Getting that heart pumping? Lub dub, lub dub, lub dub."

Harmony laughs a little towards her sister. "I'm sorry, dear...what are you doing?" Frederic stares at her.

"You're right, you're right, you're right. You should see for yourself," She steps back with a grin. "Just let the love wash over you two lovebirds."

Pascal starts playing guitar and Harmony leans in towards the blonde. "Rapunzel, maybe you should dial it down a bit? After all, to each other, they're just strangers who barely know one another. It's gonna take time."

"I know, but-"

"Sorry, I just don't remember this," Arianna gestures to the book, stopping the music.

"Neither do I..." Frederic closes the book, putting it back.

"But...if you can't remember falling in love, does that mean you're not...?"

"Rapunzel, Harmony, we do care about one another," Arianna leads the two girls away. "But we are...we're such opposites! I want a life of adventure and excitement, and your father...well..."

They look up ahead as the king is showing them an egg. "Get a load of this beauty! I'm somewhat of a collector."

"Of eggs...I see that..."

"You too!" He wraps an arm around the man. "I know a fellow egghead when I see one!"

"True, but opposites attract! Just look at Rapunzel and Eugene or me with Varian. All four of us couldn't be anymore different from each other, Mom," Harmony gestures to herself.

"If we can't remember why we love each other...maybe we need some time to ourselves to figure it out." And with that statement, she leaves.

"Wait, what?" Rapunzel couldn't believe what she's hearing. The two sisters look to each other in concern. "What does that mean?"

"It means that if we don't get them to remember...we might just lose them," Harmony hugs herself.

* * *

"Would you look what your father has done to my room?!" Eugene is looking at his room, which is filled with eggs...everywhere...

Harmony walks inside and steps back a bit upon seeing all the eggs. "Whoa, who let the chickens sleep in here?"

"Ha ha," Eugene deadpans at her.

"I think the real question here is why there's a bunch of eggs in your room," Varian places a hand on his hip.

Frederic sees them inside, holding a crate of eggs.

"Hello, Roomie," He chuckles, dropping an egg into Eugene's hands.

"Oh, ha ha! Roomie...that's such a strong word. Well, make yourself at home, your majesty," Eugene smiles widely, putting the egg on a drawer and leading the three away. "Girls, you have got to get your parents back together."

They glance to their father, stepping up to him. "Uh, Dad, don't you think that if you get to know Mom, your feelings would come back?"

"It's not that hopeless..."

A holler is heard from outside as Arianna is flying around in a hang glider. Harmony's mouth opens in shock.

"Wow, your mom was such a different person," Varian blinks at her.

"She's a seeker of thrills! I, on the other hand, am...an avoider of thrills. How could I possibly win her heart again?"

"Dad, you two are meant to be together. It'll work out," Rapunzel places a hand on his shoulder. He sighs deeply at this.

"If you don't mind...I'd like to be alone for the time being."

"Of course, Dad. We understand," She walks into the hallway, followed by the two teens.

"Wait a minute! N-now hang on-" They push him away. "But this is my room!"

"We'll find somewhere else for you to sleep," Harmony whispers to him. "Just tough it out, Papa's going through a lot."

"I know, technically he's the king, so they're all his rooms, but still!" He argues back.

"Eugene, focus. We have got a match to make! A match that will spark the flames of romance. And a romance that will burn brightly for all to see! Like...the sun! Burning in the heavens! Which all can see!"

Varian shakes his head as Harmony giggles, Eugene leading her away. "You should use that for their anniversary since it's today," Eugene murmurs underneath his breath and Rapunzel gasps sharply. His eyes widen as he immediately regrets that.

"It's their anniversary today? Aw, how sweet! Why didn't they tell me?"

"Because last year, you tried too hard to get them together, and they probably don't want that this year?" Eugene raises a brow, his question basically unheard.

"I gotta work in a double date!" Rapunzel murmurs to herself.

* * *

"The kingdom of Corona is in crisis," She tells everyone in the meeting room. "Pascal will hand each of you a copy of my comprehension plan to save it."

"Operation Royal Romance? Uhh, this is about setting your folks up on a date? You said the fate of the kingdom is at stake," Lance speaks up.

"And why do you have Mom and Dad drawn on it?" Catalina holds up the paper. Harmony puts down her paper in exasperation, closing her eyes.

"She knows about our anniversary..." She pinches her nose with a deep sigh.

"Eugene," Varian gives him a look and he holds up his hands in defense.

"If it's any consolation...I told her on accident."

"Your anniversary?!" Catalina bounces up and down, followed by Kiera. "That's so great!"

"We wanna help too!"

"Girls," Harmony laughs nervously, holding up her hands. "Just calm down, okay? We can deal with that later."

This is exactly what they didn't want...

"Focus, people! And it is, Lance. If the king and queen fall apart, other couples will follow their lead," She starts flipping drawings she made. "And soon, all of Corona society will crumble. And you know what they say? As goes Corona, so. Goes. The world. Do you want that to happen, Lance?" Rapunzel kicks over the easel. "Do you?" She has a crazy look on her face.

The girls are hugging themselves while the boys are hiding from the table, or at least trying to. Varian and Harmony hug each other, looking scared. Harmony blinks slowly at her sister.

"...Wow..." Was all she could say.

"No! No! No, no, no, I don't want-no. No..."

"That's the spirit!" The blonde smiles at Lance. "Okay! There's no reason we can't teach these lovebirds to fly again. And _nothing_ is gonna stand in our way!"

Somehow, Harmony doesn't believe that...

* * *

And she's right to feel this way because King Trevor's ship is going towards Corona. Trevor Jr is playing with a blue orb like it's a beach ball.

"Careful, careful, Trevor Jr," King Trevor takes it from him. "This rare sea crystal is to be a gift for my future queen."

"And these jewels for mine," The boy opens up a box that has silver jewelry that shines.

"...Wedding gifts," King Trevor laughs evilly.

* * *

"Rapunzel," Arianna speaks up as the sun is setting. "Harmony. Where are we going?"

They lead her to a wall of leaves. "Oh, you know, we just thought you might enjoy a ride through the forest."

Max has a heart of flowers around his head, to the amusement of Fidella. Frederic is standing nearby. "Dad?" Rapunzel plays dumb. "What...Dad's here? Wait, what are the chances?"

"100 percent," Harmony murmurs, Rapunzel elbowing her slightly. The young princess just laughs it off.

"Eugene led me. Wait, where's Eugene?" He looks around for the man, not noticing that the others are hiding in the bushes.

"Mom, Harmi, and I were just going for a ride, but..." Rapunzel yawns, stretching her arms. Harmony does the same. "Suddenly, we're just so tired. Hey, I know, since you...just happen to be here, why don't you take our place?"

They push him to Arianna. "Go on," Harmony encourages them.

"Oh, I-I don't know."

"Do it," Rapunzel orders him in a threatening tone. Harmony steps back a bit out of fear, blinking at her sister. She can get pretty intense with love...

"Yes, I'd love to-" He bumps into Fidella. "I love...horsing...around."

Arianna giggles, Fidella smiling encouragingly. Rapunzel guides him and he gets towards Max. "Now, to set the mood. Red, Angry, the fireflies."

They look to the empty jars. "Where'd our fireflies go?"

Pascal hiccups, showing a glowing tummy. "Pascal," Harmony lightly scolds him and he holds his stomach in embarrassment. Daisy chirps in disdain, shaking her head slowly at him in disapproval.

They hear a crash, looking to see that the king has fell. Eugene and Rapunzel rush over to him, the girls turning to Varian.

"Give Mom your present!"

"I-I don't know what you're-"

Kiera digs into his apron. "Kiera, stop it right now-"

"Mom, look," She holds up a wrapped present to the girl, Varian turning slightly red. This was making him really self-conscious right about now...

"Vari, it's okay," Harmony smiles, placing a hand on his shoulder gently. "The day is almost ending, after all. I might as well give you mine."

She hands him her present and he sighs in defeat. It's not that he's angry towards the girls, but he didn't know if she'd find it too...weird. Which is why he was trying to delay it as long as he could.

"You go first..."

Harmony stares at him, wondering what seems to be wrong, but opens it anyway. She gasps at the box in front of her that has hearts engraved on the lid. She opens it up and it starts to play music. On the back of the lid is a painted picture of her and Varian.

"Vari..." She puts a hand to her mouth.

"Ah, I knew I should've just bought you something, but I-I didn't want it to be non-sentimental, and by the time I finished making it-"

"I love it," The girl smiles softly, pecking his lips. He blinks in surprise for the gesture.

"R-Really?"

"Yeah..." She looks at the music box. "It's beautiful, and really heartfelt. And besides, I don't care what you get me...as long as it's from you."

A happy smile hits his face and he opens up his to see a box of chemicals...the same ones he had when he met her. He looks up at her in shock and she rubs her neck awkwardly.

"Um...when we met, and I helped you clean up...I noticed that most of them had cracks in them, so that means that most of them exploded by the time you got back home..."

"They did, actually," He chuckles as he can recall that moment. He was so dazed from seeing her face-to-face that he didn't even care that they were gone afterwards. All he could take away from that incident was meeting her officially.

"I thought I'd replace them, since you never told me they broke, and...well, I couldn't exactly get these types during our trip, so..."

He hugs her and she returns it happily. "Thank you, Mona. I love this."

The others look on proudly, Lance nudging the girls in triumph.

He had to remind himself to thank and punish the girls later.

Rapunzel and Eugene try to help Frederic onto Max, but he falls off, Arianna cringing. "Just a moment!" He stands up, looking to the blonde. "Oh, Rapunzel, I'm not sure about this. The galloping motion upsets my stomach."

"Dad, Mom _really _loves riding. At least give it a try. For me?" She smiles at him pleadingly. She waves Harmony forward and she joins her sister, giving him puppy eyes.

"Oh, how could I say no to the both of you?"

"I thought you didn't like doing that since you're 16," Rapunzel whispers to her sister.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," She shrugs lightly. It was true, she hated doing puppy eyes for anything as she considers it juvenile.

Frederic jumps onto the horse, Arianna smiling at him. He returns the sentiment and she laughs, taking off. She stands on the saddle, Max going after them.

"Slow down!" The king's never ridden a horse before as he tries to keep his balance.

"What' the matter? Can't keep up, Freddy?"

His face hits Max's neck and she hollers as they continue riding. "Well, looks like Operation Royal Romance is making good progress," Eugene raises a sly brow towards Rapunzel, who giggles at him.

"Yeah."

"So...have you...thought about when you and I might sign the book?" He asks, and they hear the king up ahead.

"Slow down! Oh no!" He shouts, hitting a large tree that was almost broken and falling off Max.

"Oh, that looks bad. Excuse me, I-I better jump in," Rapunzel cringes, Harmony running after her. Varian joins Eugene's side, wincing at the sight.

"I'm sure you'll sign the book," He suggests encouragingly, placing a hand on Eugene's back.

"Yeah! Right..."

* * *

"I don't know about you two, but I am famished," Rapunzel states, holding her father to the horse with her hair. "Who wants a bite to eat?" She gasps up ahead. "I know just the place." They approach the Snuggly Duckling. "Le Caneton Snugglet."

They open the door. "Garcon! Your finest table please."

"Okay, you can't pull off a French accent," Harmony shakes her head at her older sister, earning a small pout.

The whole place is reconfigured to be a fancy restaurant, which was part of the plan.

"The ocean? Exploring?" Frederic laughs at what Arianna said. "Oh, not for me. No, no, no. I am a collector of eggs. You know, it's the shape of them that gets me. Almost circular, but not quite!" He laughs as Ulf walks away awkwardly.

"The egg collection? Really, Dad?" Rapunzel asks in exasperation. "Okay people, we have a four-alarm romantic emergency. Initiate Operation Entrée!"

They get the food ready, which Attila presents to them...but Shorty ate it. "Good morning. Bones are petite, mon amis."

Attila growls as he picks him up. "Do you have any idea how long that took to bake?!"

"I mean, I know how long it took to eat it." He gives Attila a small kiss, but this doesn't prevent him from throwing Shorty across the room.

"Attila, no!" The girls cry out.

He lands on Vlad, who holds him up. "Watch where you're throwing that guy!"

"This is not the time to be throwing Shorty around!" Rapunzel tells him.

"Don't you remember what we're supposed to do?"

"Actually, Princesses, it is," He turns towards the clock as it turns to 8...Shorty Tossing time.

"Right on schedule!" Shorty rolls, the two sisters pinching their noses. If they had known that before hand, they would've done this anywhere else...They get into a brawl, unfortunately.

"Alright!" Rapunzel walks over to their parents. "I think we should go."

"Excellent idea!" Frederic grins in agreement.

"Not until I get an Uncle out of this chump!" Arianna is pulling on one of the horns from Vlad's helmet.

"Mom!" Harmony protests to her.

"Uncle, uncle!" He cries out in pain, Shorty flying past them.

* * *

Then the two go out on a boat ride at night, with Lance rowing it dressed as a gondolier. "Welcome abroad!" He announces to them. "I will be your guide on this evening of enchantment. I also accept large tips in cash or gold bullion." He laughs before the tip jar is snatched away, the two couples looking on in disapproval. Rapunzel's hair had grabbed onto it.

He shrugs and starts playing music. Two swans make a heart as they embrace each other.

"The soft glow of the lanterns..." Rapunzel looks up at the sky. "The music...oh, it's a recipe for love."

"Heh. I mean, it's also kind of our thing," Eugene states as the two hold hands.

"Oh, come on. It's still our thing," She smiles up at him.

"Sure, yeah. It's just also their thing now too."

"You let us have it once," Varian raises a brow at him.

"That's because you two _needed _it, and now you two just have to find your own thing."

"We have a thing," Harmony defends, crossing her arms. "We...do alchemy together."

"That doesn't count, that's all the time."

"Hm," Varian rubs his chin. Come to think of it, they didn't really have a thing like Eugene and Rapunzel do. Not that they would hate it. The two couples embrace each other as they look up ahead to the king and queen.

"You know, I'm most excited to retrieve my memories...so I can remember more about Rapunzel and Harmony. Rapunzel is so determined, and strong. She must have gotten that from you. Harmony is adventurous and optimistic, which must be from you as well," Frederic turns to the queen.

"Rapunzel is also thoughtful and responsible, and Harmony is too. Harmony is also intelligent. They must've gotten that from you," Arianna smiles a bit and he places his hand on top of hers. They lean in for a kiss when a boat comes in, tipping Frederic into the water.

"I'm so sorry to _barge _in unannounced," King Trevor announces, but he didn't really mean it.

"Help! I can't swim!" Frederic thrashes around in the water.

"A man overboard? Have no fear, feeble waterbug!" Trevor jumps onto the edge, taking off his cape. "I shall save you!" He dives into the water, which bubbles. The two stare in worry before King Trevor emerges with Frederic on his back. He jumps like a seal over to shore, the two couples bending down to the man. Trevor stands at the edge, trying to look heroic as his clothes poof up dry.

"King Trevor," Rapunzel says in disdain.

"Again," Harmony adds in with the same tone as her sister.

"Princess Rapunzel and Harmony! Delighted to be in your presence again."

They look away in annoyance and small grunts. They were wondering just why he was here and why he interrupted the date.

* * *

Once they're back inside and they have a fire going, Rapunzel and Harmony present their father with some soup. Arianna is practicing her sword fighting nearby.

"This will warm you right up, Dad," Rapunzel places the plate on his lap.

"Oh, thank you..."

"Oh, how is he?" Trevor appears into the room. "Has he improved? Oh, this is my nephew, Trevor the 3rd," King Trevor gestures to his duplicate next to him. "He's visiting me from the south of Equis and he was just…enamored by Corona."

And by Corona, he means Harmony.

"How many Trevors are there?" Varian leans in to whisper to Harmony.

"More than I'd like to know," She rolls her eyes.

"Oh, mournful day! Poor, fragile Frederic has come down with the sniffles! Oh, and see how he shivers!" He shakes the king and Harmony smacks his arms away.

"Stop that, he's going to be fine."

"Alack! Why must bad things happen to good people? If only my strong, capable arms could've shielded him from the water's chill! Here, let me," He takes the soup and blows onto the spoon, feeding Frederic.

"He's acting...weird," Varian stares at him.

"He's a jerk, he's obviously got something plan-"

Trevor the 3rd suddenly steps in between the two teens.

"You must be the temporary Crown Princess Harmony," He bows to her. "Charmed."

"Uh, hi? But I was talking to-"

"Oh, nonsense!" He interrupts, getting a glare from Varian. The boy takes her hand and kisses it, the alchemist gritting his teeth. "I've been traveling with my uncle all this time, and I am just dying to talk to someone my age."

"Well...I guess it couldn't hurt," Harmony bites her lip. He takes her by the arm and walks away. Varian clenches his fists, glaring at Trevor the 3rd. Rapunzel and Eugene see this, feeling dread. First Harmony was jealous, and now it's Varian...

"I must compliment you on what you've done to the kingdom," King Trevor speaks up, holding Frederic over his shoulder. "It's always been a jewel, but with you in charge, it truly...shines."

"Ha ha, thanks," Rapunzel replies in a strained tone, giving him a suspicious look.

"Alas, I wish I could stay, but I'm taking Trevor Jr and my nephew Sea Serpent watching tomorrow."

This gets Arianna's attention. "Sea serpent watching? Really?" She turns to him.

"Yes, majestic, beautiful creatures they are. You wouldn't want to join me, would you?" He walks up to the queen.

"Would I ever?! I'd love to," Arianna answers eagerly.

"Who does he think he is with his pompous pants and riches and...ugh!" Varian growls in anger towards the two teenagers talking.

"He just wants a friend, Varian. True, he is related to King Trevor, but Harmony loves you."

"Does she? The next day, she might be leaving me for that...for that jerk!" Varian gestures to the two teens. Trevor the 3rd laughs at something Harmony says, lightly touching her arm. "See? He's already making moves on her!"

"You know, you're majestic and beautiful like the sea serpents we're going to see tomorrow," The prince tells Harmony and she clears her throat awkwardly.

"Ah, thank you…"

Varian felt like strangling him at this point. How dare he compliment her like that?

"Are you sure you're not just...jealous?" Eugene puts his hands behind his back with a tiny smirk.

"Jealous?! I-I'm not jealous! What makes you think that?" Varian crosses his arms, looking away with a tiny blush.

"He's stuttering!" Rapunzel points at him. "He's definitely jealous! Aww, Varian!"

"I AM NOT!"

He sees Harmony and Trevor the 3rd look in his direction. Varian panics and hides his blushing face behind his hand.

"D-Did they notice?"

"Noticed what? You screaming?" Eugene smiles a little. "It looks like Brownie did because she's coming this way."

"What?!"

He peeks between his fingers to see Harmony walking right towards him. Varian quickly uncovers his face and stands between the two adults, smiling widely.

"Hey Vari," She has a smirk on her lips, which makes him sweat. "Just wanted to let you know that we'll sign the book tomorrow once I get rid of Mr. Clingy over there," She jerks a thumb to the boy.

"Wait," Varian blinks at her. "You don't like him?"

"Course not. He's too much like his uncle, who is already annoying enough," She rolls her eyes. "I don't need a reminder that they're both jerks."

He jumps forward and hugs her in relief, surprising the princess. She looks up at Eugene and Rapunzel, who are smiling. She returns the hug and Trevor the 3rd sees them embracing, clenching a fist.

"Princess, would you like to see the serpents with us tomorrow?" He asks her and she smiles weakly.

"Sure, as long as Vari-"

"Oh, no, you see, he's not invited," Trevor the 3rd points to the glaring alchemist. "My uncle wants it to just be the four of us."

"Oh...okay," Harmony looks to Varian apologetically. Rapunzel glares at the four.

"Um, excuse me, King Trevor," Rapunzel steps between him and Arianna. "May I speak with you a moment? Along with your darling nephew?" She pushes them away into the hall. "In private?" She takes a frying pan and hits them with it.

"You are not fooling anyone, busters!" Rapunzel tells them as they wake up in her room. "You've come to woo my mother and my sister. Well, I've got bad news for you," She's tied them up in her hair. "There will be no wooing of any kind. This is a no-woo zone," She steps up to them with a threatening look, holding the frying pan to the king's chin. "While this princess is princessing."

"It is true. Long ago, I was naïve enough to think that I could woo fair Arianna. But she remains married to Frederic and I respect the institution of marriage too much! Inter kingdom law demands that I do..."

"And what's your story?" She turns her frying pan to the sweating prince.

"I-I did like your sister at first description from my uncle, but she's with that alchemist boy, so I respect that!"

"Alright. But I'm watching you," She glares at them over her shoulder. Pascal points between his eyes and them as they leave. The two grin at each other.

* * *

"Trevor says that he respects inter kingdom law," Rapunzel says to the boys the next morning. "But I know that he and his nephew are up to something. It's just figuring out what..."

Frederic glares at Eugene, who was about to break an egg. He moves away his fork and starts wiping the egg with a napkin.

"Dad! How can you just sit there?" Rapunzel asks him. "Don't you wanna go with them? And you too, Varian?"

"I don't like this at all, Rapunzel, but _I'm not invited_," Varian mocks the nephew, huffing as he crosses his arms.

"The sea makes me queasy. Besides, he did ask. But even if I were to join them, how would I best Trevor? He has it all...a thirst for adventure, a barge, a pet seal. I haven't a barge...nor an adventure thirst. Nor a seal..." He frowns sadly.

"And...his nephew can give Mona things that I can't..." Varian frowns at the blonde. "She says that she doesn't like him, but he's charming! He knows how to sweet-talk her, and I can't do that. I-I...I'm not sure if your sister and I...are really meant to be together..." He plays with his spoon.

"Nor do you have to sail a hundred miles out to see a couple of sea lizards, ha ha. Up high," Eugene holds up a hand, but the king crosses his arms. "And Brownie loves you, Goggles! You two were meant to be together, you disguised yourself just so you could meet her at the Contest of Crowns. You both love science, and you two risked a lot for each other...she would never betray you."

"Thanks, Eugene..." Varian smiles slightly, having a little more faith in his girlfriend. She's a princess and yet she still chose him. That meant a lot...she was the only one who has shown as much kindness as she had during his...previous actions.

"Wait...Max, may I see your Corona law handbook?"

He hands it to Rapunzel on a dagger and she opens it up. Max points to a page and flips it, which she reads. "Uhh, they're not taking them to see sea serpents. They're taking them outside the inter-kingdom waters."

"Um, yeah, cause that's where the sea serpents are," Lance leans towards Frederic. "You gonna eat the other half of that?"

He gives Lance his food and Eugene drops his hand. "No?"

"Laws don't apply out there, not even marriage!" Rapunzel closes the book. "They're going to try to marry my mother and my sister!"

"WHAT?!" Varian stands up in alarm. "There is no way I'm allowing that to happen!"

"We've gotta catch that boat!"

They run away from the table, and Frederic comes back for the eggs, following after them.

* * *

"They're still so far ahead of us!" Rapunzel looks up ahead with a telescope as they're on a boat. "Can't this thing go any faster?!"

"Must I remind you I am prone to seasickness?" Frederic protests as he's tied to the mast. Up ahead in front of King Trevor's boat, the four see the serpents.

"Magnificent, isn't she?" King Trevor puts a hand to his heart. "Sorry, I was talking to myself. About you."

He and his seal high-five, Harmony rolling her eyes nearby.

"Gross," She crosses her arms over the railing, sliding in between King Trevor and her mom, smiling sweetly. King Trevor glares at her.

"Speaking of magnificence, Trevor Jr, fetch my precious sea crystal. I discovered this not long ago on a snorkeling expedition." He's handed the large blue crystal. "You like it. I can tell. And it could be yours, if you were to become my queen."

"All of this," Trevor the 3rd pulls out the box, revealing the exquisite jewelry. "Is yours if you agree to become my wife."

"Your queen? I-I don't understand," Arianna says in confusion.

"Your WIFE?!" Harmony screeches at the boy. "We're 16!"

"Oh, Arianna, don't you see? We've so much more in common than say, you and boring Frederic," King Trevor approaches Arianna and she backs up.

"Frederic isn't boring at all. He's well-read and has a knowledge of rare eggs...and I find him fascinating," She smiles softly.

"Did I say wife?" The boy smiles widely. "I meant...lifelong companion."

"Fascinating? Ha! So it's a grand romantic gesture you want, eh?" King Trevor moves away his cape, revealing a book in his hands. The two gasp at it.

"Is that the...no..."

"Herz Der Sonne's diary?! Oui! Oui, it is! I thought we could sign it to commemorate this day." He sees the pages that have not only the king and queen's names on them, but the page with Varian and Harmony's names circle. He rips them out, to their horror. "Forget that nonsense. Oh, what do you say, dearest Arianna?"

King Trevor bends down on one knee.

"Help better be on the way, like _now_!" Harmony runs up to the edge, looking around for a ship.

"Oh, princess~" Trevor the 3rd sings, causing her to roll her eyes. "Will you dance with me?"

"Dance? With you? Never," She snorts, walking away. The boy looks to his uncle for help and he notices a piano. He pushes one of the seals towards it.

"C minor, C minor!" He orders, the seal playing a soft tune. "Ladies and gentlemen!" The queen and Trevor the 3rd turn around to him and he smirks at his nephew. "I'd like to dedicate this song to Princess Harmony and my nephew!"

Harmony stops in her tracks as a spotlight falls on her. She turns around towards the man in disbelief. "Harmony, princess...will you honor me with this dance?" The prince holds out a hand to her and she recoils back in disgust. She looks up at the seal, glancing away awkwardly. She couldn't exactly say no...it'd be rude...

He smiles, gesturing to the dance floor. She reluctantly takes his hand, and he drags her into the middle of it all. He puts one hand around her waist and the other taking hold of hers.

"No funny stuff," She warns him and he just chuckles.

"Harmony, my dearest," He spins them around swiftly. "I wouldn't dream of it. Life is full of surprises after all."

Rapunzel gasps as she sees the exchanges from her spot. "He's asking Mom to sign the diary, and his nephew is dancing with my sister!"

"Does _everybody_ get to sign this book but me and you?!" Eugene exclaims in annoyance.

"We gotta hurry!" Rapunzel looks to Pascal and Daisy for help. Daisy flaps her wings in front of the sail, Pascal blowing on it. Frederic helps them out.

"Alright, guys!" Varian declares as they're heading towards Trevor's ship. He's standing near the flag, holding onto a rope. "Let's crash this party!"

Trevor Jr barks up ahead. "Trevor, I think you have the wrong idea," Arianna states to the man.

"Darling, hold that thought," He holds up a hand, turning to the seal. "Trevor Jr, this better be important."

He sees the other ship. "Interrupt our evening of courtship, will you? I think not. Trevor, call in...the Navy Seals!"

Trevor Jr howls and black seals dive into the water, heading towards them.

"Incoming!" Rapunzel shouts in a panic.

"Brace yourselves!" The alchemist calls out.

Trevor the 3rd spins Harmony around, letting her go. She stares at him as he puts a rose in his mouth, twirling around and stepping towards her. Arianna couldn't help but look at them in worry.

"I can give you so much more than that...boy. He has no money to offer you," He tells the princess.

"That doesn't matter to me," Harmony frowns deeply. "Love isn't about money, it's about cherishing that person for who they are. And I accept Varian for who he is."

He just laughs it off.

The seals dive upwards and hit the front, causing a hole. "Hole in the boat! There's a hole in the boat!" Lance shouts to Eugene.

"We're taking on water!"

"Somebody untie me!" Frederic yells from the mast.

"Max, help my dad," Rapunzel points to him, and the four animals pull. Trever laughs at their struggle.

"Oh, oh, alack! I do wish we could help you all, but my future queen and I must return to-"

Arianna turns around and punches him in the face. "I'm not going anywhere with you! Nobody messes with my daughters! Hold on, Rapunzel!" She turns the ship around to go help them.

The ship is already turned upside, part of it breaking underneath the boy. Varian starts sinking towards the water. "Varian!" Lance calls out, but the boy manages to climb up towards them before he could fall in.

Trevor the 3rd shakes his shoulders while staring at Harmony in flirtation, spinning the rose in his mouth. He then moves them forward, to her dismay.

Max gets smacked across the face by a tail, another seal knocking everyone down. The seals surround the group, and they give each other a signal to go back to the water.

"Anyone wanna guess why they're leaving while they are winning?"

"Oh, knowing our luck, probably something bad..." Lance answers slowly. Rapunzel looks up ahead as something circles around the water. A sea serpent rises out of the sky, roaring at them. It dives for them, and they jump out of the way.

"Grab whatever you can to fend it off," Rapunzel glares at it.

"Stand back!" Lance stands up bravely. "The overgrown snake is mine!" He holds an anchor in his hands, flinging it forward, but it creates a hole in the ship. "Sorry! I overestimated my strength..."

"We're sinking fast!"

Varian sees the two dancing as the ship arrives and grunts. "Get me up there!"

Rapunzel takes a hold of his waist with her hair, throwing him forward. He tries not to scream so as not to get their attention as he lands on the side, gripping his gloves to the bannister.

Harmony and Trevor the 3rd come to a stop. He spits out the rose and dips her, leaning in for a kiss. She looks around nervously and puts the rose back in her mouth. No way was she kissing this creep. She smiles sheepishly and he decides to let it go, spinning her back around onto her feet.

Varian starts to climb up the ship, seeing Arianna. He gestures for her to pull him up and she does so. He sees a ladder and throws it over the edge to them. The boy whistles with his mouth for them to come forward.

"Come on!"

They all cheer for him. Max whinnies, jumping onto the ladders followed by the others. "Dad, come on!"

The sea serpent destroys what was left of the ship, leaving him in the water. "Help!"

"Frederic!" Arianna dives into the water. "I gotcha."

"Arianna...thank you."

"They do love each other so much..." King Trevor stares at them.

"I know, isn't it beautiful?" Lance starts crying.

Varian gets up, standing there bravely. He sees the young prince dip Harmony again, leaning in for another kiss.

"Stop!"

He gasps as he sees his rival. "Get off her," Varian narrows his eyes.

The boy kisses her anyway. "No..." He murmurs in horror, he's gonna lose her.

Once Trevor the 3rd pulls away, he smiles at the princess. She simply stares at him, caressing his cheek...and then she knocks him on the head with a frying pan.

"Huh...I finally see the appeal behind these things," She grins at the frying pan she got from Rapunzel as a gift. "No one kisses me and gets away with it!" Harmony points at the prince, turning around to her boyfriend. "There's only one person who can..."

She throws away the pan, looking up at Varian.

They both smile at each other and she runs up to him. He picks her up by the waist and spins her around, laughing. The others smile at the moment, well, except for King Trevor of course.

He puts her down, still holding her waist. Then he shakes his head, remembering her laughter with the prince. "W-Wait...but I thought you wanted...well, someone like him..." He glances away towards the unconscious prince on the ground.

"I don't want _him_...when I already have you."

Varian grins and holds her hand. With the other, he cups her cheek and kisses her softly. She squeezes his hand, closing her eyes and returning it.

The sea serpent rises out of the water, gripping the king and queen.

"Mom, Dad, no!" The two sisters shout at this.

"Arianna..." Frederic stares at her. "If this is the end...there's nobody else I'd rather be with."

"Oh...me neither, Frederic," She smiles, and they share a kiss. Rapunzel closes the serpent's mouth shut with her hair.

"Watch your mouth!"

Harmony helps her pull, but the snake tugs, and they fly out of the ship. "Rapunzel! Brownie! Let go!" Eugene calls out.

"I can't!" Rapunzel shouts as Harmony holds on as best as she can. They land on the snout, Harmony slightly dizzy and so is Rapunzel. Eugene steers the ship around, the serpent placing the king and queen down. They luckily land on Max.

"Mona, your black rocks!" Varian calls out to her.

"I can't, we're surrounded by water!"

"Seal team, strike and strike true!" King Trevor declares, his nephew still unconscious from what Harmony did to him. He and Trevor Jr jump off the ship, sliding down the snake's back and rescuing the two princesses. The Navy Seals swim into the water in a circle, creating a whirlpool. This drags the sea serpent into the sea.

"YEAH!" Lance cheers as the two sisters are brought back to the ship. The seals scatter as the sea serpent rises out of the water again.

"Now let's get out of here!" Rapunzel runs up to the wheel, only for the sail to be eaten. The sea serpent wraps around the ship, taking out the wheel as well. The sea serpent rises as it roars in front of them. "If anybody knows how to make her stop, all suggestions are welcome!"

"I don't know what's wrong with her. They're not known to be aggressive."

"They are if something that belongs to her is on this ship..." Varian glances around, Trevor the 3rd finally waking up and shouting in fear.

"Mommy!"

The alchemist smirks, he may be poor, but at least he's not a coward.

The sea crystal drops nearby and Frederic picks it up. "What...?" He looks between it and the serpent. He walks up to the sea snake.

"Dad!" Rapunzel calls out. "What are you doing?"

"She doesn't want us," He looks to the crystal in his hand. "She wants this!" He holds it up and it shines. King Trevor sees it from his spot.

"My sea crystal!"

"It's no crystal: it's a serpent egg!" Frederic reveals, to the disbelief of Harmony. She scoffs, grabbing the nephew by the collar and shaking him.

"You two snatched a sea serpent egg, thinking it was a crystal?! How dare you? You endangered our LIVES!"

"...Um..." He sweats a bit. "At least I'm rich?"

She kicks him where the sun doesn't shine and he falls to the floor, holding his area. Frederic gives the sea snake the serpent, which only snorts before leaving.

"Oh, Frederic!" Arianna runs up to him, giving the man a hug. "You were so brave!" She kisses his cheek.

"Well, you know me," He rubs his neck. "Ha ha. I'm very brave."

The two sisters smile at the exchange.

* * *

They return to dock, approaching the damaged ship. "It's so good to see you two together," Rapunzel smiles at her parents, Harmony nodding in agreement. She turns to Eugene with a small grin.

"So long, Corona! I believe this belongs to you," King Trevor throws the journal into Rapunzel's hands.

"You know, maybe this guy does have a heart," Eugene comments, Harmony glaring up at the nephew.

"Try to marry me if I ever see you again, and you'll regret it," She threatens to him.

"You don't see anything good about me?" He gestures to himself boastfully.

"No, because you're a coward. Unlike Vari, who was pretty brave today. He's more of a man than you'll ever be," Harmony kisses her boyfriend's cheek and he laughs bashfully, rubbing the back of his neck.

"W-Well...I didn't want to lose you...I guess that feeling accelerated today. After all, every princess needs their prince to rescue them. Like with your parents or Rapunzel and Eugene..."

She smiles softly at him.

Rapunzel opens up the book, water spilling from it. "Oh no! Herz Der Sonne's diary! It's destroyed!"

"Then again, snakes have hearts too..."

"Merci beaucoup and toodleoo to you, buffoons!" He dives into the water, carried off by Trevor Jr.

"Parting is such sweet sorrow, princess," Trevor the 3rd waves to Harmony. Varian throws a chem ball at the plank he's standing on. It disintegrates and the boy falls into the water, spitting some out. Harmony laughs at him and they watch him be taken away by a seal. The alchemist smirks slightly. Varian got the last laugh today, clearly.

"All those memories..." Rapunzel turns to her parents sadly.

"Oh, honey, it's okay. We can make new ones. The important thing is that we're all safe, and we have daughters we love so much."

"And I can't think of anything more wonderful," Frederic agrees with a smile.

"Aww," Harmony comments at this. Rapunzel looks at the book, smiling up at her parents as she has an idea.

* * *

"You may not have your memories...but you have each other," Rapunzel leads them to the room for the book. "So, Harmi and I made a new Book of Hearts," She holds it out as it has flowers, birds, and a heart with the Corona symbol in the middle.

"Oh, girls. It's beautiful." Arianna opens up the book.

"Oh, that's not your page. It's ours," She smiles towards Eugene, holding up a quill. He smiles as he takes one and together, they sign the book. The two share a brief kiss, Pascal playing music. Varian and Harmony smile at the two.

"I think it's your turn," Eugene holds out the quills to them. Varian bows to the princess, a goofy smile on his face.

"Shall we, milady?"

She giggles at him, taking his hand. "We shall, my prince."

Rapunzel squeals at the moment as Varian guides her to the book. Harmony signs her name first to the left page and Varian follows. Both of them smile at each other lovingly.

"They all remind me of when we were young."

"Oh, I know," Arianna chuckles a little. "We were such opposites."

Frederic laughs in agreement. "Yes."

Looks of realization hit their faces as they stammer. "Did we just?"

"How did we?"

The two daughters gasp. "You remembered something. Your memories are starting to come back!" Rapunzel says happily as they share a family hug.

"I guess the heart always remembers..." Frederic states as the four smile. Eugene and Varian look at the family, grinning towards each other.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Harmony asks Varian, who's guiding her down the grass at night.

"Well, Mona, since our anniversary passed, and after that whole kidnapping and...attempted marriage, I figured to do something nice and relaxing. I have it all prepared!" He says proudly, causing her to laugh a little. Trevor the 3rd had nothing on Varian. He'd never force her to do anything she didn't want to do. She's only 16, she's not emotionally ready for marriage yet.

They make it to a grassy field of blue flowers. There's a decent sized blanket and a picnic basket in front of them. Varian sits down on the blanket, pulling her down gently for her to sit next to him.

"Edmund didn't eat this one, did he?" She gives a small smile to the basket.

"No," Varian chuckles at her. "Edmund free, and everything is in there."

"So, I have to ask, why are we here at night? This is when the moths like to attack," Harmony teases him.

"I know, I know, you hate bugs. This isn't just some ordinary field, Mona. It's actually a pretty amazing sight, especially for science." He smiles and goes through the basket, pulling out a weird horn. Varian holds it out to her.

"You're giving me a horn?"

"You have to play it," He chuckles at her.

"I haven't played an instrument in so long."

"And Ruthless Ruth on your birthday didn't count?" He asks playfully. She gives him a teasing look, shoving him lightly before playing the horn with the right amount of power. Suddenly, the flowers around them start to twinkle and glow, lighting the entire field in a blue aura. Harmony gasps, standing up and dropping the horn. She bends down and touches one of the flowers. It shakes and lets out sparkly golden particles. She giggles and the golden particles start to rise above the two, surrounding them. Fireflies glow in the dark as they eye their surroundings, completely lost in it. It was like they were in an entirely different world...

Harmony could suddenly sense something and looks at Varian, who's holding a flower in his hand.

"Since Rapunzel and Eugene have their thing by going out to the lake...maybe we could make this ours?" He smiles sheepishly. She looks at the plant and smiles softly, sitting in front of him. He tucks the flower into her hair, caressing her cheek and making her blush. She stares into his eyes.

She loves his eyes.

Then Varian brings her face closer to hers and their lips connect. Her heart beats in a way it's never done before as he brings her closer to him, slowly lying her down onto the blanket. All is calm as it felt like they were the only two people on the planet.

Harmony suddenly pulls away, looking up at him with half-lidded eyes. "What about the food?"

"Forget the food."

She smiles, tackling him and continuing their make-out. He catches her in his arms and his iconic dorky smile is on his face as he wraps both arms around her waist.

**Angel: If the part where Trevor's nephew and Harmony dance with Varian storming the boat is familiar, that's because it's from Shrek 2!**


	59. Day of the Animals

Hamuel is flying in the sky, hanging onto Pascal's legs. He's actually upside down, though, Pascal holding out his arms. The two land right on Max's face as he's walking down a path in the forest. Pascal looks up to see his annoyed glare, and he smiles widely, waving. Daisy, from Varian's shoulder, shakes her head slowly at them, chirping. Max throws them off past everyone and they land right in front of a blue dress, which is Harmony who's holding a clipboard.

She sighs at the two animals, finishing with the inventory check to make sure nothing was lost or stolen. Hamuel caws at Daisy, dancing around her, but she just looks at him in annoyance. She wants nothing to do with him or acknowledge the fact that he has a crush on her...which is clearly unrequited. But he doesn't seem to be getting the hint that she is not interested in him, much to her chargin.

"Oop! Careful, you two," Rapunzel walks up to them. "We don't wanna break this stuff before we get to Neserdnia." She takes Pascal into her hand, patting the crow on the head.

"That's right," Kiera speaks up. "Cause once me and Catalina return this last sack of stolen loot, we will have officially put our thieving days behind us!"

"Oh, I can't wait to get my hands on a copper-plated alembic from the Neserdnian market!" Varian says in excitement. "Do you have any idea how many poly-alchemical substration tests I'll be able to run?"

Kiera looks up ahead in boredom. "Anyone wanna switch seats with me?"

"Kiera!" Harmony rolls her eyes at the girl. She stands up and joins Varian's side. "Anyway, I'm in it for the aluminum. I'm gonna need it for my next project: I'm gonna make a security system for my lab so that people can stop using it for themselves. AKA Lance," She glances away in slight annoyance. She has had it with him using it for his pad when he has somewhere to sleep in the castle. He's left food droppings everywhere, got smudges on her blueprints, and she didn't even want to get started on what he did to her latest prototype.

"Wouldn't steel be stronger?" He raises a brow at her, Kiera tapping her foot out of boredom. She loved them, but sometimes they could be a little...overenthusiastic about their hobbies.

"Hypothetically," She rubs her chin, kissing his cheek. "But as long as it does its job, I don't care."

Rapunzel hums slightly at the two. "We're happy to have you along, Varian," She tells him. "Plus, I'm hoping once Max and Ruddiger spend some time together, they can finally become friends."

They look up ahead to Max, who looks away with an annoyed whinny. "Doubtful, but not impossible," Harmony states to her sister. "But hopefully Daisy can play nice with Hamuel."

"I think it's cute he's got a little crush on her…even though she clearly doesn't like him in that way," Rapunzel smiles optimistically. "He's got a lot going for him, he's…um…" She can't really of anything good to say about him.

"I don't think Hamuel's her type," Kiera shakes her head.

Max looks up at a tree and sees an apple. He beams at it, and Harmony sees where his eyes landed. "Oh, I can get that for you, Max."

She turns around to get her quiver, but Ruddiger jumps off the wagon. He crawls up the tree and when Max goes for the apple, Ruddiger switches it for a pinecone. Max bites into that instead, and the wagon comes to a stop. He spits it out, glaring at Ruddiger, who waves the apple on his tail. Pascal facepalms as Daisy rolls her eyes. He crawls over to Max, gesturing for the horse to take it easy. Max tries to wiggle him off, jumping a bit towards the raccoon.

He mocks Max with the apple, angering him. The wagon jerks to the right slightly, knocking a sea shell pendant out of one of the bags.

"Whoa!" Rapunzel exclaims as both animals hold onto the apple. "What happened?"

"Ruddiger," Harmony warns him as Catalina goes towards the bags to see what fell. The animals turn to her.

"What is this?" Catalina picks up the pendant. "I don't remember stealing it. Mom, did you see this in the bag?"

"No, strangely," She raises a brow as she inspects it.

"Oh. Whatever it is, it's...beautiful," Rapunzel comments at the necklace.

"And I bet it's pretty valuable," Kiera adds in.

"Uh, gang, hi, hello, speaking of valuables? We might wanna stow the loot. We're coming up on Deadman's Curve," Varian points to the path up ahead. "Yeah, it's a hotbed of highway robbery." An owl hoots despite the fact that they're nocturnal. Someone runs past and Varian hides a bit behind Rapunzel's hair.

"Where was that bravery when you went to go rescue Mom from Trevor the 3rd?" Catalina giggles at him.

"Relax, V," Kiera smiles in amusement. "Real thieves don't waste their time on here. It's mostly for hacks and knuckleheads."

Someone lands in front of them. "Hand over the goods!" Dwayne points his sword at them.

"Or in this case, both," Catalina states at his appearance.

"Hi Dwayne," The girls say in unison.

"Oh nuts," He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, waving. "Hello Princesses."

"Dwayne, what did we talk about last time you were caught trying to steal?" Rapunzel looks at him in disapproval.

"Don't do it..." He kicks away a rock. Honestly, it was like scolding a child rather than a grown man...or in this case, a child in a man's body.

"Dwayne, this is the third time we've seen you. And it's not the charm," Harmony crosses her arms at him.

"Huh?" He asks in confusion, not understanding what she's trying to say. She sighs, facepalming.

"You're basically busted!"

"I-I promise, I'll never steal again. In fact, I'm gonna look for an honest job right now!" He walks right past them as Ruddiger licks his lips at the apple in Max's satchel. "Nice running into you! Enjoy your trip!"

He disappears into the bushes. "One of these days, I need to mark knucklehead over him," Harmony shakes her head slowly, the two girls giggling. Ruddiger steals the apple, only to come face-to-face with Max. He runs off with it, and the horse chases after him. He runs up running around a tree, everyone but Kiera screaming in fear.

"Guys, cut it out!" Rapunzel yells at the two.

"Whoa! Down, Max!" Harmony manages to stand up, jumping onto the horse. She grabs the reins. "Easy, boy. Easy."

He doesn't listen as he jumps around and it honestly feels like she's trying to ride a bull as Max jumps around side-to-side. Her hair goes flying at his movements. He slides to a stop as Ruddiger smiles, gesturing to the apple.

"Ruddiger, get down here!" Varian orders him, Pascal appearing out of nowhere and taking the apple. He runs across the tree branch, only to trip from Hamuel. Daisy takes flight, snatching the apple, but Ruddiger grabs it, and the animals scramble around Harmony fighting over it. Max continues to shake, spinning the wagon again.

"Max! Oh, this seemed better in my heaaaaad!" Harmony hollers, and he finally throws her off. She goes flying and she realizes where she's gonna land. "No, no, no, no, no!"

She lands right into a mud puddle, sliding to a stop. The carriage stops as all four animals freeze, staring at the girl. Her whole upper body is in the mud, her face planted in it.

"Mom!" Catalina stands up as Varian jumps out of the wagon, running over to her. The girl sits up slowly, and he helps her up.

"Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not," She answers in annoyance, her entire dress, face, and hair covered in mud. She frowns as she looks at herself, Kiera bouncing up and down.

"Do that again!"

"Yeah, not gonna happen," Harmony dusts some dirt off her clothes, flicking some mud off her hand. Some of the flowers had fallen out of her hair. She glares up at the animals, who had started fighting again once they saw she was okay. "I've had enough of this." She whistles at them with two fingers and they stop in place. "Alright guys, line up."

They do so like soldiers, feeling a bit ashamed as they see her state. "Do you guys remember that this is a trip and not the time to be fighting? If you keep this up, _someone _might get hurt," She holds her sleeved arm, tugging down the sleeve to reveal a slight bruise she got from the fall.

"We are supposed to be there and back in 2 days time because the king and queen are still recovering their memories. So I expect you all to get along and get over your petty fights!"

They nod slowly and Hamuel grabs the pendant, having apparently ignored her. He throws it at the apple, and pulls it back to him. The animals start fighting for it again.

Harmony walks back to the wagon in annoyance, followed by Varian. He digs into his backpack and takes out a cloth, helping to clean up her face first.

"Ugh, I hate mud," She groans at her clothes. "I look awful."

"I dunno, you look beautiful to me," Varian murmurs while checking out her arm. She blushes a bit at the almost quiet comment. He reaches out to a bush and gets a white lily, breaking off the stem. He slowly puts it in her hair, caressing her cheek softly. "See? Now you look even more beautiful."

"Vari!" She giggles bashfully, blushing.

"ENOUGH!" Rapunzel shouts at the top of her lungs. They freeze in place, looking up at her. "Maybe it's time for you all to just shake hands and get along. I mean, shake hoof and tail...or beak and paw. Is that what raccoons have? Paws? I can never remember if it's paws or feet."

Ruddiger looks at his hands.

"It's paws," Harmony mutters as Varian bandages up her wrist.

"Thank you! Just shake what you've got and get on with it."

The sea shell pendant in Hamuel's mouth starts to glow, Ruddiger grabbing for the apple. The five stare at the necklace as it starts to glow, a yellow light going over to them.

"Whoa!" They all shout as suddenly, they're thrusted through a portal, landing on various pillows inside the necklace! The animals move away as the pendant glows pink, with the humans nowhere to be found on the wagon. They stare at the apple and pendant. Ruddiger goes for it, but Max stops him. Ruddiger shakes his fist with a glare, taking off with both the fruit and the necklace. Max chases after the raccoon, and when Ruddiger runs past a flower, the necklace's chain gets stuck. It's released from the apple, flying past Max. He looks over his shoulder to see it land on the grass. Unfortunately for him, he gets stuck into a small space between the tree trunk and the branch. The wagon is released from him as he tries to get free.

The five inside the necklace sit up to see Hamuel's eye staring down at them from the jewel. "Okay...either we've somehow been magically shrunk down and imprisoned inside the shell pendant..." Rapunzel doesn't finish her sentence.

"Or...?" Catalina asks curiously.

"Or...yeah, sorry, I was hoping I'd think of something more positive-sounding by the time I finished that thought, but I've got nothing."

The two girls give a look of sadness. "It's okay, it's okay. We'll find a way out of here," She gets onto her feet. "We have been in much worse situations...definitely not weirder, but worse."

"I'm covered in mud, I got bruised, and now we're stuck inside here. Worst. Day. Ever," Harmony narrows her eyes in annoyance. "But really, sis? We've been stuck inside a mirror, turned into birds, got stranded on an island for 6 weeks with tiny leaf people-"

"Okay, yes, all of that happened to us," Rapunzel agrees with her sister.

"Wait, what?" Kiera asks them in confusion.

"Long stories, haven't gotten that far yet," Harmony waves it off for them to discuss it another time.

"What have I ever done to deserve this?!" Kiera asks in agony.

"D-Didn't you steal from...you know, dozens of people?"

"Vari!" Harmony scolds him slightly.

"Oh, right...we're doomed," She throws a pillow at his face, causing Harmony to laugh. He catches it and is about to throw it when Rapunzel takes it out of his hands.

"Chin up, guys. I get Max and the others are already on their way to get help," She smiles softly at the girls. "I'm sure we will be free in no time."

"If they don't tear each other apart first," Harmony whispers to Varian. Max is trying to get free from his spot, Hamuel flying into the tree. Daisy flies over to him, trying to pull him out, but he's a 1,200 pound horse...

Hamuel caws again to get Daisy's attention, a rose in his mouth as flamenco music plays. She stares at him blankly as he hops closer to her, and she pushes him away.

Ruddiger chitters in laughter over Max's situation, Daisy chirping at him in anger, blaming him for their situation. Max tries again to pull himself out, Dwayne arriving back.

"Say, Princesses, do you think I could catch a lift back into-" He sees the pendant on the ground, looking towards the animals, who are too distracted to notice him. "Aha..." He takes it into his hands, grinning widely.

Max, with some struggle, finally manages to get himself out, landing right on Ruddiger. Daisy chirps in laughter, pointing to the raccoon. The horse looks around and sees that the shell pendant with their friends inside is now gone.

He sits up and walks off, Pascal and Ruddiger squished onto his bottom. They land on the grass, looking to the spot where the necklace was. Max and Ruddiger start sniffing around to locate them, the horse finding some footprints heading forward. He whinnies, pointing in that direction. He turns to Pascal and they both smile. Pascal looks to Ruddiger, who finds footprints from his end, pointing in the other direction. Max looks to the raccoon, who insists on his way. The chameleon looks to the horse, who whinnies for them to go his way. Pascal and Daisy look between the two, conflicted on where to go as the two point to their way.

The horse and raccoon storm up to each other, butting heads over it as Pascal and Daisy push them slightly apart. Max whinnies and goes his way. Ruddiger crosses his arms stubbornly, Pascal shrugging and pointing forward. Max can literally track anything with his nose, so it would make sense to go his way...

Daisy flies after them since it was better to be a team than to be split apart and get lost. Ruddiger chitters in surprise that they're not following him. He chitters in defeat, following after them with a deep frown on his face.

* * *

But it turns out that Ruddiger was correct as Dwayne is in his direction. He's wearing the pendant as he chuckles.

"Swiped it from right under their noses. Stupid animals. Serves 'em right. I hate animals." He comes face-to-face with a vulture, cringing. "Not birds, though. I love birds! Especially giant, scary birds," He shakes a bit, the vulture screeching. He runs away from it.

Rapunzel is standing at the bottom as Varian is standing on her shoulders, then Kiera on his shoulders, and finally Catalina. It's already enough for her to reach the top, and if Harmony joined, she'd be pressing against the ceiling. The teenage girl is standing next to her sister, looking up at the small chain.

"Well? What can you see?" Rapunzel asks Catalina, who's looking out the gem.

"Um...it looks like we're moving."

"W-Where is Max taking us?" Varian couldn't help but ask. Catalina moves her eyes upwards and groans at the sight.

"Max isn't the one carrying us." She knows it's him because of his nose and hair. "Dwayne is."

"...Ugh, nooo," Harmony pinches her nose at this news. Out of all of the people they got stuck with, it had to be him...

He reaches the river and a raft, standing onto it. "Hey, Catalina? Do you think you could push that jewel out of its setting?" Rapunzel calls out.

"Oh yeah, good idea, good idea," Varian agrees with her. "If you can, you might able to squeeze through that opening."

"I can try," She tries pushing it. "It's in there pretty good!"

"Do you have your arrows?" Varian looks to Harmony, who shakes her head no.

"No, I left those in the wagon when we got sucked in."

"Maybe you could use your black rocks to pierce through it," Rapunzel turns to the girl. She frowns a bit in worry, crossing her arms.

"But that could be dangerous to use inside a small space!" She looks up at the girls, not wanting to hurt them as she holds her left hand protectively.

"You can at least try!" Kiera turns her head around.

* * *

Max follows the footprints, the chameleon and raccoon trailing after him. Both of them look exhausted since it was a long path, but Daisy doesn't since she has wings. They continue forward, looking towards the horse as he points past the bushes. He pushes past them, expecting to find the thief, but he only finds a boot. They inspect the shoe, and it starts moving on its own. Hamuel emerges from it, cawing as he hops forward...making the same footprints they've been following.

Daisy turns red in anger for him wasting their time, swooping after him. She tackles him onto the ground, the other animals cringing as they look on. Smacks are heard and then Daisy sweeps her hands, leaving a beat-up Hamuel and the boot tied all over his body. However, he seems to like her even more.

Ruddiger starts arguing with Max, since he thinks it's his fault. Pascal follows the path, finding the river. He also finds Dwayne with the pendant!

He squeaks at the three, trying to get their attention. They see the pendant and Max throws Ruddiger onto his tail, running down the path to follow Dwayne. Daisy takes off after them in flight. He doesn't see them because his eyes are closed. Max runs onto a rock, landing back on the grass. He jumps over a bush as he speeds up, crawling underneath a branch. He suddenly skids to a stop as he reaches a different path from the river...which Max can't cross on his own. Dwayne ends up going to the right and they could only stare.

Max narrows his eyes in determination.

* * *

"Alright...Catalina, duck your head as much as you can," Harmony instructs and the red-haired girl tilts her head out of the way. She takes a deep breath and focuses her power to create a black rock from the ceiling to touch the glass, causing it to tilt up a little. "I did it!"

"Great job, Harmi! Catalina, can you fit?"

"I'll try," She smiles, reaching out her hand. However, it's human-sized fingers that go through the jewel. Dwayne notices it and stands up in alarm, the pendant flying off his neck and landing behind him. Catalina moves her hand back and he slides back, thinking it was gonna attack him.

Catalina looks at her fingers and then at the jewel. Dwayne stares down at the pendant.

They sit around in boredom, Varian having wrapped himself in the curtain. He lands near Harmony upside down and sees a plaque in front of him.

"Guys, look!" He gets onto his feet, helping his girlfriend up. "Wow, t-this appears to be some sort of ancient chirography. Yeah, Minotion, perhaps? No, no, maybe early Saporian?"

Rapunzel eyes the words, slightly leaning on his head. "Uh, you're looking at it upside down."

"...Oh. Right. Of course."

Harmony giggles at him and he blushes in embarrassment, the girl joining her sister's side. "You are now prisoner of the shell. To escape its curse, you must return it to the briny deep of the sea, or remain inside it evermore."

"Uh, how can we return the shell to the sea when we're stuck inside of it?" Catalina asks in disbelief.

"If someone else got trapped in here for them to make a plaque, then it doesn't necessarily mean the sea," Harmony points at the inscription, rubbing her chin. "I think what happens is we just have to put it in a body of water, and that'll free us!"

"...I've said it before, and I'll say it again. We're doomed!" Kiera cries out the last two words.

"Hey, don't forget that doom upside down is whoop! And while you think about that...think about this!" She stands up bravely. "Our friends are still out there. Max is the best tracker in Corona. And he's probably on Dwayne's trail as we speak."

"And Pascal is really, really, smart," Catalina adds in, smiling.

"Plus Ruddiger can be surprisingly resourceful," Varian jumps onto a pillow.

"And Daisy is the only girl, she wouldn't let that stop her," Harmony shrugs a little with a small smile.

"Are you sure?" Varian chuckles at her in amusement.

"Well, you're the only boy in here," She smirks, crossing her arms and earning a small pout in return.

"...Anybody wanna say anything nice about that crow?" Kiera asks after a few seconds. The others look away awkwardly, Varian whistling to break the silence, but it does nothing to help...

Dwayne is still drifting down the path, Max still on him. He looks up ahead and sees a vine, getting an idea. He whinnies and grabs onto it, pulling it from the tree. He sees Dwayne going past and speeds up. He pulls the vine with his mouth, sending Daisy, Pascal, and Ruddiger to a branch on the other side. Daisy jumps off as the two land face-first into the tree, sliding onto the grass. They turn around to glare at the horse, who simply pulls. Daisy joins the two as they pull at opposite sides. Dwayne's foot touches it, but the three animals are not strong enough to get him into the water. They're pulled along with the rope and land face-first into a rock, sliding into the water.

The three come out soaking wet, annoyed looks on their faces.

"Who's the guy who stole from the Princesses?" Dwayne sings a little song to himself as he's making a fire. "It's Dwayne, yeah! It's Dwayne?"

Rapunzel sighs as they're exploring the room. "No trapdoors, no secret passages, not even a hidden compartment." She scoffs at this. "What kind of enchanted talisman is this?"

"The kind where people can't escape it on their own," Harmony rolls her eyes.

"Looks like we're gonna be here for the rest of our lives," Kiera turns to everyone.

"I call this couch!" Catalina jumps onto an orange couch. "Hey, maybe it won't be that bad after all-" She pulls out a bird skeleton from behind her back. "Ew." She smirks as it fits right in her hand and she holds it out to Varian's face. "Hi, roomie! My name's Scully! I got a bone to pick with you!"

"Catalina," Harmony chuckles at this.

"Let me try!" Kiera runs up to her.

"Why? You wanna tickle everybody's funny bone?"

"M-Maybe don't play with the disgusting skeleton," Varian holds up a finger.

"He's just pessimistic because of that one time he saw a skeleton in the underground tunnels of the castle," Harmony smiles in amusement.

"Hey, in my defense...it was a skeleton in a dark tunnel."

She snickers towards her boyfriend, Rapunzel shushing them. "Scully, shh. Do you hear that?"

"Who's gonna steal the necklace for a fortune? Dwayne is! That's me. I say D-w-a-n...uh, I mean, D-w-a-y-n-e!" He sings as he's heating up a sausage. It's now gotten dark as the stars and moon are out.

"What kind of nitwit spells his name wrong?" Harmony shakes her head at this. "Can't believe we're even listening to this…"

"Oh brother..." Kiera drags a hand down her face from the singing.

"Guys, don't you get it?" Rapunzel smiles, walking up to the couch underneath the jewel. "If we can hear him, he can hear us." She bends down and picks up a megaphone. "We just need to make our voices louder. Hello!"

Dwayne freezes in place at the voice, looking around in fear. "Is someone there?"

"Listen, you bone-headed weasel!" Kiera says into the megaphone next.

"Angry, give it back," Rapunzel orders her.

"Who's Angry? Give what back?" Dwayne demands, but they don't hear him.

"We are not going to get him to bring us to the sea by _insulting _him," Rapunzel states to the girl.

"Kiera," Harmony says in a warning tone.

"Wait..." Dwayne replies slowly as he remembers what Rapunzel said. "Insult who?"

"Yeah, something tells me he's not gonna do it if we ask him nicely either," Varian tells the others.

"You're right," Rapunzel agrees with him. "DWAYNE!" She says his name in a spooky voice and he thinks it's from the sausage. "This is your subconscious."

"S-Sub...what now?"

"You're gonna have to dumb it down for him. It's Dwayne," Harmony whispers to her sister.

"Oh, right, right. Your subconscious...you know, your inner-most self? That little voice in your head?"

"I don't understand," Dwayne answers in confusion.

"Just listen!" Rapunzel yells at him and he moves his head away in fear. "You need to drop the pendant into the sea..."

"Well, why?!" He looks at the necklace. "This thing is worth a fortune."

"Not gonna steal again my behind, the liar," Harmony huffs, crossing her arms.

"It is...uh, but it's a, uh, a magic pendant! If you throw it into the sea, it will grow...uh, ten times as big, and be worth SO much more."

"Uhh, I don't know," He looks at the sausage skeptically.

"Uh, might be time for some reverse psychology," Rapunzel whispers to the others.

"I don't think forward psychology would work on this dimwit," Kiera gestures to the gem.

"Harmi, did you know Dwayne when you were in the castle?" The blonde turns to her sister.

"I know of him. If you're gonna get him to do what we want, you have to trick him into it. He was probably the least sharpest in the shed according to Papa. Here's what you gotta say," Harmony leans in towards her sister and starts whispering into her ear. Rapunzel nods in agreement as she listens to the brunette.

"Got it. You're right, Dwayne. Don't do it. Let the lucky crook you sell it to do it. That way, he can get rich."

"Why, that back-stabbing jerk!" Dwayne grits his teeth. "No one double crosses Dwayne!" He storms off, tossing the sausage into the fire.

"Huh. That actually worked," Varian comments slowly, glancing to his girlfriend. "How'd you know that he'd fall for it?"

"A friend...used to tell me stories of when the guards back in Corona tricked him using methods like that," She rubs her arm awkwardly. "They aren't exactly hard to pull off with someone of his intelligence."

By friend, she meant Cass…

"Sorry about your clothes, though," Rapunzel frowns at her dress.

"That's okay," She sighs at her still-dirty attire. "I have spares in the wagon..."

"Can we at least do something about that hair, though?" Kiera points to Harmony's wild-looking and mud stained hair.

"Come on, girls," Rapunzel pushes her away. "It's time we give her a makeover. We might as well do something for her while we wait."

"Oh boy..." The girl sweats a bit.

Max is still tracking Dwayne and the pendant, Hamuel resting on his saddle. Ruddiger, Pascal, and Daisy join the two as they see Dwayne up ahead. He stops at the edge of the cliff, taking off the pendant.

"That's it, Dwayne. You're almost there," Rapunzel encourages the petty thief and since the animals can't hear her, they think he's going to throw it in willingly. And unfortunately, they're not aware of what will happen when the pendant goes into the water...

Max turns around to the sand. He draws out a plan with his hoof that involves him using a vine from a tree to kick Dwayne over the edge, leaving the pendant to them. It also ends with the three animals praising him for his 'brilliant' plan. Ruddiger pushes him out of the way and erases the last part. He adds him stomping on Dwayne to get the pendant.

Max neighs in disapproval, stomping on the drawing. Pascal draws him and Daisy being annoyed as their cross their arms, both in drawing and in real life. The trio walk away from Max, eyeing Dwayne from the distance. The water is just below the cliff as he raises a hand.

"Oh! He's actually doing it!" Catalina exclaims as she and Kiera finish with Harmony's dress. Rapunzel moves away from her hair to reveal a shiny, clean dress and Harmony's hair in a nice, side-swept braid. Varian looks at her in amazement.

"Thanks, girls," She smiles, hugging her surrogate daughters. Rapunzel smiles at everyone as Dwayne is about to drop it when the three animals rush up to him. Max is still trying to come up with a plan when he notices them and whinnies. Hamuel caws nearby, Pascal crawling up Dwayne. He turns invisible and lands on it, sliding down the chain. He peeks through the gem.

"Oh! Be careful, Pascal," Rapunzel warns him, but Dwayne had heard her.

"Pascal? My name's Dwayne." He stares at the pendant. "I'm becoming to think you're not my sub...my sub...t-that thing you said."

Pascal reveals himself sheepishly and the man freaks out. He tries to shake the chameleon off and finally throws him onto the stone. Ruddiger runs up to him, grabbing onto his arm as Daisy flies around him. He pushes them onto the ground and Max huffs in annoyance. He runs up to Dwayne, who moves out of the way and jumps on rocks from the cliff. Max stares down at the rock, which he can't jump on.

He turns around and whinnies angrily at Ruddiger for not following his lead. The horse runs onto the grass and gets onto lower ground. Dwayne is hiding behind a rock as the horse notices. He steps up slowly, using his nose to follow the scent.

Ruddiger, Pascal, and Daisy come in, bumping into him as they were planning on rolling into Dwayne. The thief runs off with a laugh.

"That's right," He holds up the necklace. "No dumb animal is ever gonna catch Dwayne!"

Daisy chirps at him furiously, about to attack when the vulture from before swoops in and grabs him. The bird flies off with Dwayne and the pendant.

"Wow. Did not see that coming," Rapunzel comments to the others.

"Serves Dwayne right for hating on animals, but...I _really_ wish we didn't get stuck with him," Harmony closes her eyes as she sits up, crossing her arms.

Max turns to the shocked animals, Daisy taking off after them. However, she quickly loses sight of them about 2,000 feet in the air. She flies back to the others dejectedly. Max snorts at the two, and they start arguing, even though they're not speaking. They start blaming each other for everything that's happened until they've decided they've had enough. Max walks off in one direction, Pascal and Ruddiger going off in the other. Daisy blows a raspberry towards them, flying off in the last direction. Hamuel flies in and hits the ground.

* * *

It starts to rain as it seems hopeless that the animals will work together to save their friends...Thunder strikes as Max looks up to the sky. He brings his head down to look at his reflection through the puddle, his ears drooping. He walks past the puddle, slowly stepping past the water dejectedly.

Ruddiger is in a tree, soaking wet as an apple hangs nearby. He looks up at it, remembering what happened earlier before their friends got stuck. Raindrops fall onto the apple to give off the image of a horse...it quickly fades away and Ruddiger covers his eyes with his tail.

A raindrop falls from a leaf, falling onto the leaf umbrella Pascal was using. He's attempting to block the rain from him as the raindrop falls onto the small fire he had made, leaving him essentially without cold. He turns blue in sadness.

Daisy is in the grass, walking around sadly. It's almost similar to where she lost her mother...she looks up at the water, frowning sadly with a chirp. Her tiny webbed stop as she looks behind her, recalling everything that had happened today. She ducks her head and kneels, laying down in the mud like Harmony was covered in.

Hamuel has his beak open as he stands on a branch, filling his whole body up with rain water for...some reason. The rain suddenly stops and he closes his beak, waddling onto the branch with his body jiggling from the full belly. Nearby Hamuel, Dwayne is in a vulture's nest.

* * *

"Don't eat me! I'm probably all gristle!" Dwayne tugs at his glove. He looks at the nest and sees a bunch of vulture babies. The vulture mother coughs up a worm...for the human to eat. "What? You want me to _eat _that?"

She nods at him, offering the worm again. "Thanks, but I-I'm not really a worm guy..."

"Looks like we can officially count the animals out of our rescue plan," Kiera comments as she's at the top now.

"Guys, my sister and I have been in a lot of situations like this. Well," Rapunzel chuckles a little. "Not like this. I mean, how often does a person get stuck inside a trinket? But...the important thing is we can never give up hope on our friends."

Max looks at the water sadly.

"Max is a top-notch guard. He just needs to learn that a great leader has to listen, as well as give orders."

He lays down sadly on the guards. He looks up and notices beavers working together at their dam.

"In other words, he has to learn how to play well with others. They all do. Each one of those guys has something special about them."

Max smiles as he realizes that he needs to learn about teamwork.

"Pascal may be small, but he's mighty."

Pascal has the leaf over himself, frowning. "And...also adorable."

He hears a whinny, looking up to see Max landing in front of him. He smiles at his friend, licking his face. Pascal smiles at the contact, turning green again. Max wags his tail and lets Pascal crawl onto his head. He runs off to go find the others.

"And Ruddiger is cunning, and loyal."

Ruddiger is hanging from a tree as he looks up ahead and sees them arriving. Max kicks the tree to get two apples down instead of just one. Ruddiger chitters happily at Max, and the three have officially made up. Pascal waves for him to climb on and he does so. The raccoon gives the horse an apple, and together, they eat one. Max runs up onto the grass.

Daisy is looking at the water.

"Daisy is brave and optimistic. She's feisty, and never leaves a friend behind."

She hears Max, turning around as he slides to a stop. He nuzzles her cheek and she chirps happily, hugging his snout with her wings. She flies up to Pascal, giving him a high five before landing in front of Ruddiger.

"If they could just come together, they would be unstoppable!"

Max runs up ahead, jumping over a rock.

"I couldn't help but notice you forgot to mention the crow," Kiera points out as Varian jumps off Rapunzel's shoulders.

"Oh, I didn't forget!" She smiles sheepishly.

"But Princess, even if those guys got their acts together...how would they find us all the way up here?" Catalina looks around.

"We lost them back there with the vulture, there's no way Max could track that," Harmony gestures to outside.

"You're right..." She looks around at the curtains, examining one. "Did you say your finger was normal-sized when it was outside the shell?'

Catalina nods, wiggling her finger.

* * *

Max sniffs the ground, the other three keeping an eye out. The horse looks up, wondering where he'll find them...

"Great idea, Princess!" Varian lifts up his goggles, holding a make-shift lantern with vials attached to it. "Nothing like a little alchemical pizzazz to get their attention." Harmony walks up to him and holds the other side of the lantern. He looks up at her and smiles. She smiles back and together, they release the lantern, just like Eugene and Rapunzel had done when she first saw them.

"Aww," Rapunzel places her hands on her cheeks. It's as if she's reliving the moment, and yet seeing it at the same time. Varian wraps an arm around Harmony as they watch it leave the gem (Harmony propped it open again).

_I ship them so much!_

The lantern turns normal sized, joining two others as they explode into fireworks.

They hear the sound and look up to see the sight. Ruddiger adjusts his hands to zoom in, seeing the lanterns are coming from the pendant. He beams and moves his hands so that Max can see. He whinnies, taking off with the three. They reach the pendant as it's above their heads.

Max looks to his right and sees a tall tree with no leaves or branches. He drops the three so that he can draw a new plan. He'd jump onto the log with the two on it so that they can reach the nest. Daisy would fly to the pendant while Pascal and Ruddiger would be a distraction. If she flew up there now, the vulture would notice and attack her.

Ruddiger erases some of it so that Max would jump off a ledge instead, which would guarantee them to land near the pendant. He smiles, nodding in agreement at the plan. He kicks the tree so that it lands on a rock, acting as a seesaw. Ruddiger jumps onto it, Pascal joining him. Pascal gestures for them to sit straight, leaving Ruddiger a little skeptical. Daisy gives Max the signal to jump and he does so. The two are sent flying, landing right in front of the pendant.

"It's Ruddiger and Pascal!" Rapunzel exclaims happily.

"Hey!" Varian cheers at this.

"Yes!"

Ruddiger reaches out to grab it, noticing Dwayne with the vulture family. Which was something they hadn't expected in their plan...

"Oh thank goodness. You gotta help me, burglar cat!" Dwayne reaches out to them. The vulture flies out of the next, screeching at them. Ruddiger tilts, falling off the edge.

"No! Ruddiger!" Varian shouts, the two sisters gasping. The vulture smiles...until Ruddiger arrives with Hamuel flying him, to her shock. Ruddiger looks to the bird, who caws. He blows a raspberry to the vulture, and they guide her away from the next.

"Oh, we're doomed..."

Pascal, who was disguised as a rock, comes out of hiding, crawling up the branch. Daisy lands in front of them. "Varian, wait! Wait, wait. This is part of their plan." Pascal holds up the pendant to his eyes, Rapunzel laughing in relief. She gasps at someone behind him. "Dwayne..."

Daisy notices him trying to get the pendant, the babies holding him back. The duckling flies up and pecks at him. He howls in pain from her sharp beak, falling onto the edge. Pascal falls off, Hamuel flying over to him, but the vulture chases them away. Daisy looks over the edge, and unfortunately, she's not fast enough to catch him...

Suddenly, Pascal stops in place before he could hit the rock. "Nice shot, Rapunzel," Kiera calls out.

"I gotta admit, that was pretty close," Rapunzel comments as her hair is gripping onto a rock above. Pascal and Max hug in relief, looking up to see the other three animals to see their dilemma. Daisy is chasing after the vulture, who's chasing Hamuel and Ruddiger. He notices the log and quickly gets an idea.

Hamuel dives down, Ruddiger looking over his shoulder. Daisy bumps into the vulture, who smacks her away. She chirps in alarm, stopping in place and looking up ahead. Hamuel narrows his eyes at the vulture for what she did, circling around it. Max neighs to get their attention, and they turn to see Pascal flashing yellow rapidly. Max points to him and Ruddiger looks down to Hamuel. He caws in understanding, turning around and heading backwards. He flies through the log and the vulture falls for it. They emerge from the other side as Max kicks the log so that the vulture hits rock instead.

She falls onto the floor and gives up, flying away. Daisy joins them as Ruddiger lands on the horse's saddle. Hamuel emerges with the pendant in his beak. Daisy nuzzles him in thanks for his bravery and he caws bashfully.

...Then he leans in for a kiss from her and she smacks him away.

* * *

Max finally reaches the water again, the pendant in his mouth. He tosses it into the water and it it's the bottom. The necklace glows as light emerges from the gem, releasing Rapunzel onto the water first. The others follow, Varian landing on the water as they all smile. Max neighs happily, running around them in victory.

"You did it!" Rapunzel hugs them, followed by Harmony. Daisy chirps happily at her friend and Harmony giggles, poking the duckling's belly.

"I missed you too, Daisy."

"Wahoo! I knew this trip was gonna be good for you guys," Rapunzel smiles at the animals. They nod in agreement, Ruddiger covering Max's mouth. He smiles sheepishly as Max shakes his head. The raccoon holds up an apple and the horse smiles as they give off into a playful chase. Hamuel follows after them.

"Well, it looks like it was a happy ending for everyone," Catalina states as the five follow. "Right Scully? You can say that again!"

"Catalina, you are not keeping that thing," Harmony tells her. The red-haired girl just giggles.

"By the way...anyone see what happened to Dwayne?"

They stop walking, turning to each other. Harmony sighs slowly as she starts walking in the other direction, sagging her shoulders.

"Come on, let's go get him..."

It turns out that he's still stuck in the vulture's nest, with no way to get down safely. "So...you gonna finish that worm?"


	60. Be Very Afraid

**Angel: Wow, so both Sonic the Hedgehog and Rise of the Guardians are now tied on my poll XD But ideally, when the poll ends, I can't do both at the same time...**

**Getting close to Cassandra's Revenge! A lot of stuff happens in that special!**

A flower gets moved by a black rock, belonging to Cass. She tries again to control it, falling onto her knees in exhaustion.

"I can't control it!"

"You will, Cassandra," The Enchanted Girl floats over to her. "In time."

"I thought by taking the moonstone, my destiny would become clear," She hugs her arm. "But...what if I don't even have a destiny?"

"Of course you do. It is to destroy the two princesses."

Her eyes widen at this, whipping around to her companion. "Destroy Rapunzel and Harmony...?" She couldn't even imagine...she wanted her own destiny, but those were her best friends. And the moonstone guaranteed Harmony's life before she even touched it because of Edmund... "But...I...I couldn't-"

Red rocks shoot up behind them, just like Harmony did before...They travel all the way down. "What's happening?"

"You are connected to the rocks. They respond to your feelings. Even fear...something that Princess Harmony no longer has."

Cass glances at her, frowning towards where they're headed.

* * *

It's still dark out as the moon is risen near a certain cottage in Old Corona. Only one person is outside...

"Hey."

A warm hand is placed on his shoulder. He flinches at the sudden contact, his teeth clenching and his shoulders tensing. This, needless to say, worries her. It's lightly raining as he's sitting outside of his house, and he's been there for a while. She's holding an umbrella over her head, covering him with it as well.

"Vari, it's just me."

Varian whips his head up, his eyes widening. "M-Mona!" He chuckles awkwardly, thinking that it was someone else with a slight grudge against him. Lately, the people have been a little...tense towards him. "I didn't see you there..."

She purses her lips to suppress a laugh. She's getting slightly wet since it's a small umbrella, but she doesn't seem to care. "Probably because we didn't bump into each other this time...but what's with you? Are you okay?"

Varian's freckled cheeks feel hot, the tips of his ears turning red. He looks away from her. "Uh..."

"Vari..." She takes a seat next to him. "Really, what's wrong? Something's obviously bothering you."

It's quiet for a while as they hear the grasshoppers outside. He lets out a tired sigh. She always gets to him, whether he liked it or not. But...Harmony is so comforting. However, he doesn't want to burden her. She's already doing so much helping Rapunzel and the kingdom...

He musters a weak smile.

"I'm..."

He stares down at his hands...the hands that put fear into people, into her. Harmony places a hand on his shoulder and he relaxes a little bit.

"Vari...you can tell me."

Five words. He doesn't know how much she meant it, but it's enough to tug at his heartstrings and shatter his walls. A hiccup slips past his lips and he doesn't hold back. He lets the tears fall as they slide down his face. He cowers and begins to sob. It's a terrible sound for her to hear, him crying, but she rubs his back and allows him to let it all out.

His breathing grows unsteady as he shakes, almost violently, and it takes her everything in her power to not cry as well. But she has to be strong, to show him that she's here for him. His shoulders stiffen as the crying gets louder.

Varian tilts his head and rests it on her shoulder. She moves so that he's in her arms, and he wraps himself tightly around her. He doesn't even care that people could hear him. She runs her fingers through his soft hair and he hums lightly, clinging onto her dress as the crying gets softer.

"A-Am I still a bad p-person, Mona?" He muffles his broken voice into her chest.

She furrows her brows. She had no idea he still thought about it, but she should've known. Now she's mad at herself for not checking sooner.

"No, Varian," She places her chin on the top of his head. "You never were."

"Some p-people are still...angry around me," The ache in his throat grows. "I know they are. They don't even try to whisper...I know they h-hate me..."

She's running out of words to say. She didn't know what else to do...with her mind blank, she pulls away, holding his hands, letting go only for a second to cup his cheek. She lifts his head to make his sad eyes meet hers. He looks away, but she brings his face back.

"I'm sorry, Vari..." She begins guilty, "I'm sorry you feel this way. You shouldn't."

"But I should!" He retorts back, squeezing her hand as he looks away. "I-In fact, I deserve worse than this. I deserve worse things. I-I don't deserve a second chance! Why did I ever think I would? Why did I ever think things would actually go back to normal? Mona, I was so stupid. So, so stupid!"

She sighs at him. "Vari...please look at me." He takes a moment to catch his breath, looking into her eyes. "I know that it hurts...but I know how you feel, and I know that it can hurt. These thoughts aren't going away, but Vari, I know that you've changed. For the better!"

He catches a spark in her eyes, his heart booming.

"It's okay to be sad," The princess continues, "You just let everything out. You can come to me, and we can always talk about it...like you did for me. I will always be there for you...like you were there for me."

Some doubt grows stronger, but despite feeling that, he wouldn't have this moment any other way. He's still upset, but she did help a little. He feels like he can breath now, talk to her about anything now. Like everything would be okay if she was just right here.

He shuffles, wiping his nose with his sleeve. "But...I hurt you, and...you don't deserve someone like me."

"Vari...it doesn't matter that you hurt me, because I know that you won't do it again. I trust you...I don't care what you do or say...it won't change my feelings for you."

He smiles softly, grabbing the hand holding his cheek and interlocking fingers with her. "Have I ever told you how much I love you?"

She smiles back as he presses his forehead to hers. "Maybe."

"Let me show you then."

He pulls her in for a passionate kiss. She smiles into it and a few seconds later, he pulls away. "Not that I'm not glad to see you, but what are you doing here so late? And in the rain? You'll get sick again..."

"Well, I came to see how you were doing with the scroll, but...honestly, I wanted to check up on you," She answers softly, holding out something wrapped in cloth. "And because Rapunzel and I made apple pie."

"The scroll!" His eyes widen as he remembers about it. "That's right! Ah, I can't really...begin to explain since I can't read it yet." He rubs the back of his neck, taking the food from her. "B-But don't worry, I'll have it figured it out soon! I've actually started to compose a key for translation."

"I'm sure that you'll figure it out. I have faith in you," She kisses his cheek and stands up, waving to him. "Bye Vari. I'll see you soon."

"Thanks, Mona, for the food." He smiles and waves to her, walking back inside and going back into his room. He runs a hand through his hair.

"What does it mean, Demanitus? What does it mean?" He examines the scroll with his eyes, but for the life of him, he couldn't even understand it...

"Varian!"

His eyes go wide as he looks away. He opens up the door to his lab. "Dad!" He sees Quirin getting trapped in the amber again. "No! No, not again!" He runs up to his father.

"Serves you right, traitor!"

He turns around and sees the angry citizens approaching him and yelling at him for what he's done. "This is what you deserve!"

"Dad? Dad?"

Then Varian sees his girlfriend and smiles at her, but she doesn't respond, concerning him. "Mona...?"

"I never should've trusted you again," She spits at him, glaring in anger. "I don't know what I saw in you, I hate you for what you did to me and my family!"

"W-What?" He stammers in confusion and fear. "But Mona, I-"

"I never wanna see you again!"

"N-No, wait-!" He grabs her shoulder to stop her. She turns around and slaps him across the face.

"Don't ever touch me, Varian!"

And with that, she storms off and he chases after her, only to be grabbed by the citizens. He can only watch as the love of her life leaves him there, heartbroken, guilty, and alone.

"No!" Varian wakes up, panting. It was all just a dream...he's still in his room and he steps out to see Quirin walking by moving a wheelbarrow of apples.

"Morning, son," He greets before leaving. Ruddiger chirps from his shoulder.

"What is it, buddy?"

Ruddiger leaves his shoulder and runs towards the red rocks, sniffing them. He backs away out of fear. "Well..." Varian bends down to them. "This is new..."

* * *

"Last stop on our tour, the north balcony," Lance is guiding some citizens through the castle, Pascal and Daisy on his shoulders. "Uh, technically, the last stop is the royal kitchen, but I lost kitchen privileges after last month's incident. Word to the wise, a meatball catapult may sound like a brilliant idea in theory, but in practice...well, that's a long story. Let's not talk about it, let's just move on."

Suddenly, everything starts shaking, alarming them. The ground starts to crack a little, red rocks emerging from them. They hit the wall, causing the edge of the balcony to break. A citizen falls and Lance jumps forward, catching his leg.

"Okay, biceps, let's do this!" Lance struggles to pull him up, his whole body sliding. He manages to catch himself using the pillars nearby. Rapunzel and Harmony suddenly arrive, running up to them. Both of them fall and Rapunzel lets down her hair. She uses two lampposts to make a make-shift catapult and Harmony quickly fires two arrows with pink chem balls attached. The four land on a bouncy goop, before they land into hay.

Lance laughs in relief. "We call that move the Slingshot Bounce!" Rapunzel smirks a bit.

"Give it up for Princesses Rapunzel and Harmony!" Lance hollers, the people around cheering for them.

"Aww, just doing our part," Rapunzel chuckles, lightly waving.

"Thank goodness no one's hurt," Harmony looks over her shoulder.

"Everybody okay?" Eugene runs up to them.

"We're fine..." Rapunzel looks to the red rocks. "But we have some new additions." She walks up to one and touches it, recoiling her hand back immediately. "Cassandra...?" She whispers to herself. Eugene glances to Harmony, who shakes her head.

"Definitely not me."

* * *

Ruddiger has seemingly disappeared as Varian is in town looking for him. "Ruddiger? R-Ruddiger!" He sighs to himself, walking past the arch. "Ruddiger, where are you?"

Something jumps over a sign up above and Varian chases after him. "Hey! Buddy, where you headed?" As he's running down steps, it jumps over his head. He bumps into a wall and continues down the path, sliding to a stop in front of Feldspar.

"Oh! Sorry. Hi," He smiles sheepishly with a small smile.

"Don't you have a kingdom to overthrow or something?" Feldspar asks rudely, looking away.

"Ha ha...ha," Varian laughs awkwardly. This is exactly what he was talking to Harmony about last night. "Yeah, um. You haven't seen a raccoon around, have you?"

The woman holding her baby looks away, and the baby actually starts crying. "Okay...uh...n-never mind," He walks away from them. Something tips over a plank in the alley nearby and Varian chases after it. "Ruddiger! Hey, hey, come back here! Ruddi-"

It was just a street cat that he's been chasing, though. The cat runs off and he turns around to see Ruddiger, but...he's not moving, and his whole body is red as a look of fear is frozen on his face.

"Hey! Buddy, I was looking for ya! Wha...what are you..." He waves a hand in front of Ruddiger's face, and gets no reaction. "Hello? What's-what's wrong?" He picks him up, looking around.

* * *

Monty places down a candy apple for display. Max sees them and the man waves with a smile. A red rock appears in front of Max, frightening Monty. Max looks around as another one grows.

"Stop, thief!"

Dwayne runs right past the horse, who attempts to chase after him, only to find himself in chains. Max whinnies as Attila comes out of his bakery.

"Hey, what's with all these red rocks?" The croissants from the pan he's holding suddenly come to life, flying.

"Attila! You burned us! Now we'll burn you!"

"I'm sorry I overcooked your golden, flaky crust!" He screams, but to Max, nothing's happening. He runs away crying and screaming. Max whinnies in fear.

"Max, Max! It's okay, buddy!" Lance runs up to the horse. "They're only rocks!"

Another one appears, and it's enough to make the horse run away. "Hm...has everyone lost their minds?" He rubs his chin.

"Oh, Lance..." A scratchy voice speaks up behind him. A spider with a clown face emerges from the wagon in front of him.

"A-A clown spider?!" He whimpers in fear.

"Now sing!"

Lance shouts in horror and runs off. "No!"

"Looks like there's more of those red rocks here too...Brownie, have you...made these before?" Eugene gestures to them.

"Well, I've seen them before...but they would just usually go away after I calm down...because I usually remembered that my sister would've wanted me to stay happy." Harmony rubs the back of her neck. Actually, it happened when her mother got robbed of her ring, but she didn't want to sadden Eugene and make him feel guilty.

"Aww," Rapunzel beams, hugging her. Harmony smiles at her, returning the contact. "And you're sure this isn't you?"

"I'm sure," She shakes her head. "These red rocks...they're nothing like black rocks."

Lance runs past the three, screaming. "You can't make me sing in front of all those people! NO!"

"Hey now, what's gotten into him?" Eugene asks them.

"It's like these new rocks are making people see their worst fear..." Rapunzel glances at the rocks.

"Definitely not my doing, then," Harmony crosses her arms. "These rocks are only controlled by that emotion, which I don't have the power to do anymore."

"Yeah, but the rocks aren't doing anything to me. Probably because I'm not scared of much-" He looks at the reflection from the glass window nearby and starts freaking out. "No, no. No, no, no, no, no. Not a cowlick. Not a cowlick! Somebody wake me up from this fresh MISERY!"

"It's okay, Eugene! These rocks are messing with our heads," Rapunzel tells him.

"A cowlick is what you're afraid of? Next I'll be hearing that-" Harmony turns around, bumping into someone. Ruddiger goes flying into the air above them.

"Whoa!" The temporary queen catches Ruddiger into her hands.

"Sorry, sorry! To both of you," Varian smiles sheepishly. "Just me. Hi. A-and Ruddiger. Kinda."

"I think of it as a regular way of meeting you," Harmony chuckles a little. When she first started meeting him, they'd bump into each other. Varian stares at her, relieved that she's not angry with him and looks happy...

He pulls her into a tight hug, not wanting that part of his nightmare to become a reality. "Vari...?" She stares up at the back of his head in confusion.

"Just...let me hold you for a minute," He whispers in her ear, putting his gloved hand into her hair.

"Okay..." She murmurs, slightly concerned, but he seems fine now that he's embracing her.

"Varian, is Ruddiger okay?" Rapunzel inspects the raccoon in her hands, Eugene cringing at the sight. "What happened?" Pascal hits Ruddiger slightly as Daisy pokes his face with a wing.

"Uh, I'm not quite sure," Varian looks up at Rapunzel while still holding onto the younger princess. "But I think it has something to do with these new rocks...I mean, I've only been able to study them for a few hours, but-but their effects...appear to be...extremely dangerous. And I know you had nothing to do with them," His eyes move over to Harmony.

"Nope," She shakes her head again. "These types of rocks are beyond my expertise, anyway: I can't make them."

"Oh yeah? More dangerous than bringing people's greatest fears to life?!" Eugene screeches, holding his head.

"Yes well, if people remain under that fear spell for too long, it looks like they'll become frozen with terror...permanently."

He looks at Ruddiger. "Well gang," Rapunzel places her hands on her hips. "Then it sounds to me like we need to find a way to turn these fearful frowns upside down!" She moves away Ruddiger's lips. "...Okay, yep, sorry, that just wound up making him look creepier..."

* * *

Rapunzel and Harmony are painting something together. "Think this'll keep people away from these rocks?" They move away, smiling.

"Couldn't you have made us look a little more, I dunno, brave?"

Eugene is in Varian's arms, both of them having looks of fear. "We really wanted to get the point across. Besides, you're so cute when you're screaming in terror," Rapunzel pinches her boyfriend's cheeks and they hug.

"Ha. Well, that is true."

Harmony rolls her eyes in amusement as Eugene inspects their faces. "Hey, Sunshine, Brownie, how come you two aren't affected by these rocks? I mean, why aren't you screaming your heads off at some vision of your worst fears?"

"Because...as long as I have Pascal and my sister with me," She nuzzles Pascal's forehead. "I'm not afraid of anything."

"Same here, but with Daisy and my sister," Harmony pokes Daisy's cheek playfully, the duckling chirping. Pascal flexes his arms, Daisy rolling her eyes at him.

"Guys? I think I might have an idea," Varian calls out from behind as he's looking at a red rock with a magnifying glass.

* * *

"Now, theoretically, if we sever...this chain of rocks," Varian circles a spot from a map in the castle. "Using one of my alchemical solutions, then we can cut off the red rocks' fear power."

"Oh, we can so cut off their power," Rapunzel smiles smugly. "...T-This won't affect Harmi, right?"

"No!"

Varian and Harmony glance at each other as they said that so strongly at the same time.

"No," Harmony snaps out of it as she shakes her head rapidly, waving her hands. "They may come from the moonstone, but I'm not connected to these types of rocks in any way. No effect on me whatsoever no matter what happens with them."

"She's right, there's no reason why it should harm her," Varian places a hand on her shoulder and she couldn't help but notice that his hand is a bit tense. "You just need a cavern that runs deep enough."

The three stand up as the sisters glance to each other. "Deep cavern...we know just the place!"

A scream is heard from the hall as a handmaiden is running around. "Hey! You didn't change the linens!" A moth Old Lady Crowley shouts at her.

"No, no, no, no!" She steps backwards right into the red rocks, and gets frozen. The four run outside and see her.

"Oh no...it's getting worse. We can't let this happen to anybody else. Your plan starts now."

* * *

Varian opens up his backpack to reveal at least a dozen of beakers filled with the solution he's made. He takes one into his hand, hoping that it'll work...and that Harmony will be there for him. He doesn't want his nightmare coming true...

"You okay?" Harmony bends down to him and he smiles, some of his fears going away at the sight of her.

"Better now that you're here," He kisses her cheek.

"It's up to you two to keep the people's spirits up," Rapunzel tells Lance and Eugene. "Remember, you can't let fear take hold of anyone for too long or..." She looks to Ruddiger in Lance's arms.

"Don't worry, Sunshine, we'll think of something," Eugene replies confidently.

"Yeah, with us two putting our heads together—aah!" He screams at the illusion of the clown spider on top of Rapunzel's shoulder. "Get away from me, clown-spider!" He throws Ruddiger into the air and Eugene catches him.

"Or I'll be thinking of something," Eugene deadpans towards him. "At the very least."

They're walking through the same underground tunnels the three went through together when Varian stole the flower...A fly goes past.

"No problem," Varian states nervously. "We got this. No problem, we got this. Heh heh..."

Pascal and Daisy stare at him, the chameleon seeing the fly. "Ugh," Harmony swats it away from her. "Bugs..."

"You okay, Varian?" Rapunzel wonders as they step over a fallen post. "Because you've said 'no problem, we got this' 23 times now," She holds out her journal. "Look, I'm actually keeping track."

Varian laughs a bit at the drawing. "That's...I'm fine, really. Uh, you know, just trying to not set off the 3,000 traps down here!"

"It'll be fine," Harmony offers with a small smile, placing a hand on his back.

"Relax. We've been through these tunnels far too many times for that to-"

Pascal had grabbed the fly and triggered a trap, the floor splitting. "Look out!"

Both teens slip from the slab, Varian's bag opening. "My supplies!" Most of his beakers fall through the hole underneath and they explode. Harmony grabs his hand, but they're too late as they try to grab the edge, falling through.

Both of them scream as Rapunzel's hair reaches them. Varian grabs it with one hand, hugging Harmony's waist with the other. They smile in relief as she pulls them up.

"Oh, thank you," His feet touch the ground first as Harmony dusts herself off.

"Oh, are you two okay?"

"How would you chalk up almost dying?" Harmony wipes off her forehead.

"We're fine," Varian looks through his bag. "Oh, but we've only got one vial of my solution left..." He takes it into his hand.

"Well then, I guess we'll just have to make it count!"

The two teens take the lead, Harmony seeing his worried face. "I'm sure it'll work out, Vari," She holds his hand. "But...are you sure you're okay?"

"F-Fine, fine. Thank you for your concern, Mona, but I'll be okay. What about you?"

"I'm alright," She smiles softly at him, though his state is what worries her more.

Another fly appears and Pascal goes to catch it, but Rapunzel clears her throat, crossing her arms. She did not need him to set off another trap.

* * *

"Lance, I've got it! We are going to throw a talent show!" Eugene announces as they've set up a stage in front of the castle.

"You wanna do a talent show? Now?!" Lance asks in disbelief.

"Yes! Now is the perfect time for a talent show. Think about it: the production will be so entertaining that people won't even remember to be scared."

"Ah!" A little boy bumps into him while running away. "Get away, no!"

"Dragons!" Nigel is running around the courtyard. "Dragons! They are dragons everywhere!" Unfortunately, he had stopped near the red rocks and turns into a statue.

"And...our show's gotta start...now," Eugene states as they look at him.

* * *

"Not much further, we're almost there, guys," Rapunzel states to the others as she's in the lead.

"Where does this lead, anyway?" Harmony couldn't help but ask.

"It's a surprise! Have that solution of yours ready, Varian," Rapunzel smiles at her sister, booping her on the nose. Both of them then notice Varian's stopped walking as he looks at the solution in his hands. "Varian, whatever the red rocks are showing you, they're just visions. They're not real."

"...But they are. Do you know what this is?" He holds up the beaker, the sisters glancing to each other.

"It's what's gonna help us sever the red rocks' power."

"Why?" Harmony asks him slowly.

"Yes, but it's also the same compound that encased my father." The girl's eyes blink slowly at the explanation. "You know, the red rocks make everybody else see hallucinations, but what I see is something that really happened. This stuff ruined my life. Because of this, I did...I did terrible-"

The beaker slips from his grasp and Harmony leaps forward, holding out her arm. She catches it in her hand.

"Nice catch, sis!" Rapunzel smiles at her and she sighs in relief, standing up.

"If that had smashed," Varian takes the beaker from his girlfriend. "Then Corona would've been done for, and everyone would hate me even more than they do now, not that I blame them."

Harmony's eyes soften at this. "Varian, you can't be so hard on yourself," Rapunzel tells him gently.

"She's right, you need to think more positively about yourself."

"That's easy for you two to say! You're the embodiment of the sundrop. You know, the wondrous, magical sundrop. And you, Mona, even though you grew up with the moonstone's evil power...I never see you as an evil person. You're fearless and brave," He looks at the girl.

"Ah, you hear that, guys? He called me wondrous and magical, and he called Harmi fearless and brave," Rapunzel hums as Pascal clasps his hands, Daisy chirping happily. Harmony blushes bashfully at the compliments.

"No, what I'm saying is for ordinary people, like me, fear is just a little bit more...debilitating." Varian rubs his neck.

"Varian..." Rapunzel takes his hand and he looks up at her in surprise. "There is nothing ordinary about you."

"Vari...some people just have a hard time adjusting to what's happened," Harmony places a hand on his shoulder. "And it doesn't help that they know Cass is gone too..." She glances up at Rapunzel while biting her lip. "But you're not like everyone else with being ordinary. There is so much more to you than what's happened in the past. You're sweet, talkative, funny, understanding. And to me...you're special." She smiles softly and he returns the gesture.

"Thank you, Mona...that means a lot. I love you."

"I love you too..." She puts one of her bangs behind her ear shyly.

"Aww!" Rapunzel coos at them. Varian takes the girl's hand as Rapunzel takes the lead again, the smile still on his face.

* * *

Cass stares at the red rock in front of her. "There must be another way..." She's still contemplating about what she's been asked to do.

"You once questioned why you had no destiny. Now that you have one...don't question it," The Enchanted Girl instructs her. "You must wield the power of the moonstone and the sundrop. But you cannot do that...without destroying Rapunzel." She then murmurs something to herself. "And unlike that annoying twit who never listened to me...I now have someone who can do that for me."

Cass looks at the rock again, unsure of what exactly to do...

* * *

"Welcome, one and all, to Corona's first ever talent show!" Eugene announces to the crowd, a spotlight on him. "Now, let's turn up the taleeeeeeeeeeent!"

The crowd is mostly fearful instead of really paying attention.

"And now, we're gonna add some happy little eyeballs..." Vlad paints eyes on a unicorn. "There. This fella's got blue eyes."

"Unicorns!" Unfortunately for Feldspar, he's afraid of unicorns...The curtain moves and then he's replaced with Old Lady Crowley.

"In my job, I fold a lot of laundry...so when I play cards, the last thing I'm gonna do...is fold!" She waits for laughter. "LAUGH!"

They gasp at her and then Eugene pulls the curtain again. This was not going well...

Next up is Catalina and Kiera. "Gather close, one and all, for the truly astounding feats, the likes of which you have never seen before. Standing beside me today is a young woman, my sister. You know her as Catalina, and our surrogate parents being Princess Harmony and Varian, but I know her as the eighth wonder of the world! A girl who possesses a singular talent that is, I guarantee, the most stupendous, the most eye-popping..."

"Oh no," Eugene murmurs knowingly.

"The most fantastical spectacle ever to be witnessed! Feast your eyes upon...the beast!"

Catalina's eyes glow red as her fangs appear. They gasp in shock as she transforms into her werewolf form. The whole crowd runs away out of fear.

"But I didn't even get to my soft shoe routine!"

And with that, Eugene closes the curtain.

"Do, re, mi..." Attila is practicing his singing scales when Lance comes up.

"No, no, no! You're singing all wrong! Stand with your feet, hip width apart, knees relaxed, do not raise your chin, it puts tension on your voice, and please, breathe through your diaphragm!"

Eugene looks outside to see another red rock growing. "We're doomed, doomed! There's nowhere to hide!" A butcher hides behind some red rocks and gets frozen.

"Attila! Ah, not like that!" Eugene turns around to the duo. "Like this. Figaro, figaro, you have to dig through the belly! In through the nose. Figaro me, figaro you, figaro me, figaro her, Figaro dog, Figaro cat-"

"Lance!" Eugene pushes past Attila.

"Huh, uh, what?"

"i just figured out who's up next," He smiles a little. "You. You are gonna calm the people of Corona down...by singing!"

Lance laughs at his suggestion. "What?"

* * *

The ceiling crumbles a little over their heads as they continue walking down the tunnel. "Rapunzel, we really gotta hurry," Varian chuckles nervously. "How much farther is it?"

"Uh, we're here! You wanted a big, underground cavern? I give you the Demanitus chamber!"

They come to a stop in front of the Demanitus device, which did get pierced by black rocks, but they're now red.

"Whoa," The teens both murmur in shock.

"It-it's amazing," Varian comments first.

"I finally get to see it!" Harmony cheers, bouncing up and down.

"You should've seen it before all these red rocks," Rapunzel smiles a bit.

"Y-You've actually s-seen this before?" Varian glances at the blonde.

"You could say that," Rapunzel nuzzles Pascal with her finger.

"I didn't get to see it until now b-because..." Harmony glances away. "Because of other...stuff." When Rapunzel came down here...the girl was nearing death in the snow.

"Man, I would've loved to have met Demanitus."

"We did," Rapunzel and Harmony say in unison.

"Nice guy. He was a monkey," The blonde glances to her sister, who facepalms. "Uh, long story."

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry, Vari, with everything that's happened, I forgot! Demanitus wrote a letter for you after I asked him!"

"H-He did? You did that for me?!" Varian places his hands on her shoulders happily, shaking her slightly. "He wrote to me?! I'm not even mad you forgot, Mona!" He spins her around in excitement and she giggles. She's just glad that she could put a smile to his face since he's so worried about his fears.

"Come on, you two," Rapunzel waves them forward and they walk down the steps that lead to the floor.

"Oh, okay. There's the base," Varian points forward. "Encasing it in amber should stop the fear from-" The floor cracks underneath them, more red rocks growing.

"Okay, less explaining, more pouring," Rapunzel pushes him forward, wrapping an end of her hair around him. He steps forward.

"Varian!" He hears his father's voice, seeing him in amber. "Please help me!"

"I hate you, Varian!" He imagines Harmony's voice. "I should've never trusted you again!"

He squeezes his eyes shut, blocking it all out. He pours the solution on the rock, stepping back to the girls. They brace themselves for something to happen, but the solution just merges red with the rock.

"What?" Varian asks in confusion. "Gah, I don't understand, this solution should encase the red rock...Oh, of course! Oh! So dumb, Varian! Whatever turned these rocks red must've also changed their internal chemistry."

The girls are looking around. "So, that solution only works on black rocks?" Rapunzel asks curiously.

"Yes, well, what's left of it." There's only one drop left inside the beaker. "But I...I don't even see any black rocks."

"We do," Rapunzel points up ahead.

"Can sense one right...there," Harmony leads Varian forward a bit to see one black rock sticking out from a wall.

"Okay, this just got a lot harder..."

* * *

"Lance..." The clown spider is in front of him. "Time to sing in public, Lance. Oh yes. Yes! Time to sing in front of all these people," He guides the scared man outside. "They're waiting on you, Lance!"

"Come on, buddy!" Eugene calls out from a tower. "You've got this! I believe in you!"

"You know what?" Lance smirks, closing the curtain. "I'm bigger than you. I'm bigger than you," He steps forward, the clown spider shrinking. "I am bigger than my fear!" He smiles boastfully.

Eugene shines a spotlight on Lance.

**When you're scared and stricken**

**And losing your cool**

His voice breaks a little, sagging his shoulders. Feldspar and Old Lady Crowley stare at him.

**When you're such a chicken**

**You feel like a fool**

He shakes a bit, putting a hand to his face.

**Don't freeze up, just ease up!**

Lance freezes but then smiles.

**Take one deep breath**

**And don't forget, this little rule!**

He leaps off the stage as the music pumps up, dancing past them. "Yeah! Ha ha!" He moves away and his shadow turns into little demons, chasing after Feldspar, Kiera, Catalina, Monty, Old Lady Crowley, and Attila. "Whoo! Yeah!"

**When your palms are sweatin'**

**When panic attacks**

Monty runs away from a group, holding a yellow and green striped lollipop.

**When you're close to wettin' your favorite slacks**

Lance holds a hand in front of Monty, stopping him in his tracks.

**Stop freakin' and shriekin' **

The little group turns into one giant one.

**Don't look so bleak and just relax, kid**

Lance places his hands on his shoulders.

**And if you weaken and your courage starts to plummet**

Monty looks at the lollipop and faces the monster bravely.

**Step up and overcome it**

**Cause you're bigger, you're badder, you're better than that**

His lollipop turns bigger and he hits the monster with it, separating them into duplicates. Lance hugs the two girls from behind.

**You know you're stronger, and harder, and smarter than that**

**So when you're haunted or daunted, stay calm as a cat**

Kiera grips the monster's leg, turning it into a balloon.

**What are you afraid of? You're bigger than that**

He picks up Catalina and spins her around. Attila backs away from one, trembling in fear. "Yeah! Ah, I feel good now. Whoo!"

Flying croissants go after the former thug. "Come on!" Lance grabs one.

**If you're still uneasy, still trembling in dread**

He throws it away.

**You're still so queasy, you'd rather be dead**

Feldspar looks on in horror as one of them is dancing in front of him, showing his disgusting feet. Lance pushes a foot away, placing an arm around Feldspar.

**Don't sweat it, don't fret it**

**Cause if you let it turn your head, kid**

Lance spins him around towards the monster, turning towards Attila.

**You can't forget it, so if anything dismays you**

**Don't need to let it faze you**

Attila pulls out a rolling pin and it turns bigger, allowing him to roll away the monster.

'**Cause you're bigger, you're badder, you're better than that**

**You know you're bolder!**

Feldspar stops running and gets the courage to face it.

**You're buffer! **

**You're tougher than that! **

He turns around, flying into the air.

**And since you're braver, don't waver!**

**Just hand in its hat**

He shoots a yellow beam at it, giving him shoes.

**Show it what you're made of**

**You're bigger than that**

Feldspar watches the monster run away with pride.

**And once you know this, there's nothing to fear**

Lance dances around with Old Lady Crowley

**Every new rouses, will just disappear!**

**Because you're bigger, you're badder, you're better than that**

He lets her go and she kicks down three monsters, landing safely.

**You know you're chiller, and you're flipper, and you're hipper than that**

They all dance together before the monsters face them, but this time, they're ready to fight back.

**So face your demon, stop screamin', and pummel attack!**

Lance gets bigger in size and slams one with his face.

**What were you afraid of?**

**You're bigger than that!**

The crowd erupts into cheers and Eugene smiles at the crowd, as they seem so much happier. Now they just had to wait for their friends to stop the red rocks.

* * *

Varian laughs anxiously as he stares up at the black rock. "You're telling me I gotta climb all the way up there? Nobody in their right mind would climb-"

"Race ya to the top!" Rapunzel starts jumping on the red rocks.

"...Oh, come on!" Varian stares up at her in disbelief.

"Ladies and gentleman, my sister," Harmony smiles, gesturing to her. "And besides, I can always get it closer once we're at a good height."

They start to climb the chamber, Varian's hand slipping. Harmony turns to him when Rapunzel stops.

"Whoa! Watch out!" She dodges out of the way and her sister does so, but Varian loses his grip.

"Varian!" The two shout as Rapunzel jumps off, flinging her hair. She catches him just before he could get impaled on the rocks below. She throws another piece onto some wood, pulling him up. Harmony slides to a stop nearby, jumping onto a red rock. Rapunzel separates some of her hair so that the girl can sit on it near the boy.

"You okay?"

"I-It's no use, girls, I can't do this!" He looks towards the bottom. "What if...what if this really does hurt Mona? I know I said I was sure, b-but they're still similar to hers, and...I can't hurt her with the solution. I can't let that happen again," He squeezes his eyes shut. "Not...again..."

"Vari...that won't happen," Harmony replies gently.

"Varian...you cannot let fear run your life. Look, I'm afraid too," Rapunzel tells him.

"Yeah, you said that, Princess, but you don't see what I see," He looks towards the rocks again, seeing his father trapped.

"That's true. I don't. But that doesn't mean I'm not seeing...other things," Rapunzel says slowly, taking a deep breath. "I see Corona...it's covered in black rocks. And I see Cassandra...she's conquered the kingdom, destroyed it forever. And you know what the weird part is? What I'm most afraid of is losing Cassandra as a friend or my sister to her...forever."

"Rapunzel..." Harmony murmurs softly upon hearing this.

"Sometimes...I see you," Varian looks up at his girlfriend and she stares at him. What would she have to do with his fear? "Every time I smile at you...you tell me that you regret forgiving me and loving me...and that you don't wanna see me ever again...I can't bear to lose you, Mona," He looks towards the ground sadly.

"Vari, you're not going to..." She swings forward and hugs him. "I really care about you and I can't see myself without you. Do you wanna know what I see? I...I see me...hurting my family, my friends...you. And I can't stop myself. Black rocks...my black rocks, they're everywhere..."

"I had no idea..." Varian murmurs, hugging the girl back in comfort. He runs a hand through her hair in sympathy. "Both of you."

"I guess all of us have trouble talking about what scares us..." Rapunzel smiles weakly at the irony.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Harmony asks her boyfriend softly.

"I-I didn't know how you'd take it..."

"...Me either for my fear..." She glances away, turning back to him with a small smile. "How about in the future...if something's bothering us, we tell each other first?"

"...Alright, Mona. I promise," He smiles, leaning forward and pecking her lips. The ceiling crumbles again above them and they look up at the black rock. "I'll do it. Just, uh, give me a lift."

Harmony nods at her sister, jumping upwards from her hair. "One lift, coming up. One..."

"Two..."

"Three!" Together, the sisters pull, lifting Varian onto a platform. He turns around to them.

"Hurry, Varian!"

"I'll give you some help!" Harmony holds out her hands, creating some little steps made out of moonlight. Varian steps on one to get to a rock, the red rocks moving closer to the girls. Rapunzel and Harmony step back, pushing against them.

Cass touches one too, closing her eyes.

Suddenly, they look at the rocks, sensing someone familiar. "Cass...?"

"Rapunzel? Harmony?" She senses them too. Their eyes widen at this, red encasing their hands.

"Uh, Varian?"

It's happening to him too, his arms getting covered in it. He squeezes his eyes shut. "It's not real. I can do this."

His confidence stops the red from growing and he sighs in relief, looking up at the black rock in front of him. "Okay." He finally reaches it, digging out the solution. "Come on...come on..." He reaches out his hand to it, his hands getting stuck. He drops the beaker.

"The vial! No!" He catches it with his foot.

"Varian!" He hears the voices from the two people that he loves, the drop about to slip from the beaker.

"No, no, no, no! Don't! Don't!" He catches it into the beaker with his foot, throwing it up into the air. He catches it again, but the red is starting to encase the rock. Varian reaches out his arm.

"Fight the fear, fight it! Come on!" He manages to pour it on the rock, the amber encasing it. "It's working!" He jumps off the base, the amber spreading everywhere. The two sisters jump off the platform as all the red rocks are now gone.

Varian lands in front of the two and Rapunzel hugs him first. "You tackled your fears, Varian! I knew you had it in you!"

He smiles at her, glad to hear it. Harmony smiles for his victory as he hugs her waist, and they share a brief kiss.

* * *

The red rocks in Corona sink back into the ground, also fearing anyone who was frozen. The citizens cheer, Eugene pumping his fists.

"They did it!" Eugene exclaims and Crowley smiles a little.

"So did you, Lance," She states to his shock.

"They love me! They really love me!"

Cass touches a red rock, but it turns black again, sinking into the grass. "Do you see now? Rapunzel and Harmony can strip you of your power, Cassandra. If you do not destroy them...they will destroy you. Together, we can steal the other half of Harmony's powers that rightfully belong to you…"

Cass looks up, getting onto her feet and glaring. She WILL get those powers...

* * *

Varian, Harmony, and Quirin are walking through town, telling him what happened. "If it weren't for Rapunzel and Mona, I'd be-"

Ruddiger runs up to them. "Ruddiger! H-Hey! It's good to see you, buddy."

"Oh!" Feldspar stands in front of him. "Nice job with those rocks, Varian! Rapunzel says you're a real hero, so, uh, yes!"

"Just doing my part," Varian smiles bashfully as he waves to the man. He rubs the back of his neck, Quirin placing a proud hand on his shoulder.

Harmony kisses Varian on the cheek. "I told you people would come around. My hero."

He chuckles, love-struck by her words, the man smiling at the two.

"I wanna thank you once again for your help, Princess," Quirin gestures to himself. "I can't tell you how grateful I am for getting me out of the amber and for reuniting me with my son."

"No worries," She waves it off. "We all have our parts to do."

"As a way to thank you, you two have my blessings for whenever you two decide to get married."

They both flush, turning away from each other. "Dad!" Varian mutters in embarrassment.

"Erm..." Harmony scratches her cheek, laughing nervously. "H-How about we settle on just getting something from Attila?"

He chuckles at the two of them. "Deal." Quirin guides them towards Attila the Bun.

"Can I...have that letter now?" Varian smiles a bit at Harmony.

"Oh, of course!" She digs into her bag, giving it to him and placing her chin on his shoulder. He smiles in excitement as he opens it up, his father smiling at the two. He's glad that Varian is being looked at as a hero and has someone in his life that loves him for who he is and will be by his side through anything...

_To Varian,_

_I've heard about a lot about you. You're a very intelligent boy. Princess Harmony has told me much of you. Despite that we will never meet, I have hope that the worse won't come to pass. And if it does, I know that Princess Rapunzel and Princess Harmony will save us all. But you, my boy, have so much to live for. With that mind of yours, I'm sure you will move on to do great things. Speaking of which, those alchemy arrows you gave to Harmony are fascinating! It's only a shame we didn't have a chance to speak._

_Best of luck,_

_Demanitus_

"He thinks I'm smart..." He murmurs, doing a little dance. "Demanitus thinks I'm smart!"

Quirin and Harmony both chuckle at him.

* * *

"So Cass is attacking Corona now?" Eugene asks Rapunzel as they're on her balcony. "Well, that's delightful."

"She wasn't...I don't know how to explain it, but when Harmi and I touched the rocks, and stay with me on this...we sensed her. And...she wasn't attacking us. She was just as afraid as we are...as I am."

"So then that means..."

"There's still a chance to save her," Rapunzel finishes softly, and they look out the balcony together, holding hands.


	61. Pascal and Daisy's Dragon

A ship is leaving the docks of Corona, and the two princesses with their boyfriends are seeing it off. "Your highness, here's the manifest from Neserdnia's latest shipment of goods," Nigel announces to the duo.

"Oh, they always send us the best stuff!" Rapunzel looks at the shipment. "Ooh, kumquats," She sniffs them. "Merino wool! Lavender oils!"

Pascal and Daisy dive into a box. "Porcelain dolls! Ooh, oh, Neserdnian riding hats! What do you think?" She tries it on to show the three, and it looks ridiculous...

They glance at each other, Varian gesturing for the former thief to say it.

"Ha...I think...I'll keep my thoughts to myself," Eugene tells her nervously.

"Yeaaah, gonna go with a never going to wear opinion," Harmony nods slowly.

"Oh! Well, you know what, I know who's a better judge. Pascal, hmm?"

He lifts his head up from the crate, looking up at her and giving two thumbs up. She smiles, but he sticks out his tongue in disgust when turned away.

"I saw that, Pascal!"

His eyes widen and he dives back into the crate as she laughs. Soon, he and Daisy emerge with something wrapped in cloth.

"Oh! What did you find?" She takes it into her hand and unwraps it to find a blue marble. "Ooh, it's nice and warm."

The two pets beam at it. "Huh, never seen that come from Neserdnia before," Harmony inspects it.

"That's the biggest marble I've ever seen," Varian comments, staring at the object.

"Heh. That beauty's a keeper," Rapunzel smiles at her and Pascal. "So, hug away, little guy."

Nigel looks at the manifest pages. "Well, whatever that thing is, it must have arrived here by accident. I suspect it's in everyone's best interest that we send it back whence it came."

"Come on, Nigel, it's just a little marble," Rapunzel gestures to it. "And look at how much fun Pascal and Daisy are having with it."

Pascal bounces it on his hands and legs, tossing it into Daisy's wings and feet. Nigel eyes the marble, feeling that something wasn't right.

* * *

Later that night, Pascal is sleeping on top of his warm marble, Rapunzel snoring next to them. The marble suddenly moves on its own, waking up Pascal. He looks around in confusion before seeing the marble rolling away from the bed. His mouth opens in shock as he watches it open the door and roll out into the hallway. Pascal peeks from the doorway to see it wiggling around. It pokes open, something pink sticking out from it.

Daisy opens the door, shocked to see the marble. It rolls right past her and the two chase after it. The marble hits a pillar, more cracks appearing in it. They glance to each other in shock, looking back to the marble. The top cracks open to reveal a head, scaring them. The little purple head has a horn on its forehead, and has big purple eyes. They blink at the pets, who approach it slowly. The creature roars, causing them to slide back. They circle around it and a tail pops out from the back, knocking them back. They go back to the creature, four little legs popping out. Pascal hugs the pillar, turning invisible while Daisy hides behind it.

The creature stands up and shakes off the rest of the marble pieces, revealing that the creature is a dragon! The baby dragon lets out a small squeak, turning to the eyes that are from Pascal. Daisy peeks behind the pillar as the dragon looks around, letting out a little roar. It falls onto the ground since he doesn't know how to walk yet. The dragon rolls around, trying to walk again and failing. With some effort, it starts walking down the hall.

Pascal and Daisy follow after him, appearing in front of the baby dragon. The chameleon eyes him and he just smiles. He then copies Pascal's pose. The two pets glance to each other as he pulls off the same confused look as Pascal. Pascal then crosses his arms, the dragon pulling off the same thing. Daisy tests it herself by wiggling her wings. The dragon wiggles his arms and then Pascal spins around. The dragon tries to do the same, but somewhat fails.

A fly goes past Pascal, which he eats. The dragon looks at him, intrigued as he pulls it out of his mouth. The fly spins around, and when the dragon tries to catch it, he falls onto the floor. He sits up and lets the two pet him. The top of his head opens, shocking them, and they decide to let him follow. He trips, but does so as they run outside. They reach the fountain, playing chase together. Pascal hides using the fountain while Daisy dives into the water. The dragon runs around, looking for them. He looks around until Pascal and Daisy reveal themselves, and he lets out a roar.

Pascal covers his mouth, Daisy shushing him. Pascal waves a finger as the baby dragon frowns a bit. They hug him and the dragon lets out a few yawns.

They take him to a tree branch in front of the moon. Pascal spins around before taking his spot. Daisy yawns before she sits herself down, adjusting her wings so that she's comfortable. The dragon copies them, wrapping a tail around them as they sleep together.

Meanwhile, Nigel is in the castle's library, checking out books. He throws one into the pile and takes another one. The marble's origin was still bothering him, so he thought he'd look into it. So far, nothing...that is, until he sees a picture from one.

"I knew it!"

* * *

The sun rises the next morning and the two pets wake up, stretching. Their eyes widen in shock as the dragon has gotten way bigger. He licks their cheeks and they look to each other, wondering what they're gonna do.

A knock is heard from Rapunzel's door. "Nooo...who is it? Go away!"

Knocking is then heard from her sister's door. "Ugggh...it's too early for this...come back later!"

"I'm coming. Hold on. Just a minute," Rapunzel replies to the frantic knocking.

"Your highnesses! Rapunzel!" She opens the door to see a tired Harmony standing next to Nigel. Her hair is an absolute mess as it's sticking out in all directions. Her eyes have bags underneath. "Your highnesses! Thank goodness you're awake! That Neserdnian 'marble' your little lizard and goose friend found? Well, it's not a marble at all, it's a dragon egg!" He holds up the page with the picture of the 'marble' on it. The next page has a dragon being hatched from it.

Rapunzel looks just as tired as her sister, some drool even coming from the side of her lip. She blinks lazily since it's early.

"I'm sorry," She wipes away the drool. "I'm just waking up. Can you...can you say the whole part about the whole thing you were just saying?"

Harmony has fallen back asleep, snoring as her sister is leaning against the door, eyes closed.

"Princesses, look!" Nigel snaps them out of it and Harmony joins her sister's side. They look at the picture.

"A dragon egg? Well, that does like Pascal and Daisy's marble," Rapunzel glances to the brunette.

"The chances of that marble being a dragon's egg is a million in one, Nigel," Harmony crosses her arms. "But-"

"But nothing, Princesses!"

The two pets are guiding the dragon back inside with a branch. "Dragons are terribly dangerous. We must get rid of it at once!"

The duo stop the dragon from moving. "Okay, just a second, Nigel. We don't know for sure it's a dragon egg. In fact, let's go have another look at their marble, and I'm sure we'll discover that's all it is."

"Nigel, lighten up," Harmony tells him gently. "Not to be rude, but...well, you have a tendency to judge a book by its cover."

"And if it isn't? If it is a dragon? We'll have no choice but to destroy it, right?" He shows them the page where a dragon is destroying homes and the forest. The two sisters glance to each other, unsure if this was really what they're dealing with.

"...We do whatever we have to do to keep Corona safe."

"Even if that puts someone else at risk..." Harmony sighs slowly, remembering what happened with Varian in Old Corona. The two pets could only look in shock, pushing the dragon in the other direction. They had to make sure that Nigel doesn't find them...

"Yes, well...it was a good decision, Princess Harmony. Varian was dangerous."

"Emphasis on was, Nigel. Don't forget what he did to save you and the kingdom from the red rocks," She narrows her eyes defensively.

* * *

Pascal and Daisy peek around the corner, looking around. The dragon's saliva lands on their heads as he's panting. They walk down to the right, the dragon noticing a doorknob jiggling nearby. Pascal pulls the dragon to hide behind a vase. Daisy hides in the flowers as Pascal moves the tail away, but it lands over his head.

It's just Old Lady Crowley as she opens the door. She notices the chameleon spinning around the tail, trying to look cool as he points at her.

"Ugggh...reptiles in the castle, ridiculous!" She walks off, Pascal looking at his friend in relief. Daisy peeks her head out from the flowers.

"Pascal! Daisy!" Rapunzel is calling for them as the two sisters split up to find them. They drag their friend inside the room, pushing him in a cabinet. They close the doors, sighing in relief. He falls out of the cabinet and they get him back inside quickly, the tail being squished between the doors. Pascal pokes them inside.

"Pascal, buddy! Hey Pascal! Daisy!" Rapunzel looks through the open door and sees them. "Guys, listen. I know this is gonna sound silly, but...Nigel's got it in his head that that little marble you two have is...get this, a-"

The cabinet shakes a little and it explodes into pieces, revealing the dragon. He wags his tail, his tongue sticking out.

"Dragon egg..." She finishes slowly, turning to her friends. They smile sheepishly and get him into Rapunzel's room. She closes the door behind her.

"So, uh," She starts off nervously. "A dragon, huh? Listen, Pascal, Daisy, uh, keeping a dragon around the castle isn't the best idea. For one thing, they can breathe fire, and the other thing is...well, actually, the first thing is probably a good enough reason."

The dragon steps up behind the two, licking them. "Ugh...Aw. Okay. That was really cute..."

They hug their friend. "You two have hit it off, huh?" She pets the dragon's snout. "Well, he sure does seem like a sweet little...um...big guy," She stands up, the two pets sitting on his head. "Hey! Maybe that's what we should call you! Little Big Guy!"

He seems to like the name. "You know what? Suppose Little Big Guy were to stay here, just you know, until we figure out what to do with him. We do have to keep him quiet, so we don't cause a panic."

They give her a thumbs up, but Little Big Guy lets out a roar, piercing her ears. "Okay, we will work on that quiet part," She picks at her ear. "Now, we-we don't want to scare anybody, so he can't stay in the castle. That means we'll need to train him to survive. Do you think we can do that?" She puts her bag over her shoulder, and the two nod.

"Good. Now, to get him out of here without attracting attention..."

"Rapunzel," Harmony opens the door, letting Varian and Eugene in. "I couldn't find-"

"Oh...a-am I really seeing this with my own eyes?" Varian's mouth opens at the dragon as the two men stare in shock. Harmony closes the door behind her and sees the dragon. She gasps sharply at the sight.

"Oh my GOOOOSH~! A real dragon!" She squeals loudly at it, Eugene having covered his ears.

"Did I miss something here?" He stares at her, picking at his ear.

"Oh, Mona loves dragons," Varian chuckles at his bouncy girlfriend. "She told me she's wanted to see one once since she was little."

"But, there's never been any record of dragons near the kingdom. UNTIL TODAY!" She bends down to it in awe and he rests his head on her lap, causing her to laugh. She lightly hugs his head as Varian sits down next to her, patting his head.

"This is astounding! I've never heard of a dragon in Corona."

"So that marble really was a dragon egg, huh?" Harmony looks up at Daisy, who nods at her.

"Okay, guys, I know it's crazy, but we really need to get him out of here. It's not safe for him to stay here."

"Yeah, he's gonna get bigger and that won't be easy to hide," Varian looks up at the princess.

"And plus...Nigel's scared of dragons," Harmony frowns a little. "He hates them and he won't take this lightly. We need to get him out of here without causing alarm or suspicion."

The dragon's tail hits a table as the two teens are petting him. Rapunzel looks between the table and the dragon. The three animals smile sheepishly as Rapunzel taps her cheek.

"I'm gonna need all your help on this one, guys."

* * *

Eugene peeks around the corner, checking to make sure no one's watching. Eugene drags the table down the hall, followed by the other couple.

"You know, Sunshine, next time you want me to move furniture, I'd appreciate it if it were actually...furniture," Little Big Guy's feet are moving along with the table and Harmony pulls the cloth down a bit from her side. A foot steps on Eugene's boot. "Ah! Oh, it just stepped on my foot. Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!"

He hops up and down, getting the attention of everyone else. "Ow?"

The dragon's head hits the table. "Oh, sorry about that, Eugene!" Varian feigns innocence, pretending that he did it.

"Uh, hey! Hey everyone, there are free, um..."

"Pastries in the throne room!" Eugene finishes and they run down the hall.

"Let's go," Rapunzel says to everyone.

"Right, right. Brownie-"

"Yeah, I'll go get some cookies from the kitchen," She knows exactly what he was going to ask, walking away.

"Thanks, little sis! Love you!" Rapunzel calls out to her.

* * *

"Okay. Let's start with some basics skills, and work our way up!" Rapunzel looks at a book that Harmony got from the castle library on her way back to the forest. "Every dragon should be able to move discreetly. Sometimes, they need to tuck and roll."

Rapunzel does so to demonstrate. Harmony rolls to her right, landing right on top of Varian. "Mona, I love you and all, but this isn't discreet."

"You know I didn't mean to," She sticks out her tongue a little.

Both of them laugh a little as she crawls off him. Pascal and Daisy roll too, but the dragon rolls right onto Eugene's back.

"Eating is key to survival. A baby dragon must learn what he can and can't eat."

Little Big Guy looks between an apple and a rock. He sniffs the apple, and opens his mouth, eating the table instead. Pascal and Daisy facepalm at this.

"Every dragon needs to fly," Rapunzel instructs as the four flap their arms to show flying. Daisy flies in front of the dragon to demonstrate, chirping. "Up, down. Up, down. Up, down! Up, down."

He creates too much dirt while flapping, knocking the four away. Eugene hits a tree, Rapunzel lands in a small hole, and the two teens land in the dirt.

"I think I'd call that a success..." Eugene says in pain, landing and hitting his head. Pascal emerges from his coat, bouncing to a stop near Little Big Guy. Daisy pokes her head out from a bush, spitting out leaves.

Little Big Guy sniffs the chameleon, who's turned red. He suddenly turns the same color, shocking them. "Little Big Guy? You can change colors?!" Rapunzel runs up to him.

"What?" Eugene asks in surprise.

"Wow," Harmony murmurs as Varian helps her up.

"Fascinating!"

Pascal turns blue and Little Big Guy does the same. "Wait," Rapunzel gasps as she pulls out the book. "No, I've read about this. Dragons can magically adopt characteristics of someone they love!"

"No way, really? Well, I wonder what else he can do."

Little Big Guy hits Eugene's ear with his tongue. "I had to ask!" He replies in annoyance.

"Wait, so he can do anything Pascal can? That means eventually, he'll start flying like Daisy!" Harmony gestures to the dragon.

"Look!" Varian points at the dragon, who now has webbed feet like Daisy.

"Apparently, dragons can even lend their own traits to their friends," Rapunzel gasps as the two sisters bend down to the two pets. "Pascal, Daisy, look! You've got horns too! And Pascal has wings!" She starts squealing as Pascal flaps his wings. Daisy has a horn and dragon-like wings instead of her feathered ones. Rapunzel squeals again, picking him up. "Twinsies!"

"Oh, that's going in my journal!" Harmony holds up Daisy. Pascal turns black with red spots. Little Big Guy turns blue with purple spots. He looks down in disappointment.

"Look, don't worry," Eugene places a hand on his back. "Learning to go plaid takes time. I'm assuming, I'm no plaid expert. But I do love a tartan."

Pascal turns into Harmony's face and the dragon does the same. "Aww, look, he did me!" Harmony beams, hugging the dragon. "You're just so cute," She pinches its cheeks and Daisy chirps at her, slightly angered by that. "He's cute and Daisy's adorable."

Daisy chirps with a smile. "Ooh, ooh, do Varian when he saw me in my island outfit from Tirapi Island," Harmony encourages and Pascal does Varian's stupefied face. Little Big Guy manages to pull it off, causing everyone except Varian to laugh.

"Oh come on, that was not my expression," He crosses his arms. "I did not look like that."

"But that's why we're laughing, because you did," Eugene points at him.

"Varian, if it helps, you did look like you were so shocked by her appearance," Rapunzel offers, a hand on his back.

He just huffs and Little Big Guy nudges him slightly, turning back to normal. The alchemist smiles slightly, stroking his head.

"Okay, maybe I did look like that a little. Nice job, Little Big Guy."

"Just like learning to fly is not easy," Rapunzel says and Little Big Guy opens up his wings. "Oh! Bup, bup, bup. You know, you've done a lot today. Maybe you could use a rest before you try to fly again. I know I can," She gestures to herself. "Goodnight, you three. And please, try to lay low."

"Daisy, you're in charge," Harmony points to her. Pascal pouts at Daisy, who blows a small raspberry at him. "Bye guys!" She waves to them as they leave.

"We'll check on you tomorrow," Varian tells the trio, holding Harmony's hand.

"Thanks again for getting those pastries, Brownie," Eugene tells her as they walk away.

"Yeah, but now I owe an explanation to the kitchen on why I stole them," Harmony rubs her neck.

"Hey, how about we all go to Monty's and get something?" Varian suggests with a smile. "I have a craving for a lollipop all of a sudden."

"So long as Lance doesn't steal it again," Rapunzel chuckles at the memory. Time travel was still weird.

Little Big Guy looks up at his friends, who point to their left. He wags his tongue in delight.

* * *

Later that night, they're at the top of a tree. Little Big Guy is hugging the top of it, looking at a pile of hay down below. Pascal waves his hands and the dragon shakes his head. Pascal mimics flying, Daisy slowly shaking her head at them. She squeaks at them to not do it, but Little Big Guy opens up his wings anyway. However, the branch breaks, Daisy flying off the dragon, watching them fall. However, the dragon flies past the hay, to the duckling's surprise.

He looks up at the shocked Pascal, flying straight into a tree. Daisy chirps as she joins them, quickly glancing at them and seeing that there are no injuries on them...then she starts scolding them as if saying 'I told you so.'

The three all laugh together in their own way, which stops once the dragon breathes fire. It hits a tree, the flames reflecting in Pascal's eyes. He glances at Daisy in shock as her mouth is wide open.

A guard tower is nearby the tree that caught on fire, Pete and Stan at the top. Stan sniffs the air. "Is that me? Do you smell something burning?"

"No. Who could smell anything over all the smoke?" Pete gestures behind him and he realizes what he said.

"Smoke?!" Pete rings the bell as Stan rushes down the stairs.

* * *

Soon, the fire is put out, the two couples having arrived to see the damage. Rapunzel holds out a bluebird, which flies away.

"Well, it's as I suspected," Nigel speaks up nearby. "The footprints don't lie. There is a dragon amongst us! We must find it immediately!"

"Wow, Nigel. You really have it out for dragons, huh?" Eugene asks him and Harmony sighs.

"Here we go again. Every time," She places her hands on her hips.

"I loved a dragon, once, as a child."

_Tiny footprints were near a hatched dragon egg leading to somewhere. The little boy Nigel followed them curiously, moving away leaves to see the blue baby dragon._

"_He was a baby when I found him."_

_Nigel smiled at the baby dragon, petting him and picking him up. "People said that I shouldn't keep him, that dragons were ferocious, deadly." _

_The people from his town protested as he held the baby dragon in his hands. "But I didn't understand. Until one day, the dragon's family came looking for it. The dragons attacked our village and destroyed everything! All because I took that baby dragon! It was only through sheer luck that no one was seriously hurt."_

Varian glances at Harmony. "You've heard this story before?" He whispers to the princess.

"Yes, and he's hated dragons ever since. He used to tell me that story when I was a baby, but I had never seen a dragon in Corona for me to believe anything bad would happen. That is, until tonight..." She rubs her neck awkwardly.

Nigel takes a deep breath. "That was a mistake I'll never make again. Believe me when I say this, that dragon is a threat to everyone in this kingdom-a threat that must be eliminated at once!"

The teens' eyes widen at his declaration. The two princesses glance at each other and then at their boyfriends. They certainly don't want their friend, or Pascal and Daisy, to get hurt by any means necessary. That's not who they are.

"Let us handle this. We will talk to Pascal and Daisy. And don't do anything until we give you the word," Rapunzel instructs and the four leave.

"Nigel, I know you think they're dangerous, but this dragon isn't to be harmed. One mistake doesn't define all dragons. Just like the moonstone doesn't label me as evil."

His eyes soften at her words as she runs after the three. Despite that, he doesn't believe that this dragon won't harm them. He couldn't have what happened to his village happen to Corona...and not just because he hates them.

He walks up to the guards, making sure that the two sisters don't hear him. "The princesses clearly don't understand the urgency of this situation. We are all in danger. You're to go after that dragon, immediately! Capture him if you can. But if necessary...destroy that dragon!"

* * *

"Pascal?" Eugene calls out, looking into an alleyway. "Little Big Guy? Daisy?"

"Pascal, buddy? Little Big Buy? Daisy?" Rapunzel calls for them next.

"Little Big Guy? Daisy? Pascal, where are you guys?" Harmony glances around the street.

"Daisy? Pascal? Little Big Guy?" Varian looks up at the sky. A squeak is heard nearby and Rapunzel gasps in recognition.

"That's Little Big Guy! But where did that sound come from?"

She looks behind her and sees a mother waking up to comfort her baby, realizing something. "Wait a second! That's what that dragon's shriek is! He's calling for his mother!"

Pete and Stan run right past them. "Hey, guys?" Eugene gets their attention. "Have you seen Pascal, Daisy, or the dragon?"

"No, but we sure are looking. We have our orders!"

"What?!" The two princesses ask in shock, looking to each other. "What do you mean? What orders?"

"Same ones all the guards have: Nigel told us to find the dragon and eliminate the threat," Stan answers them.

"Nigel!" Harmony grits her teeth in annoyance, shaking a fist. She didn't think he'd go that far and defy their orders like that. She hated discrimination because she's gone through it herself. The last thing she wanted was for an innocent animal, much less a dragon, dealing with that kind of behavior.

"Nigel told you what?!" Rapunzel asks in slight anger. "No! Stand down! The search for the dragon is off!"

"And no one is to listen to Nigel about the dragon again," Harmony warns them.

"...With all due respect, your highness, a dragon is a very dangerous beast."

"And you don't want us to go after it?" Stan glances to Pete briefly. "I'm good with that."

"As you both wish," Pete states as the two salute.

"Hey guys!" Stan runs up to a group of guards. "The princesses say we don't have to hunt for the dragon! Can you believe it?"

The group cheers at this news. "Hooray!"

"Oh, boy, we've got a massive hunt afoot?! Girls, we are never gonna get to all the guards and stop them before they find that dragon. And when they do, who knows what they'll do to him?" Eugene looks at the guards in worry.

"You're right. But the good thing is, the best guard in the force is on our side," Rapunzel whistles her fingers, Max pushing past the guards.

"Phew," Harmony wipes her forehead. "Thankfully, Pete and Stan are the easiest guards to get along with..."

"Are you okay?" Varian places a hand on her shoulder. "You seem to be taking the whole 'Nigel hates dragons' thing a bit personal."

"...That's because I know what it's like to be thought of as dangerous and a threat," She closes her eyes. "Like Little Big Guy, I was treated like he was...well, mostly by parents who didn't want their kids around a little princess who could kill you in a heartbeat," She chuckles weakly. "I mean, now, it's like they've done a 180, but...it's not easy to talk about."

"It's okay, Mona," Varian places an arm around her. "I mean, I understand how you feel. That was what it was like for me before I helped with the red rocks...but I'm glad that both of us are accepted by the people again."

"Same here," She smiles up at him and he kisses her forehead.

* * *

Pascal and Daisy are looking around for their friend, holding berries for them to eat. They step forward, their mouths opening in shock as he's gotten even bigger. They drop the berries onto the ground and he lets out a huge roar. They gesture for him to be quiet.

"On your toes! Prepare the nets! Is Xavier's dragon sleep potion ready?"

"All set, sir," One of the guards hands him the barrel with the potion inside, the dragon appearing right behind them. They gasp in shock to see him and he roars as if screaming. The guard screams and the dragon screams back. This goes on for about a minute, annoying Nigel. He throws the barrel while the dragon is distracted, and it explodes into pink. The dragon's eyes roll around, and at first it seems to have no effect until he starts to get drowsy. He perks right back up, and then falls asleep.

"Secure him! Now!" Nigel orders and they trap Little Big Guy in a net. Pascal and Daisy, who moved away from the blast, look up to see their friend being dragged away. They pull at the net, but it's too big for them. He's secured to a catapult. "Good job, men!"

Pascal lets out some smoke from his mouth, covering it with his hands. Daisy does the same and they smirk at each other.

"Let's make sure this beast never hurts-" Green and yellow smoke come out of nowhere, touching the net. "What in blazes?!"

It's actually Daisy and Pascal breathing fire, and together, they release their friend from the rope. He shakes his head rapidly, waking up as they smile in relief. Little Big Guy lets out a roar, jumping over the men and running off into the forest. The two pets go after him.

Nigel narrows his eyes at this.

* * *

Max has Rapunzel and Eugene while Fidella has Harmony and Varian. "Atta boy, Max!" Eugene cheers for him. He comes to a stop near two guards.

"Stand down! The hunt is off!" Rapunzel tells the two.

"And that's a definite order!" Harmony points at them. The two horses take off again.

Little Big Guy is just about reaching Mount Saison, coming to a stop. He looks behind him to see the exhausted Pascal approaching behind him. Daisy isn't that tired since she can fly. Little Big Guy takes them with his tail, hugging them.

Some guards run up to them, and the three hide behind a rock. "Where'd they go?"

"Over here!"

They run off, and Little Big Guy turns visible along with Pascal. They smile at each other, and one of the guards turns around to see them.

"There they are!"

The three rush up to the animals, but Pascal breathes fire at their feet. Daisy releases some fireballs from her mouth.

"Well, I think I'll call it a day."

"I'm with you!"

"Sounds like a plan!"

"Too bad we couldn't find that dragon."

Daisy and Pascal high five each other. "Pascal?! Little Big Guy? Daisy?"

They turn around to find their friends approaching the rock. "Where are you?"

The three come out of hiding and Rapunzel sighs in relief. "Oh...we have been worried sick!" She holds out her hand and Harmony does too. The pets return to their owners.

"Did he get bigger than from the last time we saw him?" Eugene eyes the dragon close.

"Dragons tend to grow to adult size within a week," Harmony states to him.

"Their bodies are more advanced than regular animals," Varian shrugs lightly at him. "Yeah, they age more rapidly than Pascal or Daisy would, or even people like us. Dragons age practically within two nights or so."

"What are you doing up here? I mean, great view, but...why come all the way up here?" Rapunzel couldn't help but ask.

The two point forward and they look up ahead to see a group of shadows flying towards the moon. Rapunzel uses her telescope and looks further to see that they're dragons. "Oh...that must be his family. Oh, we've gotta help you reach them."

Little Big Guy ducks his head. "You were already doing that. Got it. Well, we are gonna help you get there. Right, Pascal and Daisy?"

They salute to her and Harmony chuckles. Little Big Guy approaches the girl and she pats him on the head. "As cute as I find you, I knew that this was only temporary...it's really gonna suck not having a dragon around here."

"At least we can both say we met one," Varian pets him next and he wags his tail. He licks Varian's cheek, some of it getting into his hair.

"That was gross, but adorable," Harmony giggles at Varian's slightly disgusted face.

They start heading up the mountain, Nigel looking at them not too far away with his own telescope. "Fire on my signal!"

The guards load up their catapult with barrels of the sleep potion. "Fire!"

They release them and Harmony tenses up. "Guuuys, we're in trouble!" She looks up to see a barrel flying over their heads.

"Uh oh. Incoming!" Eugene shouts as they run away from the barrels.

"Careful guys, those barrels are filled with a dragon sleep potion!" Varian calls out from behind Max.

"And you know this how?" Eugene turns to look at him.

"Are you kidding? Alchemy 101," Varian replies, waving it off.

"Look out!" Eugene looks up as the potion lands in front of them. The two horses slide to a stop.

"What? No!" Rapunzel shouts as it's affected Little Big Guy. Harmony and Varian jump off Fidella. Pascal and Daisy try to pull him by the horn, but of course, their strength is not the best. He steps forward a bit. "Little Big Guy! Hold on!"

She rushes over to help, followed by the two teens, holding onto him. "Gotcha!"

"Oh, we've gotta get Nigel to stop!" Varian looks behind them.

"There's no time for that, what we have to do is snap him out of it!" Harmony looks to the dragon.

"Don't worry, pal. We have you."

Little Big Guy tilts over the edge and Rapunzel, Varian, and Harmony end up falling.

"Guys!" Eugene shouts at them, looking over the edge. "NO!"

They all scream as they fall, Pascal using his tongue to snap him awake. His eyes open as they dive into the forest...but then he soars into the sky, spinning around. Harmony has her eyes squeezed shut, shaking a little. She hasn't opened them yet.

Rapunzel smiles as she's sitting on the dragon, her sister behind her and Varian at the back. Rapunzel laughs in delight, the two pets hanging on. They then realize that their friend is flying for the first time, and he dives forward.

"Wahoo!" Rapunzel shouts as they fly over the river.

"I can't look," Harmony is hugging the dragon tightly, eyes still closed.

"Hey, Mona," Varian suddenly smiles as her hair blows wildly behind her. "Hold still."

He takes her two hands from behind and raises them until they're outstretched on each side. When he lowers his hands, her arms stay up like wings.

"Do you trust me?" He asks sincerely.

"I trust you," She murmurs softly.

He puts his hands around her waist to secure her position. "Okay. Open your eyes."

Harmony slowly opens her eyes, gasping. All she can see is the view in front of her. There's nothing else in her field of vision but the night sky. The stars, the moon, and also Rapunzel's hair but that does nothing to ruin the sight. There's also the wind, and the sound of the dragon's wings flapping.

"I'm flying!" She exclaims excitedly. "Vari!"

Rapunzel smiles at the two as Varian rests his face on her shoulder.

"Not so scary now, is it?" He asks softly, both of them smiling as well. Eugene smiles in relief to see that they're alright.

Little Big Guy continues flapping his wings, swooping down towards the water. Varian bends down and touches it. Little Big Guy's feet hits the water and it felt like Harmony was in a whole new world, with a hundred thousand things to see (A/N: Whoever doesn't get this reference should shame themselves XD).

The water hits Pascal and Daisy, splashing them. Little Big Guy soars into the air again, past all the crows. Rapunzel could see all the trees behind her as Little Big Guy opens up his wings in front of the moon. He swoops again and Rapunzel hugs him, eyes widening at how far up they are. She holds out her arms like Harmony is right now.

Harmony closes her eyes, feeling herself floating weightless in the sky. She smiles dreamily, then leans back, gently pressing her back against Varian's chest. He pushes forward slightly against her.

Slowly he raises his hands, arms outstretched, and they meet hers...fingertips gently touching. Then their fingers intertwined. Moving slowly, their fingers caressed through and around each other, Varian embracing Harmony and relishing the moment.

Varian tips his face forward into her blowing hair nearby, letting the scent of her wash over him, until his cheek is against her ear. She turns her face towards him, the closeness keeping them warm. Her lips are near his. She lowers her arms, turning further, until they kiss passionately in their own little world. He wraps his arms around her from behind, and they kiss like this with her head turned and tilted back, surrendering to him. They kiss, slowly and tremendously, and then with building passion. They fly over the town until they reach the top of Mount Saison again.

Eugene notices the two teens in their moment and smiles. Varian slowly pulls away from the girl, his arms still around her.

"Wow..." Harmony whispers softly, chuckling as she puts a strand of hair behind her ear.

He just smiles at her. They hadn't had a moment like that before...but neither of them regret it. Little Big Guy lands on Eugene and he groans.

"Ah, I love you too..."

The dragon licks his face and gets off him.

"Okay, Little Big Guy. It's time to shriek your loudest, come on! Let's hear it!" Rapunzel encourages him.

"You can do this!" Harmony pumps her fists with a smile.

"Yeah, Little Big Guy!" Varian adds in with a small grin. He frowns at how far his family is, his wings dropping.

"Come on, buddy," Rapunzel puts a hand on his arm. "You've gotta let your family know that you're here! You've gotta yell!"

He looks to his two friends, because he doesn't want to leave them...the two smile at him and he smiles back. He looks up at the sky and screeches as loud as he can. Daisy and Pascal shriek along with him. They look up to the sky as the dragons are coming back.

"They're coming!"

Little Big Guy nudges the two's cheeks with his nose and they hug him. He lifts his head up with a smile, Nigel watching the whole exchange. And he realizes...that Harmony might be right. Little Big Guy just wants to be with his family again, and doesn't want to harm anyone. And he might've been a little...prejudiced.

He lowers the telescope, feeling a bit ashamed for what he's done.

"Sir, there's a bunch of them overhead. And they're in range," A guard points to the approaching dragons in the sky.

"...No," He shakes his head slowly. "Let them go." He takes a deep breath.

"Okay sweetie, here they are," Rapunzel points to the other dragons. Pascal and Daisy smile as Little Big Guy steps forward. He flaps his wings and takes flight, turning around to roar thankfully at his friends. He then follows after his family, Daisy and Pascal waving to him. Harmony and Rapunzel kiss them on the heads, smiling at the sight. Varian puts an arm around Harmony's waist as she rests her cheek on his shoulder.

As the dragons disappear, Pascal and Daisy shed a few tears, sad that their friend had to leave...

* * *

Pascal rolls a small marble to Daisy, who rolls it back sadly. This continues for a little bit until two hands lift them up. Their wings and horns are gone, as their friend is no longer with them...

"Believe me, Pascal, I know how hard it is to say goodbye to a friend," Rapunzel starts off.

"Or to have no choice but to let them go..." Harmony nuzzles Daisy's forehead with her finger.

"So, we made you something that we think just might cheer you up..."

They lead their pets to their rooms, Rapunzel letting out her hair as she stands on her bed. "You can open your eyes now," She encourages her friend. He looks up at the ceiling, surprised to see a painting of him, Daisy, and Little Big Guy flying in the stars...

"Not a bad way to remember him, huh? Why don't you get a little closer?" She takes a strand of her hair and ties him to it. He wraps the hair around his waist and she pulls him off her shoulder. He flies around like his friend did, smiling.

* * *

"Does she have her eyes closed?" Varian asks as Harmony enters her room. She smiles at Daisy, nodding.

"She does. Okay, Daisy, open your eyes...now."

The duckling opens her eyes, surprised to see that Harmony's entire wall is of their flight from tonight. Little Big Guy is flying Varian, Harmony, and Rapunzel, Pascal and Daisy sitting on top of his horn. Kiera and Catalina giggle nearby, covered in fresh paint.

Daisy beams at the painting, flying off Harmony's shoulder. "I knew you'd like it!" She giggles at Daisy's reaction. "We all pitched in...go on, get closer."

The duckling takes flight, flying along with the wall painting.

"I can't believe you guys got to ride a dragon!" Catalina bounces a bit in excitement.

"What was it like?"

"Did he do a loop-de-loop?"

"Did V puke?"

Varian grunts in annoyance at that last question, Harmony laughing at his expression. "Of course not. Why are you insinuating that_ I_ would be the one to vomit?" He places his hands on his hips with a defensive look towards Kiera.

"So you DID vomit!"

"No, I did not," Varian rolls his eyes at his surrogate daughter. "There was no vomit involved, actually. Mona, stop laughing, you were there! You know I didn't!"

"Relax," She giggles, kissing his cheek.

"Tell us! Tell us!" The girls chant in unison.

"Calm down, you two," Harmony chuckles at Catalina and Kiera. She takes a seat on her bed and Varian joins her side. Kiera and Catalina sit in front of them with excited eyes.

"Well, it all started when we got a shipment of goods from Neserdnia..."

As she starts telling the story, Daisy keeps flying around the room, happy that she now has this to remember her friend by...


	62. Islands Apart

**Angel: *sags in relief* Finally done with all my schoolwork...also, tomorrow's the day! Cassandra's Revenge! Oh, and I listened to that song Silent Scream...I'm wondering just why I was asked to listen to it...? For those who don't know where my poll is, it's on my profile. Sonic the Hedgehog is slightly in the lead now. I don't know what to do about those 4 other votes from Sapphire14, but I'm not sure if I should consider adding the 4 votes or not. Not saying she's a liar, but I would prefer it if it was just one vote per guest reviewer just to be fair. **

Rapunzel sighs a bit as she looks at Corona from her journal. "Okay, okay, uhh...what about this one?" She moves to the next page where she's drawn her hair falling out from her wig before her coronation. Frederic and Arianna have shocked looks on their faces while Harmony's blue bang sticks out from her own wig, gloves on her hands.

"Ooh, that's your coronation, of course," Frederic says as he's starting to remember.

"Yes!" The two sisters cheer. "Uhh, and this," Harmony points to the next one which is Eugene and Frederic when they tried to play a prank on King Trevor. Frederic is holding the seal in his hands.

"Okay, this. What happened here?"

"Uh, that's-that's when Eugene and I stole the royal seal of Equis," He points at it. "Oh, seal! Seal! I get it now!"

"Ding ding ding ding ding! Right again, yes!" Rapunzel smiles up at her father.

"I remember this," He points at the next one.

"Yeah, it's when we...broke through the wall."

The two sisters are standing next to each other in front of the broken wall of Corona from when they stopped Varian. Rapunzel's hair is out as Harmony's left hand was glowing in front of the rocks. Frederic chuckles at his daughters.

"No, it's when I realized what brave and independent women you two have become."

"Thank you, Papa," Harmony grins up at him.

"It's good to have you back, Dad," Rapunzel smiles, closing her book.

"And I have you two to thank for that. Throughout this entire ordeal, never once have either of you strayed by our side," He gives both of them a one-armed hug. "Family sticks together, right?"

"Family sticks together," Rapunzel winks at him.

"Always," Harmony agrees with her father.

"Can you believe the audacity of Lance?" Eugene interrupts the moment as he enters Rapunzel's room. "Not only did he borrow my moisturizer, but he left the lid off! Now it's all dried out!"

"Sorry for the interruption," Varian smiles weakly as he enters next. "But I couldn't stop him in time."

Owl suddenly hits the window, causing the two sisters to gasp. "Guys, don't worry," Eugene thinks that it's a reaction for his 'problem.' "I have a back-up bottle!"

"Not that!" Harmony gestures to outside as they run up to the window.

"Oh, Owl, are you okay? Where have you been?" Rapunzel opens up the window and helps him inside. "Wait...does this mean...?"

She doesn't finish as Pascal and Daisy take a small pillow for him to rest his head. "Where's Cass?"

He drops something into her hands and Harmony gasps at the pompoen fruit with stinky weeds attached.

"It's a pompoen," Eugene recognizes it too. Rapunzel sighs slowly.

"Looks like we're going back to Tirapai Island..."

* * *

Owl flies Pascal on his back, Daisy following after him. Varian, Harmony, Rapunzel, and Eugene take a hot air balloon there.

"We should be there in about 10 minutes..." Harmony sighs slightly, looking at the clouds.

"At least we were able to use my balloon," Varian gestures to the top.

"Blondie, do you really think Cass would go back to that island?" Eugene asks her, stepping away from the ropes. "I mean, with all the cursed idols, giant fire-breathing house flies, and crazy fish people? Actually, come to think of, Cassandra is a pretty good fit for that place."

Harmony elbows him slightly. "Ow!"

"This is our best lead so far. We haven't heard from her in months. And then suddenly, Owl shows up with a fruit that can only be found on Tirapai Island? I would say that's a pretty good sign. At the very least, it'll be nice to see Alfons and the other Lorbs again."

"Oh, right, the little leaf guys who think they're superior to human beings. They are a delight!" Eugene comments as the island is in their sights.

"Come on, they changed a little bit before we left," Harmony glances at him.

"They've been around for years. Change isn't exactly their thing," Varian shakes his head at her.

"Exactly, Goggles," Eugene points at the boy.

Soon, they land near the Lorb village, which is lit with the birthday lanterns. Rapunzel opens up the door and steps onto the sand first, followed by her sister, then Eugene, then Varian.

"Hello?" Rapunzel calls out as no one seems to be around.

"Little leaf people, hello?" Eugene tries next.

"Alfons?"

"Lorbs?" Varian looks around.

"Well, their little leaf people village looks empty. I was not expecting it to be this-"

A scream interrupts Eugene and they look up to see a bird from a tree. Harmony rolls her eyes at this. "He did that on purpose," Eugene mutters, Rapunzel giggling as she follows after him.

"Must've came here after we left," Varian shrugs as the two follow.

"Hello?" Rapunzel calls for them again. "Alfons? Okay, so no Lorbs..." She peeks inside a hut.

"Which is kind of weird. You'd think they'd be around in their own village," Harmony glances around all the houses.

"It's the fleinfloopers! Hello, is anyone there? Anybody home? No?" Rapunzel gets no answer as Eugene picks up a coconut drink.

"Huh, this looks like somebody already drank out of it," Varian inspects the drink, hands on his knees as he looks closer. "And by the looks of it-"

Something rustles from the bushes. "Did you hear that?" Eugene asks everyone.

"Yup," Rapunzel answers, a Lorb coming in out of nowhere.

"Look!" Varian points in its direction. The Lorb screams at the sight of the group and runs off.

"Hey, wait!" The four chase after it. "Stop! Come back! Ugh, we just have a few questions!" Rapunzel takes the lead, jumping over a fallen tree. The Lorb runs into a few bushes and the four run past them. Rapunzel pushes past some vines.

"This little guy sure can move! And with such little legs!" Eugene couldn't help but comment.

"But why is he running away from us?" Harmony turns to them as she and Varian run side-by-side.

They run past him hiding behind a leaf and the two princesses stop to stare at him. Varian and Eugene come back with Owl and Daisy. Rapunzel pokes him and he screams.

"Don't hurt me, wild fleinfloopers!" He pleads with them.

"Don't you recognize us?" Rapunzel smiles gently at him.

"We were here a few months ago?" Varian asks the little leaf.

He stares at them, shrugging. "Hmm...Eh, sorry, all fleinfloopers look alike. Except the new one," He jumps off the rock, confusing them.

"What? The new one? Could he mean...Cass?" Rapunzel asks slowly as they follow him.

"Either way, this does prove that someone else is here on the island like we were," Varian glances at everyone. "The marks on the rim from the coconut are too big to come from a Lorb."

"And if it is Cass...hopefully we're prepared for that," Harmony takes a deep breath. Both of them can easily control black rocks, but Cass only starting to control them seems to have no effect on the teenage girl, a fact that was honestly more relieving than concerning. And it means that Cass isn't as skilled from the moonstone's power at the moment...

* * *

The little Lorb leads the group to the others, where they're celebrating. "You can tell the new one apart by his mustache," He informs them.

"Mustache?" Rapunzel asks in surprise.

"Okay, so not Cass...who do we know that has one?" Varian looks up at Eugene.

"Well, there's Nigel, Lance, Edmund..." Harmony lists as they look up ahead to see a Lorb conga line...and at the end of it is the Captain of the Guards himself! He's wearing a beige shirt, tan pants, a red scarf around his neck, bracelets, has a belt around his waist, and is barefoot for once like the two princesses. He's grown a beard in the time that he's been gone.

"Or the Captain!" Harmony's eyes widen at him.

"Princesses? Fitzherbert! Varian!" He dances towards the shocked group. "What a surprise!" He engulfs all of them into a group bear hug. "Join the party!"

"Captain?! What are you doing here?" Rapunzel asks the man as he's dancing.

"Why haven't you left?" Harmony glances around the island. A ferry would've come for him multiple times in the months that he's been gone from the mainland, so why didn't he get on one?

"I think they call this one the Glaushsnuffer," He pats the yellow Lorb on the head. "Aren't these Lorb fellas great?"

"No, not really. They treated us like pets," Eugene informs him.

"Hmm," The Captain rubs his chin. "Didn't have that problem."

"That's because we love his mustache!" The Lorb nearby tells them.

"His mustache?" Eugene laughs a bit. "Really? _That's_ the reason?! Well, look, it's not my fault my face is perfectly suited to a goatee."

"Lord, not_ that_ topic again," Harmony rolls her eyes in recognition.

"Here we go," Varian rolls his eyes with a slightly annoyed look on his face. They knew that he's always taking care of himself, not that they hated it. They just don't want to hear him talk about his methods every single time...and this goatee thing was always something he brought up with the two of them.

"Oh, I know, I know. No one's making fun of your perfectly sculpted face," Rapunzel places a hand on his shoulder. "But Captain, really, what are you doing here? Xavier said you left Corona months ago to look for us."

"No one's heard from you since then," Harmony frowns a bit.

"I did! And I searched for you for a long time. After a while, word travelled that you'd returned to Corona. And Cassandra had made...other arrangements."

The teens tense up as he glances away at the mention of her betrayal. Rapunzel puts a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. She couldn't imagine what he was feeling about the whole thing. "Captain...I know how difficult this must be for you."

"Difficult? No. See, that's what makes this island so great! Come, come, I want you to meet someone," He waves them forward.

"There's another person on the island?" Varian blinks at him. "I thought he went off on his own."

"He did," Harmony glances to the others, having a bad feeling about this. "Look, I don't like this..."

They follow him and someone is sitting in front of the fire. A four-year-old Cassandra with long hair and dressed in the same outfit she was in when the Captain found her is standing there...

"Hi, Daddy," She greets with a smile.

"Cassandra?!" The four ask, baffled at her appearance.

"But that's..."

"Cassandra, my daughter!" The Captain introduces her happily.

"Um...Captain, while she may look like Cassandra-"

"Can it, Fitzherbert!" She narrows her eyes slightly at him and he laughs nervously.

"Ha ha ha. And she certainly sounds like her. Uh, I can't help but think you may have overlooked one small detail: She's four!"

"Daddy, watch me!" Cassandra calls out and the Captain walks up to her eagerly.

"What is it, Cassandra?"

"This must be why Owl brought us here," Rapunzel whispers to the others. "Do you sense her because...well, because of what happened with Cass?"

"I don't think so," Harmony shakes her head. "It's definitely not the real Cass, but there's something not right about her. I don't know what is it yet, but whatever it is...it's bad."

"I think being on the island for so long has made him a little..." Varian twirls his finger near his head.

Owl hoots from the tree branch, Cass playing with blocks. "Ooh, what do we have here, little one?"

"Captain, uh, a word please?" Rapunzel gets his attention and he goes over to them. Cass smiles at the blocks, Pascal and Daisy appearing in front of her. She slowly turns her head at them creepy like and they squeak in alarm, backing away. "Captain...um...where did she...come from?"

"Yeah, umm, I'm not sure how all...this happened," Harmony points between the Captain and Cass.

"Oh, I understand your concern. At first, I couldn't believe it either. But now I think I can explain."

"Well, we're all ears," Eugene comes over, arms crossed.

"I guess sometimes the universe simply hears your heart's desire," He says slowly.

"Well, that clears that up. Thanks," The former thief replies in confusion, Rapunzel raising a baffled brow.

"...Yeah, that was," Harmony clears her throat, rubbing her neck. "Interesting to hear, but I think we need a little more clarification."

"And, um, go back to the heart's desire thing?" Varian raises a hand.

"And gives you a second chance..." He looks to Cassandra.

"It's time for shalpendoofen!" A Lorb announces as they start doing the limbo.

"Oh, shalpendoofen!" The Captain places Cass on his shoulder. "They always win, but maybe today's our day! Right, Cass?"

"That's right, Daddy!" She smiles, hugging his neck. They run off to go join in. The four glance at each other, worried looks growing on their faces. This was obviously not the right solution to deal with Cass and her...life choices.

"Guys...we all know it's not really our Cass, but this Cass still gives me a bad vibe," Harmony glances to the little girl.

They stare as the two stand behind the Lorbs. One thing they notice is that the little Cass has no shadow from the rock nearby. It's like there's no proof that she's even sitting there, and they gasp at the sight.

* * *

"She doesn't have a shadow?!" Eugene exclaims once they're sitting on tree branches. "Now that is creepy. And normal Cass is creepy enough. So this little girl, what is she?!"

"I don't know," Rapunzel paces nearby. "I don't know! But we do know there is dangerous magic on this island, so we gotta figure out where she came from before the Captain or anyone gets hurt."

"And we all know that their magic has consequences..." Varian closes his eyes, crossing his arms.

"I just wish I could detect what exactly...created her or caused her to appear, or...I don't know!" Harmony couldn't think of a third thing since this was new, and they didn't know off the top of their heads what could've caused this. "But that's why I must be able to sense danger from her, because she was brought by magic!"

"And because she's creepy," Varian points out.

"That too."

"Okay, so, what's our plan?" Eugene asks the blonde.

"Um, I-I need you, Varian, and Owl to poke around and see if you can find out what type of magic this could be."

Owl hoots, joining Eugene's shoulder. "And more importantly, how to get rid of it. Meanwhile, Pascal, Harmony, Daisy, and I will keep an eye on that...uh...whatever she is. There's no telling what kind of danger the Captain could be in."

"And if he knows about that danger, well..." Harmony glances away, remembering what happened with that idol. "It doesn't bode well. Either he just doesn't understand...or he's aware of it and is fine with endangering himself or others."

Though she really hopes it's not the latter.

* * *

Little Cass sniffs the pink flowers in her hands the next morning. "Daddy, Daddy, look what I found!" She smiles, running past the group.

"So nice of you to join us on our outing today, Princesses," The Captain states to the two sisters. The two eye the little girl as she bends down to the sand.

"Uh huh, sure. Fun, fun fun fun. Fun is good..." They notice that Cass has suddenly disappeared, looking around for her. Rapunzel looks at a bush while Harmony looks past a tree. She tiptoes towards the Captain with a sinister look on her face, hiding something behind her back.

Their mouths open in shock. "Captain, watch out!" Rapunzel pushes her out of the way while Harmony takes out her bow and arrow, pointing it at Cass threateningly. The Captain notices Rapunzel holding up Cass while she's on her back. She puts down the little girl.

"I wanted Daddy to do my hair..." She holds up a hairbrush. The Captain clears his throat, stepping up to the blonde.

"Um, I...Oh! I-I thought I saw...a-a bee," Rapunzel stammers to the man.

"And I was...gonna get it with my arrow!" Harmony laughs sheepishly, feeling really embarrassed.

"It was a big bee...so big, and didn't want you to get stung," Rapunzel glances at the blank-looked Cass, Harmony smiling widely.

* * *

Meanwhile, the boys are checking Alfons' hut for any clues as to what they're dealing with. "Hmm," Eugene eyes the bookshelf, Varian looking over his shoulder. "Right!" He picks up the tiny book with his hands. "This one! Nope, I'm not seeing anything in any of these books that could explain where Little Miss Most-Likely-to-Eliminate-Us-All-In-Our-Sleep came from."

Owl shrugs at him as Varian continues looking through the shelf. "Yes, it is possible I missed it!" Eugene rolls his eyes. "Did you see how small this writing is?" He holds up the tiny book from his hand.

"This isn't gonna be easy," Varian sighs at this.

* * *

Rapunzel and Harmony are standing at the top of a cliff. They turn around to notice Cass running across a field towards the Captain.

"She's gonna push him! No, no, no, no, no! No, don't you dare-"

However, Cass has something in her hand, which is a kite. "Start without us!" Rapunzel finishes slowly. "We love kites! Ah! They're like lanterns' cousins, aren't they?" She laughs awkwardly. "Harmi, back me up on this."

"Umm, yeah, they both fly...into the air and stuff..." Harmony glances away as the two stare at the sisters weirdly.

* * *

Eugene lays out a piece of paper in front of a stone, Owl flying onto his shoulder. "Well, not sure if these mean anything, but maybe the girls could help us make heads or tails out of them."

"Yeah, maybe Mona's read about it," Varian examines the inscription.

"Ohh, poor lost fleinfloopers!" A female Lorb coos nearby. "Can I help you find your owners?"

"No, see, we don't have an owner."

"Stray fleinfloopers! Stray fleinfloopers!" She starts shouting.

"Is this a sign that I should go for a mustache?" Eugene comments to Owl, who nods in agreement.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but for once, I agree," Varian whispers to him.

"Stray fleinfloopers! Stray fleinfloopers!"

The Lorbs start chasing after the two with nets and they run off. They run right past the two as they hug a vine above them. Eugene gets down, helping Varian onto his feet. They see a cave with vines blocking it.

"Hello? Someone in here?" He steps inside, and grunting can be heard.

"Hello?" Varian follows him and they see something, gasping.

* * *

Cass is digging up sand. Pascal and Daisy walk up to the tiny hole, looking up at the...happy family. They look further to see a crab crawling around. Pascal, thinking it was a spider, grabs it with his mouth, running away when the crab pinches its claws towards him.

Pascal turns into the colors of a crab, pointing the crab to the left. He sighs in relief once the crab has left, turning back to normal. Daisy squeaks in laughter and he glares at the duckling.

"Maybe she's not dangerous, guys..." Rapunzel says, hugging her knees.

Harmony crosses her arms, raising a brow as Pascal squeaks. Daisy chirps, pointing to the little girl.

"I know she's not Cass, but...look how happy they are." They watch the Captain chase Cass, smiling a bit.

"Even if she's not...this isn't healthy," Harmony gestures to them. "He can't hang onto this...this image of Cass forever. And she's not even a real person."

"I know that...but if she's harmless, why should he have to lose her again?" Rapunzel asks slowly.

"Daddy, Daddy, higher!" She exclaims as he holds her up into the air. He brings the girl down to look at her.

"No one's ever going to harm you, little one. You're safe with me," He presses their foreheads together. He places her down and they continue to play in the water.

"Rapunzel...I know it's hard, but...he's going to have to deal with these emotions in a way that works for him. And this...this is not it," Harmony shakes her head slowly.

* * *

The Captain carries the sleeping Cass back to the village, placing her in a hut. "Good night, princesses," He tells them, crawling inside and closing the door.

"Psst! Girls!" Eugene whispers from a hut behind them.

"Eugene! Varian!" Rapunzel exclaims at them, sagging her shoulders. "Look, I'm starting to rethink-"

"Rapunzel, Mona, wait," Varian stops her.

"What?"

"You have to follow us, now," Eugene urges the two.

"Ah, there they are!" A female Lorb shouts nearby.

"And the faster, the better," Eugene finishes, running off with Varian in tow. The two princesses run after them, deciding to wonder about this later.

* * *

"What?" Rapunzel whispers as the boys lead them into the cave. "What is it? Did you find something?"

"More like...someone," He moves away a leaf.

"Guys, meet..." Varian gestures to Alfons.

"Alfons!" The two exclaim with smiles.

"Where have you been?" Rapunzel questions first.

"And do you know what's been going on around here?" Harmony gestures to outside.

"We found him locked up," Eugene explains to them.

"Yes, it was awful! The mustached fleinflooper. He did this!"

"The Captain?" Rapunzel glances to her sister.

"But why would he do that?" Varian raises a brow.

"Oh yeah. Follow me. I will explain everything," He jumps onto the ground, walking across the cave. "The mustached fleinflooper came for this: The Fountain of Anbietengenpfeifen. It was enchanted by the Lorb Warlock, Horb, to grant wishes," He moves away the vines to reveal a drawing of the fountain, the warlock, and the stream of water.

"So that's how four-year-old Cass got here. He wished for her!" Rapunzel frowns towards the others.

"And that's why she has no shadow, because wishes come with a price," Harmony narrows her eyes slightly.

"I first suspected the mustached fleinflooper's intentions when I found him digging in search of the fountain's magical coin. I tried to warn him, but he didn't listen, and locked me up!" Alfons explains to them.

"Warn him of what?" Eugene asks him.

"You know firsthand of the wickedness behind Lorb magic. The fountain gives you what you want...at first," He touches some leaves nearby.

"At first?" Rapunzel wonders slowly. "Oh, let me guess. Then the wickedness comes in."

"After what we all went through on this island, are you really surprised?" Harmony asks her sister.

"Yes. Unless the wisher takes his wish back, the fountain takes even the purest of wishes, and twists them into the darkest nightmares," He moves away the leaves to reveal a pompoen fruit that came to life, breathing fire at the villagers. "At sunset, on the 9th day."

"When did he make the wish?" Rapunzel questions and he says nothing. "...Oh, nine days ago." She glances to the others.

"Of course..." Eugene murmurs slowly.

"Ohh, I knew there was something off about her..." Harmony pinches her nose, slowly shaking her head. "It's the 9 day-old magic that I've sensed off of her. It doesn't have that weak of a sense since it's been over a week, but it's there..."

"I've always wondered, what's it like when you sense that stuff? Is it like a smell or hearing?" Eugene asks her.

"Well, more like all of them at once."

"Wait, so you can…taste it in your mouth?" Varian asks her incredibly.

"It really depends on the intentions of the person or object or magic. But yeah, I can taste it. This one tastes like gumdrops since we're dealing with a four-year-old…being." She smiles a bit. "Reminds me of Monty."

"No fair, I wanna taste it in my mouth!" Eugene pouts at her.

"Okay, first we find the Captain and get him to take back the wish. Then, when we get back, we'll go visit Monty for some sweets. I'm suddenly craving a lollipop…" Rapunzel murmurs to herself as they run off.

* * *

"Captain!" Rapunzel knocks on the hut's door once they've returned. "We really need to talk!"

"And it's important," Harmony places her hand on her hip. The door opens a few seconds later and the Captain peeks out.

"Look, we know about the fountain," Rapunzel speaks up.

"And that you tied up Alfons because you didn't want to listen to him," Harmony points to the leader.

He looks around and closes the door behind him. "I know this is really hard to hear, but..."

"Something really bad is coming if you don't take that wish back right now!" Eugene pleads with the man.

"Trust me, Captain, we've experienced it first hand. You don't want this for yourself," Varian warns him.

"You're putting everyone and the island in danger!" Harmony exclaims, gesturing to the village.

"It's worth the price," He replies stubbornly.

"But the magic on this island nearly did us in. You _cannot _take that risk!" Rapunzel elaborates to him, but they don't know how much he really wants this not just for himself, but for Cassandra.

"We risked our friendships, our relationships with each other because of the magic here," Varian glances to everyone, holding Harmony's hand.

"I have to risk it! It's my only hope! Girls...when I said I stopped looking for Cassandra...I lied."

_At Demanitus' maze, he was alone, or so he thought. Someone moved past him from one of the walls above. Being the Captain, he noticed that someone was watching and looked around in alarm. He turned around as she landed behind him, jumping away._

_He pulled out his sword._

"_I traveled tirelessly in search for my daughter, and then..."_

_Cass, who had gotten paler, swung her black rock sword at him. She quickly disarmed him and kicked him onto the floor._

"_I found her."_

"_Cassandra!" He shouted as she stood in front of him with gritted teeth. "Why have you turned your back on the princesses?!"_

"_How dare you ask me that?!" She pointed her sword at him. "You knew all along how much was taken from me! You KNEW who my mother was, and you kept it from me! And how do you repay me? You made me take care of that little stupid brat for years!"_

"_Cassandra, I only did what I-"_

"_You only did what was best for yourself! That's all anyone in my life has ever done! Well now, that's what I'm doing!" She accused him. They hadn't seen each other since she left, and she had a lot of time for her anger to fester not just towards her former friends, but to him. He raised her for years, and all that time, he never told her the truth. _

_And she always HATED the fact that he got her to take care of someone who had what belonged to her all along._

"_This is mine! This is my destiny!" She gritted her teeth._

"_I command you to surrender!" He shouted at her._

_"Never!" She instead cut supports to the door, turning around and leaving him caved inside the room._

"_Cassandra!" He called out, but she left him behind. He crawled to the top, horrified by her actions. He could only watch her run off. "Cassandra, no!"_

_She jumped off the edge of the wall. "She was filled with a rage I have never seen...that person...wasn't Cassandra."_

He gives a sad look towards the ground at the memory, closing his eyes. "So you see, this is the only way I can fix my mistakes," He walks off, the four feeling bad for him. They couldn't believe that he saw Cass with his own eyes...and yet she treated him in that way.

"Captain, please. We are out of time," Rapunzel tries pleading with him again. "It's almost sundown!"

"Whatever is going to happen could start at any-"

The ground shakes, interrupting Harmony. They look at the sun to see it setting.

"Moment," Harmony murmurs in despair.

Rapunzel knocks at the hut again. "Captain, you don't understand! Only _you _can take your wish back. If you don't take that coin out of the fountain...the Lorb magic will turn on you."

"It's not something you can handle on your own, whether or not you think you can fight back!" Harmony slams down a fist.

"Blondie, Brownie...I think that ship has sailed," Eugene says in concern. A bird lands on a tree, but it's not any ordinary bird. "I recognize that bird..."

More of them arrive.

"Hello," Bird Cass turns around, followed by others.

"Hello."

"Hello," The others say in unison, narrowing their eyes at the group.

"...So glad we came back to this island. RUN!"

They take off running as the Cass birds fly after them. "Okay, okay, I don't know what wickedness I was expecting, but it definitely was not this!"

"It must have to do with the wish!" Varian covers his hair, a Cass bird pecking at his arms. "Ow!" Owl and Daisy try to fend them off, and they come to a stop in shock to see Cass in her knight armor.

"Well," She cuts some leaves away. "Hello, friends."

More of Cass arrive, some wearing her lady-in-waiting outfit, one of them Kid Cass, and another in her regular outfit. They laugh at the group, stepping forward. The Cass birds fly behind them, leaving them completely surrounded.

"Okay, you know what? I am now officially creeped out," Harmony murmurs as she stares at all of them.

"Alright guys, let's do this. And just remember, they are not the real Cass," Eugene warns her as she undoes her hair. Varian pulls out some of his chem balls as Harmony takes out her bow and arrow. She draws her bow as she brings her elbow to her face slowly.

The Cass army charges and Rapunzel throws her hair at three of them. She trips them onto the ground. Eugene jumps over them, blocking swords from two regular Casses. The one behind him laughs, leaping forward.

"You're still here?"

"I thought Raps would've dumped you by now."

"Your goatee looks as dumb as ever," The one in front of him grits his teeth.

"Oh, well now I'm keeping the goatee just to spite you!"

"Not real, Eugene!" Harmony calls out as she fires her arrow, and when it hits a Cass, they disappear into thin air.

"I know, but I had to say it!" He grins widely, to her annoyance.

Varian tosses a chem ball at a group, trapping their feet with a sticky substance.

Owl and Daisy are facing the Cass birds.

"And you! And you!"

The duo look at all the birds as they chirp, coming in closer. The two fly away as the Cass birds begin to chase them.

Rapunzel faces a group of Cass that has her maiden outfit. "Oh, hello Cassandras..." She looks around as more copies surround her. "Cassandris? Cassandries? H-How would you like me to address you?" She doesn't get an answer as she runs forward straight into the four Casses. They start pulling at her hair and clothes.

"Don't fight me. Rapunzel, you have to wear your shoes." One of them actually tries to put shoes on her.

Two of them have apples as they cut them into 8 perfect slices. They toss them at Pascal and Alfons, knocking the leader down. Pascal looks up at them and grabs a leaf, using that to catapult the slices back at one.

"You're gonna pay for that!"

"Just let me brush your hair!"

They don't notice that Rapunzel has gotten out of the group, running away from them. She then notices that two Casses are attacking the hut that the Captain and little Cass are in.

"Dad! Dad, are you in there?"

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" The kid Cass slams onto the hut with a small hammer. Harmony steps back near her sister, firing an arrow and causing a Cass to disappear.

"Pst, Harmi!" Rapunzel whispers to her. Harmony glances over her shoulder, stepping backwards in case someone attacks them from behind. The girl turns around and sees what's happening. They run towards the back, peeking through a crack. "Captain, please! You have to undo the wish!"

She doesn't see either of them inside as the Casses outside are starting to break through. "He's gone."

"But not very far..." Harmony turns around as she can sense 4-year-old Cass. She taps her sister's shoulder and she turns around to see the Captain running towards the hot air balloon.

"Don't be afraid, little one. Daddy's got you."

"Wait!" Rapunzel calls out to him. "Please! You have to undo the wish."

"Can't you see what you've done?" Harmony points to the hut.

"I don't wanna hear it, Rapunzel and Harmony!" He starts up the hot air balloon. "I have my daughter back!"

"Captain, I know these feelings are real. But _she's_ not! The real Cass is still out there somewhere!"

"Daddy?" The little Cass looks up at him.

"Listen to us, soldier. You do not just get to forget about Cass and start over. Family sticks together!" Rapunzel insists to him, reminding him of how family doesn't abandon each other.

"This isn't you, Captain," Harmony shakes her head. "You are strong, and loyal. And in all of the years that I have known you, you would _never _endanger lives and leave them to deal with it. This is selfish, and I know you miss Cassandra, but this is not how you deal with her being gone. Not to mention, you're leaving with OUR balloon and abandoning people in need!"

He looks down at the Cass in his arms, closing his eyes. He has another chance, why should he get to throw it away? The real Cass...wasn't coming back in his mind. And with that, he closes the basket, shocking them.

"No, girls! This is my only chance!"

"No!" They protest as they watch the balloon leave.

"I know I can do right by her this time!"

Eugene and Varian scream as they run up to the group, Pascal and Alfons on his shoulders.

"Get 'em!"

The army of Cass laughs as they're chasing after the two. Rapunzel lets down her hair. "Everybody, hang on!" Rapunzel runs up to the water, snatching the basket with her hair. Harmony grabs on as they're lifted up to the air. Eugene and Varian just barely manage to get on, looking up at the balloon. The Captain looks down at the little Cass and puts her down.

"Now we can start over, Daddy! Right? No one but you and me," She states, and he looks to the left...seeing that she has no shadow. He recoils back in shock, taking a deep breath. "Daddy?" She looks up at him pleadingly and he sighs. What he's done...wasn't worth this anymore. He knows now that she's not the real Cass, and that Harmony is right. What kind of person was he to leave people behind to danger?

"I can't believe it!" Rapunzel looks up at him. "He's given up."

The Captain pulls the lever so that the hot air balloon turns around. They head back to the island.

"He will pay."

"Get them!"

"Would you believe I'm actually starting to miss the real Cass?" Eugene looks down at the army. "I mean, her charm, her wit, the fact that there was only one of her?"

"Uhh," Varian says nervously, since the only one isn't on their side.

"Okay, bad choice of words."

"You think?" Harmony retorts back. The army of Cass starts following them. The balloon lands as the four land on solid ground. The Captain jumps out of the basket once the balloon lands and he turns around to the sisters.

"Princesses...you're both right. I haven't failed Cassandra yet. Just as long as I don't abandon my daughter. My real daughter. And I have been selfish with my actions...this method...isn't right. For me or for Cassandra," He looks at the little Cass.

"He will pay for his wish!"

"Captain, go! We'll hold them off!" Rapunzel orders him and he runs off with the 4-year-old Cass. Harmony's eyes widen as she slowly turns around.

"...No..." She murmurs in shock at the sight.

"Rapunzel. Harmony," A blue-haired Cass steps up, pulling out her sword.

"That is one of the fake Casses, right?" Eugene laughs nervously.

"Is she?" Varian asks his girlfriend in concern.

"...I..." She clamps her mouth shut as she's really not sure. She gets the same vibe from her as she does from the one who has no shadow...she shakes her head rapidly, noticing something from the Cass in front of them. "No. She's not. At this point, the moonstone's changed her skin, and she has more tan skin than the real one."

"How do you know that?" Eugene asks the girl.

"She has the part of the moonstone that can affect her that way. I don't have pale skin like she does now because I have the other half. I've been looking into it," Harmony closes her eyes. "Ever since the red rocks."

"She's right. You are not real," Rapunzel grits her teeth at her.

"Heh. You would say that. You never take me seriously, and you always listen to her!" She runs up to the duo. Harmony snaps out of it and joins her sister's side. Rapunzel knocks three away while deflecting another. She then throws a guard Cass away onto the sand. Harmony fires her arrow rapidly, poofing away some Casses.

"This doesn't bother you?" Rapunzel couldn't help but ask her sister.

"Would you rather I used my black rocks on this beautiful island?" Harmony raises a brow at her sister.

"Why are you still hanging around a kid for?" One of the Casses mocks and the girl shoots her arrow at her with almost no remorse. She already knew that they're not real and that the real Cass didn't regret her actions. But real or not, no one calls her a kid and gets away with it.

"Okay, fair point. Shoot all the arrows you want," Rapunzel narrows her eyes, a bit peeved by that kid comment. She doesn't see her sister as a child in any way.

Eugene is sword fighting with two of them. Alfons is on his shoulder as he tries to hold them off. A Cass is about to tackle him from behind when he ducks, and one Cass hits the other. He finds himself surrounded by them.

Varian ducks from a sword, his apron getting pulled at from behind. Varian throws a blue chem ball, trapping two in bubbles. He smirks a little before he dives out of the way, two Casses knocking into each other, and then they swarm him.

Rapunzel trips a Cass, the blue-haired one pointing her sword at her. The other ones behind her step forward as Harmony goes to grab an arrow. Her eyes widen as she doesn't feel anything, glancing over her shoulder to see that she's out.

"Uh oh."

"Daddy, what are we doing? Why are we here?" Four-year-old Cass asks curiously as they've reached the fountain. He puts her down gently. He holds her hands.

"I'm sorry, Cassandra...I'm so sorry..."

Eugene suddenly lands behind them. "You gotta take the coin out, Cap! We can't do it for you!" He informs, running back outside.

"You mean...you're gonna leave me?" 4-year-old Cass questions sadly.

"No...I'll never leave you. The real you. From now on, I'll always be with you..." He leans forward, seeing the lone coin in the water. The little Cass looks over his shoulder.

"No, Daddy," She pleads with him. "Please don't. Please!" She cups his cheeks as his eyes widen. The begging look in her little eyes is almost tempting...

The blue-haired Cass runs up to the princesses and they charge back. The three leap into the air in front of the moon, clashing. They land on opposite sides, Rapunzel holding her arm. Harmony holds her side as the two boys slide up to them. They stand together as the army surrounds them.

"Okay Eugene, Harmi, you take the hundred on the right. Varian and I will take the hundred on my left!"

They start laughing as they press their backs together, and then suddenly the birds disappear. All of the Casses disappear into thin air before they could touch any of them. They smile in relief, turning to the entrance of the cave. The Captain steps out slowly, holding the coin in his fist. He tosses it onto the ground and it slides onto the sand.

"Let's go get my daughter back."

* * *

Once the sun has risen, they're all prepared to go back home. The Captain shakes hands with Alfons. "Sorry for all the trouble."

"Mm. Say no more. This island seems to have that effect on fleinfloopers. Hmm."

Eugene pulls the rope and they take off. "We'll find her, Captain," Rapunzel tells him.

"I won't give up until we do..."

"We'll miss you, mustached fleinflooper!" Alfons waves along with the other Lorbs. "And you too, wild fleinflooper!"

Rapunzel, Harmony, and Varian wave to them.

"It's good to have you back, Cap," Eugene smiles at the man.

"It truly is. Let's go home," They look out to the view, flying towards the sun.

Harmony is still facing the island, smiling weakly. Varian joins her side, placing his cloak over her in case she gets cold. He had left it in the basket if the weather was windy.

"Thanks."

He smiles slightly, glancing away. "...How long have you been looking into the moonstone?"

"A few weeks. I wasn't going to tell you unless I was sure...but I know the truth now. There are certain things that I can't do that Cass can, and vice versa. And I don't know what that'll mean for you or for the people I care about."

"Mona-"

"I know," She squeezes her eyes shut. "I should've came to you first, or even my sister, but the more I learn about the moonstone, the more dread I feel," She hugs herself tighter. "I just hope that you can forgive me..."

"Actually, I was going to say that you did a great job being able to keep yourself together," He kisses her cheek and she looks at him in surprise. "I understand why you felt like you couldn't tell me, and I'm not mad either." He wraps an arm around her. "No matter what you do, I still love you."

He pokes her nose with his finger, causing her to giggle. "Thanks, Vari."

"I know that having this burden is hard," Rapunzel places a hand on her sister's shoulder, both of them turning to her. Both of them were wondering how long they've been standing there listening. "But we'll figure it out together, Harmi."

She gives her little sister a big hug and Harmony smiles at her embrace.

"By the way," Eugene starts off curiously. "I'm just wondering, when you sense Cass, what's the, what's the verdict there?"

"Sour grapes," She deadpans at this question. "Why do you think I use so many breath mints?"

Unfortunately, she can sense Cass at all times, due to them sharing the power of the moonstone. This is exactly why she keeps mints in her bag.

"Ohh," Varian blinks in understanding. "That just clarified 50% of my life."

All of them laugh at his statement. Not that he minded sour grapes anyway…

"Wait, wait. What about the Great Tree?"

"Oh, that? Sometimes apples, acorns…pine nuts. But taste is only occasionally. I sense more with touch in my physical body and smell too."

"I can't believe I'm only now just learning this." Varian chuckles softly at her. "I can't believe that I'm hearing it!"

"You never asked," Harmony shrugs sheepishly. "I don't usually complain because it's natural to me now. Taste was rare out of my senses…"

"Ooh, ooh, what about Mrs. Sugarby?"

She starts explaining to them all about it and they listen with amazement.

* * *

The Great Tree is in pieces, black rocks pointing to it. Cass and the Enchanted Girl are in the scroll room. The woman sighs in frustration.

"I told you. This is all that's left of the Great Tree." She didn't know why the ghost insisted on coming here when there was nothing useful to salvage. "The incantations were destroyed."

"Those incantations were our only hope of unlocking the power of the moonstone. Aside from the Demanitus scroll, but that was destroyed millennia ago."

Cass' eyes widen at the mention of it. "Did you say Demanitus scroll?" She remembers him well, the whole trip was partly because of him. She chuckles as she knows where to go next.

"Looks like our next stop...is Corona."


	63. Cassandra's Revenge Part 1

**Angel: We're finally here at Cassandra's Revenge! And I have over 300 reviews, thank you to all the readers who have left your comments. *sighs slowly* Five days this story will be over...I'll keep you guys updated on where we are on the poll on my one-shot story since that will take this story's place after it ends.  
**

**Rise of the Guardians is slightly in the lead again XD Man, this is getting pretty close! But whatever movie gets second place, it will be written after the first place choice. Seeing how as I now have a lot of time on my hands, I might as well focus more on writing...**

A bluebird chirps to the sky, a red robin singing nearby. More birds fly over them and the bluebird flies away. It flies towards the trees and to the castle of Corona. The bluebird flies in, Rapunzel painting it on her ceiling. Pascal is holding her paints.

_I was always taught_

_Nobody's got it all_

She reaches out and finishes painting the wing.

_And I never thought_

_I had a shot at all_

She reaches out and paints Pascal's nose.

_But to my surprise_

_Look at how lucky I've been_

Nearby is paintings of her parents, Max, her and Eugene, and Harmony.

_Whoa _

Above that part of the ceiling is her with her blonde hair exploring the forest, the pub thugs, and Ruddiger with Harmony and Varian. A heart is above their heads.

_Freedom to explore_

A Rapunzel painting and a Harmony painting cut the red ribbon for Attila the Bun with Monty's sweet shop.

_Work that I love to do_

The four little girls are braiding Rapunzel's hair.

_Friends that I adore_

Lance is near the Captain and the pub thugs.

'_Specially, well, you-know-who_

Eugene is in a corner with Max, holding out an apple to him.

_I'm not keeping score_

_Still though I pretty much win_

Rapunzel smiles as she takes her paints back, Pascal landing on her head. She takes a piece of her hair, walking up to the platform that she's standing on.

_Yes, I get to be the girl who has everything_

She swings to the other side, looking up at the painting of her sister with Varian.

_The world's on a golden string_

She grins as she takes a hold of her hair again.

_And somehow it's mine_

She looks at a painting of her with her mother, sister, and Aunt Willow.

_Just look at me_

The four share a group hug.

_The girl who has everything_

Eugene and Lance are depicted with Kiera and Catalina before they're all smiling.

_And I can tell everything is gonna be fine_

Rapunzel and Eugene are riding horses together as she finishes painting that part, making a swirl. Pascal smiles up at the painting. Then she paints meeting Vigor with Eugene, Varian, and Harmony.

_Think of all I've done _

_Life's really tested me_

She's painted herself and Harmony controlling the black rocks.

_Sometimes, I have won_

_Sometimes, it's bested me_

Varian is leading an automaton with monster Ruddiger, an army of them impaled with black rocks.

_Things got pretty dark_

_Now though the dawn's comin' through_

The sun is over Varian's painting, lanterns flying away.

_Ooh-ooh-ooh_

_Yes, now I'm safe and sound_

She finishes painting swirls, having painted herself reuniting with her family.

_Back with my family_

_When I look around_

_I see how things can be_

She walks past a part of the wall that hasn't been touched.

_Everywhere I turn_

_There's so much more I can do_

She lets herself swing off the platform, Pascal feeling like he's flying.

_And I get to be the girl who has everything _

She looks up at the paintings of the 'King Pascal', Hook Foot with Seraphina, Hook Hand with his tour, and the House of Yesterday's tomorrow. Pascal crawls over to the painting of the king one.

_The blessings this world can bring_

_All falling in line_

Over the painting of herself with the females in her family, she's painted the Saporian airship.

_Somehow that's me_

She takes off swinging again.

_The girl who has everything_

She holds her hair as she looks around at her work.

_Well, practically everything_

She takes a seat on her hair, smiling at all the paintings that depicted her life over the past year.

_I'm sure there's more everything_

_For now, I've got everything_

She slowly slides down to the bed.

_And everything's fine_

She smiles softly at her mostly-painted ceiling.

Harmony is also painting the ceiling like her sister, Daisy flying near her the easel. The teenage girl smiles as she puts some paint onto her paintbrush.

_Princess..._

Harmony squeezes her eyes shut at the voice in her head. It's faint, and it's distracting. But it's also definitely female.

**I can hear you but I won't**

She moves her hand as she starts painting.

**Some look for trouble**

Harmony paints Demanitus and running away from the rock monster.

**While others don't**

Her hand stops as she's painted Varian when he took the Sundrop flower.

**There's a thousand reasons**

**I should go about my day**

Harmony paints herself with her sister. They're sitting on Tirapi Island, releasing a lantern to the sky together.

**And ignore your whispers**

**Which I wish would go away, oh oh**

The next painting is her crying as a bird.

_Princess..._

**Oh**

Harmony shakes her head, trying to block it out. Daisy looks at her in concern.

_Princess Harmony..._

She takes a deep breath, continuing to paint.

**You're not a voice**

**You're just a ringing in my ear**

She looks up at a painting of reaching the Great Tree.

**And if I heard you, which I don't**

Harmony paints herself practicing her archery, Rapunzel holding up a target. They're smiling at each other.

**I'm spoken for, I fear**

**Everyone I've ever loved is here within these walls**

A painting of herself with her family is above the first half of the ceiling. Next to it is a painting of herself with Harmony with Varian. They're smiling at each other lovingly with a cupcake in between them. Their foreheads are almost touching.

**I'm sorry, secret siren, but I'm blocking our your calls**

Harmony turns to the painting of the Enchanted Girl, a little Harmony holding out a Rubik's Cube.

**I've had my adventure**

She, Cass, Eugene, and Rapunzel are standing in front of the Dark Kingdom nearby in another painting.

**I don't need something new**

**I'm afraid of what I'm risking if I follow you**

Harmony is discovering the idol from Tirapi Island with her sister in a corner.

**Into the unknown**

Harmony jumps across to reach the other side.

**Into the unknown**

**Into the unknown**

Daisy flies by paintings of all those crows attacking them.

_Princess..._

**What do you want?**

Harmony opens her eyes, Daisy giving her the easel.

**Cause you've been keeping me awake**

**Are you here to distract me so I make a big mistake?**

She looks at a painting of creating the black rocks right in front of Varian.

**Or are you someone out there who's a little bit like me?**

Another painting of Harmony being unfocused during the Goodwill Festival is nearby and she giggles at the memory.

**Who knows deep down I'm not where I'm meant to be?**

Sometimes she feels like…like there's something out there waiting for her. She loves Corona, but…her most desired wish was to be free of the moonstone, just once in her life.

**Every day's a little harder as I feel my power grow**

She could shoulder the burden and try to use it for good, but it was 14 years of her life taken away before she was allowed to leave the castle again.

**Don't you know there's part of me that longs to go**

Harmony looks to her balcony, unsure what to do with the moonstone. Granted, she had that feeling before, but now…she just wants a normal life. And to maintain her relationship with Varian.

**Into the unknown?**

She slides down onto her bed, looking up at the ceiling.

**Into the unknown**

**Into the unknown**

_Harmony..._

She jumps off the bed, walking towards the balcony.

**Whoa oh oh**

**Are you out there? **

**Do you know me?**

**Can you feel me?**

**Can you show me?**

She looks out to Corona, wondering what this voice wants. All she keeps saying is her name.

**Where are you going?**

**Don't leave me alone**

Harmony's hair flies past as she puts her arms on the railing.

**How do I follow you**

**Into the unknown?**

Harmony slowly stands up, with the hope that this will reveal itself soon…Daisy goes back to the ceiling, where Harmony's painted Vardaros, Lumbard's Pass, Demanitus leading them into the maze, and Varian going back home.

In the forest, someone walks onto the grass, heading towards her former home. Black boots step past some flowers, as they can see Corona in the distance...

Cass stands there, hands on her hips. Harmony was right as her skin has gotten paler...

* * *

"Okay Fitzherbert," Eugene looks at a silver box in his hand, a golden band with a gold gem inside it. "Is today the day?"

"I'm gonna be the girl who has everything," Old Lady Crowley sings as she sweeps past Eugene's room. She overheard Rapunzel singing earlier and found the song catchy. Eugene clears his throat.

"Uh, hey, Mrs. Crowley," He calls out. "You seem like a passionate soul well-versed in the delicate inner workings of the human heart."

"Mmm," She looks over her shoulder, wondering where this is going. He glances around awkwardly by her look.

"Right. So let me ask you. Do you think now is the time to propose?"

"You're not my type," She simply says.

"The feeling's mutual." He would've asked Harmony, but she doesn't seem to be around.

* * *

Rapunzel and Harmony are in the throne room, banners in the air. Max is holding a basket of flowers and Pascal puts one on top of a bow. Daisy is handling the other side as Fidella is holding a basket of her own. Kiera and Catalina run past the two animals, reaching Lance with some tulle material.

"Everything is looking so great, you guys!" Rapunzel tells them. "Oh, Eugene's surprise birthday party is going to be amazing!"

"What's going to be amazing?" Eugene asks while peeking from the door.

"What? Nothing!" Rapunzel stands at the door. "Nothing is amazing. Why—why would you think that anything is amazing?"

Harmony rolls her eyes in amusement.

"Hey, are you planning a party?" Eugene points at the blonde.

"No! I-I mean, yes, but it is not for you. It's for my...parents! It's their anniversary."

"But their anniversary was 6 months ago," He states to her and Harmony facepalms.

"Uh, no, it's 6 months from now. That's what makes it a surprise!"

"Great! So put me to work," He tries to step inside, but she stops him.

"No, you can't come in! I have a list of very important things I need for the party. Lance!" She turns around to the man as he's wrapped in the tulle, tied by two bows from the girls.

"Girls, let him go and stop playing with that," Harmony places her hands on her hips. They roll him over to the door.

"Go with Eugene," She whispers the next part. "Make sure he's gone long enough. And get everything that's on the list of very important things."

It's just a list of mundane things to do for the day. "Oh, oh, right! Right, right! Eugene! Come with me."

"I honestly think I'd be more-"

"Okay, bye! Bye!" Rapunzel shuts the door in front of the duo, sighing in relief.

"Will you stop touching me?" Eugene asks from outside.

"Our parents? Really?" Harmony asks her sister after a few seconds.

"I panicked!"

"What's wrong, dear?" Arianna steps up to them. "You seem nervous and Harmony, you seem distressed."

"Oh, no, I'm just...I'm worried that Eugene suspects something is up-" She states to her parents.

"Relax, princess, he doesn't suspect a thing," Edmund steps up to the two. "How could he? He has no idea that today is his real birthday. I've even avoided thinking about it around him. Now...high-five Frederic to show camaraderie."

He high fives the king and Harmony rolls her eyes slightly. Daisy flies onto the ground and Hamuel falls, landing next to her, waving to her love-struck. She squeaks blankly and walks off.

"You're right," Rapunzel says to her mother. "This is gonna be the best surprise first birthday ever! ...And that's not all," She opens the door behind her. "Come on, Pascal." She puts him on her shoulder and runs off. Arianna just shrugs, smiling at her daughter.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" She asks her youngest child.

"Huh? Oh, um..." She rubs her neck. "Let's say that you were in my shoes with the moonstone. What would you do if you had to decide between keeping these powers or giving them up?"

She glances to her husband and Edmund as they all stay silent. Arianna takes a deep breath, placing her hands on Harmony's shoulders.

"Well...I would listen to my heart, and follow it. I know it's all...frightening and confusing, but you'll choose your own path regarding the moonstone. And no matter what you decide to do, we will always love you, Harmony."

She smiles as her mother kisses her forehead, running off to follow after her sister.

* * *

The two enter her room and she smiles at her best friends. She climbs up the ladder, moving past a book and pulling out a box. Harmony gasps sharply as her sister holds it out.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"Yup. _This _is the biggest surprise of all, you guys. Right before he blows out his candles,_ I_ am going to propose to Eugene. He will never see it coming! I don't wear shoes, but if I did, I believe they would be on the other foot."

"Oh wow!" Harmony clasps her hands together. "That's so romantic, Punzie!"

"Maybe you can propose to Varian."

"Rapunzel!" The girl whines slightly, blushing a deep red. "I'm not ready to get married..."

"You became a legal guardian," Rapunzel giggles at her face. "You're already one step closer to your future."

"Quit teasing and let's see it," Harmony pouts and Rapunzel opens up the box. Inside is a band with the Corona symbols on it, the gold crystal in the middle. Pascal admires it, smiling up at Rapunzel.

_We're gonna be the girls who have everything_

_Soon as he wears this ring_

_And swears that he's mine_

She lets out her hair, throwing it towards the wood.

**True, we don't know what obstacles fate may bring**

**But why put off everything**

**When we can share everything?**

_Cuz once he's my everything _

Rapunzel paints a ring on Eugene's finger.

_**Then everything will be fine**_

She presses herself onto the wall, caressing the painting of herself and Eugene. She smiles as she puts the girl into a hug, the two sisters giggling happily. In the years that they've been reunited, their lives have changed so much. And now, they can make their own futures together. Pascal closes the box, sighing happily for the duo.

* * *

Lance opens up the doors later that night, Eugene carrying a lot of things down the hall with an annoyed look on his face. "Let's see. One pair of tap shoes...Right. One psychic monkey with cymbals toy..."

Pascal and Daisy peek from inside the room. "Check." They gesture for him to stop moving. "One ham and cheese sandwich, check, check. Hold up! We must make sure the meat-to-cheese ratio is correct..." He's only stalling for time.

"Would you hurry it up?" Eugene asks impatiently. "Since when are you this thorough about anything?"

"Eugene, the princesses asked me to do a job. Are you suggesting I don't do everything in my power to—Well, that's everything. Come on, Eugene! Quit dilly dallying, let's go, let's go!" He pulls the man inside once given the signal by the pets.

"Hey, what's with the pushing? Alright, alright, I'm going! Why are we even going in-"

Sparklers drop the ceiling as the room lights up. "Surprise!" Everyone in the room shouts, shocking him.

"Wait...this is for me? Why?" He asks in confusion.

"Because today...is your actual birthday!" Rapunzel reveals to him.

"It is?" He turns to his father, who nods in confirmation. "Oh wow! This party is for me! An entire evening where everyone gathers to pay homage to my existence? Oh, how did I go so many years without-"

"Because I sent him away as a babe," Edmund interrupts his son. "And his whole life was a lie."

Lance, Harmony, and Rapunzel turn to glare at him. "Always a dependable ray of sunshine, dad," Eugene deadpans, crossing his arms.

"You couldn't have kept _that_ to yourself?!" Harmony elbows him slightly.

"Well, bring on the cake!" Eugene exclaims in excitement. Rapunzel gestures for Attila to do so, and it's a cake with Eugene's face on it, along with the castle of the kingdom. "Hold up, I don't mean to nitpick, but there are one too many candles on this cake."

"Uhh, nope," Rapunzel joins his side. "Nope, that's right. You are one year older than you thought, Eugene. Hooray, for another birthday surprise!" She claps, but Eugene just laughs it off.

"You are so funny, but also incorrect. I am 25 years old. The number of candles on this cake indicates that I am 26 years old. One year too many," He crosses his arms, smiling smugly.

"No, no," Edmund speaks up from behind. "You're 26 years old. Today."

"Yeah, that's right," Rapunzel nods in agreement with him. "26!"

Everyone else in the room seems to agree. "He's 26, alright."

"He certainly looks 26."

"Twenty-six!"

"Yes, 26!"

Eugene looks around the room. "Would everyone stop saying my age out loud?"

"Maybe dial it down a bit," Harmony smiles weakly at her sister.

Shorty suddenly bursts out of the cake. "Happy 26th eth birthday, Horace!" He drops onto the ground, the young princess sighing at him.

"Wow..." Eugene stumbles back, Lance pulling out a chair for him. Harmony frowns in sympathy. No one likes hearing that they're actually a year older than they think. That was basically one year of life taken away from them. "I am a year older than I think I am? This explains the lines on my eyes! Are these crow's feet?"

Hamuel crawls nearby. "Why don't you take your mind off your age and make a wish?" Rapunzel encourages him and he smiles as she helps him up. "Come on."

"Well, I can think of at least one wish I'd like to have come true," He states as she brings him over to the cake. "In the very near future."

Rapunzel takes out the box from behind her back, Harmony winking while giving two thumbs up for her sister.

However, a strong wind blows out the candles before Eugene could. Harmony literally shakes as she narrows her eyes.

"What the...?"

"Guys..." Harmony speaks up. "We need to be careful."

"What is it?" Rapunzel asks her as the wind from the open door blows away the banner and all the candles.

"Not what...who," She elaborates to them.

"Swell party."

Everyone turns to the entrance to see a shadow leaning against the door. "I'm guessing my invitation got lost in the mail?"

They stare at her in shock.

"I think for the next party, I'd like to have at least _some_ input on the guest list," Eugene comments to Rapunzel. She takes out her sword, dragging it across the floor.

"If you don't mind, I'll just help myself to a slice of this cake," The sound from the floor causes everyone to cover their ears.

"What does she want?" Lance asks rapidly while eating popcorn. "Why show up here now? Is she here to apologize, or for a fight? She's probably here for a fight!"

"Quiet!" Eugene shushes him.

"And are you seriously eating?" Harmony demands to him in disbelief.

"It's..." She wants to say nice to see Cass, but this wasn't her right now. "Where have you been?"

"Helping myself," Cass holds up a knife. "You might say. It's about time I helped myself...don't you think?" Cass cuts off a slice, noticing the silent Harmony. "What's the matter, princess? You look scared..."

"I look scared to you?!" Harmony hisses at her.

"I think she wants to fight," Lance whispers to Eugene, who motions for him to stop talking.

"I thought a lot about how we left things, and it makes me sad," Cass fake pouts and Harmony clenches her fists.

"Oh, it makes me sad too. I-I miss you, Cassandra. I want us to be friends again," Rapunzel tells her.

"Yeah, we both have things the other wants. Which brings me to why I'm here. I want you to give me the scroll, and what rightfully belongs to me," She points the knife at Harmony.

"I wouldn't do that," Eugene whispers nervously to Rapunzel. "The scroll has the instructions to wield the power of the moonstone and the sundrop. And you're the other half of the moonstone."

"Stay out of this, Fitzherbert!" Cass yells at him. "Blondie and Brownie can think for themselves, hm?" She approaches the two silent sisters. Harmony glares at her in the face, her fists shaking. She hated what the woman was doing to her right now. "Give me the scroll and your power, and I'll leave Corona in peace."

"Cassandra, we don't think-"

"Oh, I know," Cass looks at her like she actually cares. "It's hard making decisions when the only friends and advisors you have left are ex-convicts, and losers."

"Hey! We are not ex-convicts," Eugene defends himself and Lance.

"Technically, we have never been convicted of anything," Lance grins and the two fist-bump.

"Why don't you just leave us alone?" Harmony turns around to Cass. "Because there is no way I'll ever give you my power."

"Why don't you shut up? Adults are talking," Cass retorts back and the two glare at each other.

"Why should I? I'm not the one who's pasty-looking since I'm not a BACK-STABBER!"

Cass lunges forward towards the girl, only for Rapunzel to stop her. "You don't know anything about me!"

"I know you'll do anything for attention!" Harmony retorts back, moving her arm away from the woman.

"Stop it, both of you," Rapunzel warns them and Cass steps back, huffing at the teenager.

"I'll give you both some time to decide. Enjoy your party, Fitzherbert," Cass throws the cake and the plate at him, which he struggles to get a good grip on. Lance catches the cake in his mouth and they both narrow their eyes at her.

With that, a smug Cass leaves the throne room. "Just to be clear, because I think it's important, I did not wish for that," Eugene whispers to the princesses.

* * *

"I can't give Cassandra the scroll," Rapunzel frowns deeply once the party has ended.

"And I can't give her the other half of the moonstone, even if I wanted to. I don't know how I would even do that," Harmony crosses her arms.

"Hey, I agree," Eugene states as Catalina is spinning Kiera from a globe. He watches the two sisters pacing. "On the one hand, if she gets the scroll and that power, it could be the end of the world. On the other hand, she did say we would never see her again, so you know, pretty big upside."

"Who knows what she's been doing since she disappeared?" Lance asks everyone.

"Probably practicing betrayal," Kiera says from the globe. "Thinking a lot about doing harm."

"Reading," Catalina adds in.

"Reading a lot about doing harm?" Kiera replies, turning towards Harmony. "Mom looked like she and Cass were gonna fight right then and there."

"That's because she knows how to push my buttons," The girl is still pacing, having only slightly calmed down. "I could shovel that moonstone and that stupid sword in a graveyard." She glances towards everyone. "You didn't hear any of that," And she means it as a clarification, not a threat.

"So, Cass gets the scroll and Brownie's power, total destruction of us. Got it. So we should hide it, yes? Where is it?" He sits down next to Rapunzel. Harmony stops pacing as she looks to her sister, both of them sharing a small frown.

"That's the other downside. Heh. Neither Harmi or I have it."

"If you don't have it, well then, who do have it?" Eugene asks them.

"We need to go, now," Harmony tells the group urgently.

* * *

"The results are in!" Varian looks between two metals, wearing his goggles. "Who will win first prize for best metal? Will it be steel, for its durability and thermal conductivity? Or iron, for its lustrous shine and high melting point?"

He gives himself a drum roll as all of his stuff is now in Demanitus' chamber. Ruddiger jumps down to him.

"Ah, yes, thank you, Ruddiger," He bends down to the raccoon, who holds up a beaker. "This is perfect!"

The raccoon rubs his paws together as Varian stares at the brown liquid inside. He laughs like a mad scientist.

"Warm cocoa will really hit the spot. Thanks, bud!"

He takes a sip.

"Hi Varian!"

He spits it out onto Ruddiger as the princesses, Eugene, Lance, Max, Daisy, and Pascal are standing on the steps.

"Ah!" He screams once seeing them. "Hi, hi! I, uh...I wasn't, uh, expecting all of you...so soon. I mean, we did agree I'd need at least five weeks of solitude to decipher this thing so I thought that I had some—some privacy. Well, except time away from Mona, of course."

Harmony giggles at him, relieved to see that he's okay. "Varian, don't be embarrassed," Rapunzel smiles at him.

"You really think I would laugh?" Harmony smiles softly at him. "You should see me when I'm inventing."

He smiles bashfully, reminding himself to invite her to invent something together.

"Hey Goggles, real quick," Eugene stands behind him. "Do you or Brownie have any anti-aging alchemies? Maybe some skin-tightening serum?"

"Oh, not this again!" Harmony rolls her eyes at this, turning to her boyfriend. "He found out that he's actually 26 and not 25. Eugene, you look fine!"

"I'll be the judge of that," He retorts as he opens up a bottle. Purple smoke fills the air and gives Eugene an older appearance. "I'm getting older by the second!"

Lance and Max laugh at him.

"Hey, do-don't, please, be careful, that stuff is very delicate," Varian calls out to them, turning to Harmony. "That letter you gave me from Demanitus is-is really great, Mona. Thank you."

"No problem," She smiles softly and he digs into his apron, holding out goggles like his and Ruddiger's.

"Here, I made these for you. You can wear them while you're inventing." He smiles, hand behind his back.

"Aww, Vari, thank you," She takes them into her hands, trying them on. "I love them."

"While this is adorable, Harmi, remember what we came here for," Rapunzel reminds her.

"Oh yeah! Right," She giggles sheepishly for almost forgetting. Sometimes Varian could make her lose her focus, not that she minded.

"Thank goodness, you have the scroll," Rapunzel sees the Demanitus scroll on the wall.

"I do! Oh, I do, and it took a while but, I composed this key to translate the text in its entirety," He crosses his arms, smiling at the drawings and writing on the wall.

"Varian, you're a genius!" Rapunzel smiles at him and Harmony kisses his cheek for a congratulations. "What's it say?"

"This is the healing incantation," He points to the sun symbol on the paper. "This is the decay incantation, and this, oh, is a third incantation. It will allow whoever possesses the moonstone to wield complete control over the black rocks."

"That's why Cassandra wants the scroll," Rapunzel looks to her sister as she lightly touches the picture. She already has complete control, so she doesn't really need it...but she has no idea what will happen if Cass manages to learn and use it.

"Yes, yes, but there's more! It says here that there are four incantations, not three! But I can't seem to find it anywhere on this scroll." He takes the scroll off the wall.

"If we know Demanitus, and we did," Harmony smiles in amusement at her sister. "He'd take precaution to hide that final incantation."

"Uh, guys, you might wanna stop talking about the secrets of the scroll," Lance points behind them as Cass is standing on the steps. They gasp at her appearance and Harmony grunts in annoyance at her. If she can sense Cass, then Cass must be able to sense her...

"Don't stop on my account," She smiles evilly.

"Cass!" Varian exclaims at her.

"Varian, don't get any closer," Rapunzel warns him. "Hide the scroll. We cannot let her get her hands on that incantation."

"But the scroll is useless without the translation key," Varian informs her.

"Well, then it sounds like I need two things," Cass pulls out her sword.

"Not if we have anything to say about it," Harmony glares up at her.

"Get that scroll out of here! Blondie, Brownie, I got this!" Eugene runs past them and up the steps, pulling out his sword. As soon as it touches Cass, however, it breaks into pieces. "Her armor is made of the-"

She kicks him straight into Lance and Max. Cass looks up and slices off a part of the machine. It goes rolling towards the trio and Rapunzel pulls the teens out of the way. The three run off and Max puts them onto his back. He reaches the wall and flips over it so that he's rolling on the piece. They all scream as they couldn't stop it from hitting the wall, and they go flying into the hole. Max hangs on with his hooves, Eugene holding his tail. He looks over the edge, giving a nervous sound since it seems endless.

Max's hooves start to slip from the platform. Lance slides over and grabs Max, stopping him from falling.

"Give me that scroll, girls," Cass demands, leaping towards them with her sword in the air. Rapunzel stops her from moving forward with a strand of her hair.

"Cass, let's just talk."

"Oh sure, let's have another chat about how my mother chose you over me," Cass grits her teeth at her.

"Cass, Gothel took me and held me against my will," Rapunzel defends to her. "It wasn't my decision, you know that!"

"Well, was it your decision to push her out a window or for Harmony to try and kill us all at the Great Tree?"

They both gasp sharply at the questions, making them angry. Rapunzel moves away from Cass. "You weren't there for Gothel. You have no idea!"

"And I had no choice with the Great Tree! It was your choice to stay!" Harmony points at her angrily. "I never forced you to do anything!"

"Well, then why don't you make me understand?"

Ruddiger jumps onto her head, crawling around. "Get off!"

Ruddiger runs past them with the scroll and Cass chases after him. Rapunzel throws her hair, Pascal running across it. Rapunzel grips Cass' feet as she falls, holding onto Ruddiger. Pascal takes the scroll, blowing a raspberry at her. She reaches for her sword, stabbing the ground as she gets her foot free. Varian looks at the blonde in worry as Cass runs off. She turns to Harmony, creating black rocks towards her and the boy.

She gasps sharply, tackling him behind the desk to save him. She counteracts Cass' rocks with her own, destroying them.

"Thanks," He pants slightly and Cass grits her teeth.

Ruddiger goes over to Lance to help him out, Daisy flying after Pascal. The raccoon sees some apples from Max's satchel, beaming. He crawls over to it and steals one. Max whinnies at him to focus as his hoof is slipping from Lance's hand.

Pascal looks down to Cass and she throws her sword, knocking him off a piece of the device. He catches himself with his tongue, but the scroll falls onto the ground. Cass jumps for it, but is stopped by an arrow. This gives Rapunzel a chance to snatch it, smiling towards the table. Harmony gives her a thumbs up from underneath the desk, holding her bow and arrow in hand.

"Look at me! You know me, Cassandra. I have always supported you. Whatever this anger is, come on, let's face it together."

Cass takes her sword in hand. Pascal looks between the weapon and Rapunzel.

"Cass, somewhere inside, you know this isn't right. Just come back home with us," Cass' hand suddenly releases the weapon and Harmony blinks in shock. "We can figure this out."

"Questioning your path, are you?"

Harmony blinks in shock, looking up to see the Enchanted Girl right behind Rapunzel. "It's her..."

"No, I wasn't," Cass glances away.

"Who are you talking to?" Rapunzel asks curiously as the ghost girl completely disappears. Cass grits her teeth, eyes narrowing at Rapunzel. "Cass, I'm not going to fight you."

"She's trying to trick you," The Enchanted Girl tells Cass by her side, disappearing again. Cass looks to see the three still struggling to get back on ground.

"Cass, I know you can hear me!" Harmony shouts from the desk. "And I know that she's here."

Cass whips around to her. "How did you know that?!"

"What are you talking about?" Varian whispers to the girl.

"Nevermind! You want a fight?" She takes her sword and hits the device with it.

"No, stop!" Rapunzel calls out as it starts to break. Pieces start to crumble and fall, the ceiling being affected as well. Rapunzel looks to her friends and Harmony gestures for Varian to stay here. She slides out from underneath the desk and runs. Rapunzel and Harmony zip right past the desk. Varian peeks around the corner to see everything falling. Lance is hit from behind, causing him to drop his friends.

Max grabs onto a fallen piece, stabbing the wall with it. He swings around as they all go flying, landing safely on the ground again. Ruddiger lands on top of Eugene's head, but a piece is tilting right in their direction. They run away, Lance reaching the wall and touching it with his hands.

"Ooh!"

Max looks up behind him as he laughs. "Guess I don't know my own strength."

It's actually Rapunzel and Harmony holding the piece. Rapunzel has the scroll underneath her arm as Harmony struggles to pull back. She's holding a beam of moonlight between her hands that are helping Rapunzel hold it in place.

"Get...out of there...we...can't ho...hold it!"

Cass walks over to the two and grabs the scroll. "Thank you."

"No!" Harmony shouts and they go flying as the piece falls further. They land on top of it side-by-side.

"Rapunzel, Harmony!" Eugene shouts in alarm.

Varian is just finishing up an acid from a beaker. "Hey Varian."

His eyes widen in horror at the voice. Cass slices the table in half and he steps back from her. "If you wanna read that scroll, you are gonna need my translation key..." He looks between the acid and the wall. He throws its contents at the drawings.

"Ha! And now that I've destroyed it, you'll never know what the scroll says because the only translation in Earthly existence is locked safely away, up here," He points to his forehead, meaning that he's memorized it. "BOOM!"

"Is that a fact?" She chuckles as he just gave that away.

"Oh yeah," He then realizes his mistake. "I should not have said that out loud..." He backs away nervously, hitting the wall.

"Then I guess you're coming with me," She smirks evilly as she approaches him. Rapunzel and Harmony are too distracted with the others to notice them. Harmony is helping her sister get her long hair free from the device.

"Rapunzel, Harmony, hurry!" Eugene shouts at them.

Rapunzel jumps, landing on the ground as her sister lands next to her, helping the girl up. They jump across as they're only a few feet away from them.

"RAPUNZEL! HARMONY!" Eugene yells and the final piece of hair is freed. Rapunzel hugs her sister's waist and they jump at the same time, landing in front of the three. Rapunzel's hair tugs on her from behind.

"Oh!" She turns around and pulls as her hair is stuck. Harmony joins her side and pulls.

"Hurry, Pascal and Daisy! Let's go! Fly!" Eugene urges them as Daisy flies the chameleon over to the piece. Together, they get her hair free. "Fly!"

Daisy flies Pascal back up as the Demanitus device falls, leaving only the amber from the red rocks...the whole thing is destroyed, emitting smoke. All of them cough as Rapunzel is the first person to look up and notice something.

"Cassandra? Varian?"

Only Ruddiger comes out from the desk, his fur a mess.

"She took him," Lance realizes and Harmony's eyes widen in fear.

"...No...no, no, no, no, no!" She runs up to the desk, taking Ruddiger in her hands. She searches for Varian, but doesn't find him. "No..." She starts to cry, tears streaming down her face. Because of her choice, Varian was now in the hands of Cass. She should've stayed with him!

"VARIAAAAAAAAAAAN!" She screams while crying. Rapunzel walks up to her from behind, placing a hand on her back.

* * *

Cass is in the forest, an unconscious Varian being carried by a horse. She's holding his backpack into her hands, going through it. The Enchanted Girl notices the boy, grinning evilly.

"So this is your plan?" She floats next to Cass, provoking her. "Running away?"

"No one is running-"

"One would think that now you have the power of the black rocks, you wouldn't feel the need to hide..."

"I don't hide from anything!" Cass argues back.

"I don't need to remind you that defeat is not an option. And when the two sisters come for you, you must be prepared to protect what is rightfully yours."

She looks towards the ground. There was only one way to do that...

"What you need is-"

"A stronghold," Cass finishes knowingly and grins. She knew just the place. "And I know just where to build one..."

The place she picked was the tower...it's still riddled with black rocks just the way they had left it. Cass kicks away a small rock as Varian is still unconscious, but his wrists are tied to a black rock. Cass steps in front of a painting of Rapunzel that the princess did when she stayed in the tower. She stabs it with her sword, lifting it up and watching it fall into pieces. She then smiles smugly as she hears Varian stir.

He smacks his lips, starting to wake up. "Huh?!" Varian realizes that he's not in the underground chamber. "Hey! Where are we?!" He asks Cass, who simply stares at him.

"I need that third incantation, Varian," She demands him instead of answering and he frowns deeply.

"Never," He answers bravely. "I won't betray the love of my life just because you ask me to. I'll never tell you anything!"

Not to mention, he's just as unsure as Harmony is as to whether or not this will have any lasting effect on her. Even if he gets hurt, he couldn't take the chance of her getting injured or worse. He would die for her too just to prevent that.

"I knew you'd say that, as disgustingly sweet as it is," She replies, smiling wickedly as she holds up his bag. "That's why I went through your little bag of tricks..." She holds up a certain bottle. "I found something in here that might change your mind."

She steps towards him and holds it out for him to see. "Recognize this?" She waves the bottle labeled 'truth serum.' A single drop is sticking from the tip. The same one that he reconfigured from Xavier's mood potion over a year ago.

"Ha! No," He denies, but suddenly he couldn't stop himself from speaking. "Gah, yes, it's a truth serum of my own design and it compels the drinker to tell the truth and answer any question asked! ...Wait, but I never drank that."

Cass stands in front of him while holding the scroll. "Lucky for me, you sleep with your mouth open," She smiles and he cringes. "So let me ask you...what's the third incantation?"

He doesn't want to, but he doesn't have a choice. He just hopes that Harmony will be able to forgive him again...he's already messed up twice with her.

"I, uh..." He struggles to keep his mouth shut, giving in. "Crescent high above...evolving as you go...raise what lies beneath...and let the darkness grow."

She smiles, glad that he kept that in his bag. And he really thought that he couldn't tell her out of 'faithfulness' to that princess. It almost made her laugh. Faithfulness did nothing for her.

* * *

She steps towards the black rocks in front of her.

"Crescent high above..." The moonstone sparks as she holds out her hand. The ground starts to shake as a black rock rises out of the grass. Her mouth opens in surprise as she looks at her hand. She finally did it...

Her smile widens as she holds out her hand again. "Crescent high above," More black rocks shoot out of the ground. "Evolving as you go." The black rocks glow as they join together, surrounding them both.

The shaking reaches Corona, Fidella and Silver looking out from the stables. The horses neigh in alarm as they can tell that something's happening.

At the Snuggly Duckling, a mug drops onto the ground. They stop what they're doing, wondering where it's coming from.

Frederic and Arianna look outside, finding the cause of the shaking.

The others are in the secret underground tunnels, looking around in shock except for Harmony. She drops the goggles she was given by Varian as she kneels onto the ground, putting a hand to the spot where the moonstone is on Cass.

"Harmi?!" Rapunzel runs up to her, helping her sit down.

"What is it?" Eugene asks her.

"It's Cass..." She pants slowly. "She's using the third incantation and the moonstone..."

"Because of their connection," Rapunzel murmurs, realizing why she's a little weak.

"Raise what lies beneath and let the darkness grow," Cass recites as shapes begin to form from the black rocks. "Bend it to my will, consume the sunlight's glow. Rise into the sky and let the darkness grow."

"What is that?" Varian whispers as Cass holds up her arms.

"Let...darkness...grow..." She finishes the incantation, seeing her stronghold formed in front of her. A large blast is sent, and Varian shuts his eyes closed from the gust of wind. He opens his eyes and sees the new home she's made.

"Home sweet home."

**Angel: Before anyone asks, I did not see Frozen 2, I've just only hear the song Into the Unknown, and that was it.**


	64. Cassandra's Revenge Part 2

Harmony is holding the goggles in her hands, tears falling onto the lenses from her eyes. "We have to figure out what Cassandra is planning to do with Varian and the scroll," Rapunzel paces around in front of them. "We're not just gonna sit by and let her ruin Eugene's birthday, or..." She lifts up her bag, looking at the ring inside. "Or let her have Varian or anything else. Right?"

Most of them are silent and nervous. "Yeah."

"Sure."

"I don't know."

"Just...give me a minute," Eugene looks away.

"Seriously, guys. Cass has Varian. Not to mention an incantation that can control the rocks. And if she continues to use that power, I don't know what will happen to Harmi," Rapunzel walks up to her sister, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We have to stop her!"

"Uh, princess? Were you in the same fight as us? We don't stand a chance against Cass in that unbreakable armor!"

"Come on, Lance, she wasn't that bad," Eugene waves it off.

"Oh, I'm sorry, what were you doing during that fight? There was a large boulder and you were..."

Pascal, who's sitting on top of the globe, runs away and Lance laughs. "Yeah, yeah, like that. Okay, okay, he's getting offended," He stops the globe and the chameleon goes flying.

"What are you laughing about? You were right there with me," Eugene crosses his arms.

"No, no, no, no, no. You're remembering it all wrong. You know, they say memory is one of the first things to go with age..."

"Are we finished?" Eugene asks him in annoyance.

"We have to save him!" Harmony sniffles, getting their attention.

"We will, Brownie," Eugene places a hand on her back. "I promise."

"Listen, I know Cassandra's dangerous, but we cannot forget...she's also our friend," Rapunzel places her hands to her heart.

"Fine, there's only one big problem. We don't know where she is!" Eugene states and Max whinnies from the window. Harmony's eyes widen as she slowly stands up, walking to the window. Rapunzel joins her side to see something.

"I think we know where to look..." Rapunzel tells them as they look up ahead at the lair...

Harmony recognizes that location. "The tower..." She narrows her eyes, putting on the goggles.

"Let's go. Kiera, Catalina, you two stay here."

"No way," Kiera frowns at her. "We wanna help too."

"Yeah, we want Dad back as much as you do," Catalina pouts a little.

"But it's dangerous," Harmony looks over her shoulder. "We don't know what Cass will do to you."

"Please?" They beg her, holding her hand. She sighs in defeat.

"Alright, but be careful."

* * *

Cass leads Varian up the steps of the building. She's holding onto his arm as he's cuffed by black rocks. "You've done well, Cassandra," The Enchanted Girl says from behind. "Soon, Rapunzel and Harmony will come for the boy."

"And then what?" She asks, Varian looking up at her.

"Then you will face them with the full power of the moonstone...but remember, you must take Harmony's power for your own."

"Who is she talking to?" Varian whispers to himself. Come to think of it, Harmony seemed to be talking to herself too earlier.

She sighs at him. "Look, I know none of this is your fault, and I don't want to hurt you," She releases the restraints. "So when Rapunzel and your girlfriend come for you, don't try anything foolish."

"Cassandra, you're angry, I get it," He tells her, as he's been down that road. He watches her take out her sword. "Believe me, I know what it's like, but you are making a mistake!"

**The path of hate is a dangerous track**

He steps up to the woman.

**You take one step and it's hard to turn back**

She creates a seat for herself and sits down, sharpening her sword with a rock.

**It pulls you along**

**And though it seems wrong, it feels right**

He puts his hands to his heart, those were his feelings when he attacked the villagers.

**Don't you see this path you're on leaves a permanent mark?**

She looks at her reflection from her sword and he stands in front of her, gesturing to herself.

**It feels good at first**

She moves her sword so that his reflection is given off on it.

**Then it slowly turns dark**

**With each passing day**

**You're further astray from the light**

Cass stands up and walks off, ignoring him.

**Suddenly**

He follows after her, hoping he can get her to rethink this.

**You lose your way and lose the thread**

Varian stands in front of her. She turns away from him.

**Lose your cool**

**Then lose your head**

His reflection is given off by the black rocks in front of her.

**Every loss is harder to excuse**

She walks past the black rocks, every one of them giving off his reflection. Then she sees her own.

**Then you'll see you'll lose your faith and lose your soul**

**Til you lose complete control**

She ignores him again and he looks at his hands, remembering when he hit Harmony. That was the biggest action he regrets still to this day.

**And realize there's nothing left to lose**

**Nothing left to lose**

He runs up to her and grabs her wrist. "Cass, trust me, becoming the villain isn't the answer!" He pleads with her.

"Is that what you think I am?" She whips around to him, grabbing her wrist back.

_The path I'm on is a path paved in black_

_I'm taking that road and I'm not looking back_

She starts controlling the black rocks again and Varian looks on in horror. This could be hurting Harmony right now, but she doesn't seem to care.

_Each twist and each turn_

She spins the black rocks around and stands on a podium she created.

_Leads straight where I'm yearning to go_

The rocks stop glowing and she touches the moonstone.

_Yes, it's true, my path is dark but I see where it ends_

She looks away for a second, glaring at the boy and creating another podium.

_My rivals will fall as my power ascends_

She jumps off and creates another one, lifting her up in the air.

_Despise me, that's fine_

_I'm taking what's mine even so_

She's reached the ceiling, creating rocks for her to walk on.

_Not like you, you lost your nerve, you lost the game_

_But you and I_

_We're not the same_

She jumps off, creating rocks for her to get around.

_I'm not lost, this fate was mine to choose_

She flies around him, jumping towards the ground.

_So I chose to lose my doubts and lose my chains_

_Lose each weakness that remains_

She's created a stand for the painting of Rapunzel that was from her mural in the tower. Then she creates another one for the picture of Harmony that she had with her, painted by Rapunzel.

_Now that I have nothing left to lose_

_Nothing left to lose_

She punches her fists, pointing a black rock at the Rapunzel and Harmony in the paintings. Varian grabs her, stopping her from destroying it.

**You have so much to hold onto**

She pushes him away and he steps back from her.

_I only want my rightful dues_

She hurls some black rocks at him, sending him across the room.

**Listen please, you've lost your grip and lost your mind**

_Lose? I'm not gonna lose_

**All's not lost, don't be so blind**

_I refuse_

As they're arguing, he's trying to appeal to her, but she refuses to listen.

**Cut your losses, drop the IOUs**

_I refuse_

She steps away from him, holding her hair.

**Oooh, choose**

_I lose no tears and lose no sleep_

She turns around, creating more black rocks.

_What I want I'll take and keep_

**It's time for you to choose**

She starts creating a prison for him.

_**You can't stop the turning of the screws**_

He holds out a pleading hand as he's now stuck inside there. She bends down to him as a frown is on his face.

"You'll stay in that cage until this is done. And just in case you think of escaping..."

She thrusts the cage out the window, leaving him in mid-air. She snaps her fingers and the paintings are destroyed, falling to pieces.

_Now I have...nothing...left to lose_

She sits on her throne, waiting for them to show...

* * *

Rapunzel reaches the wall of leaves, pushing them away to reveal the bottom of the stronghold. The field in front of them is covered in black rocks, but the tower is longer than Rapunzel's hair.

"Whoa..." Kiera murmurs at it.

"It's taller than the castle," Catalina points out and Rapunzel picks up a piece from her mural.

"Cass is sending a message. She wants us to know that everything that once was ours...will belong to her."

"Well, she's not gonna get it," Harmony glares up at the tower.

"The only message it's sending me is good luck climbing this," Lance places a hand on his head. Max runs up to them, whinnying.

"No entrances at the bottom, Max?"

He whinnies again, looking up. "That's the closest entrance, huh?"

"She wants to see us struggle to get to her and Varian," Harmony huffs at this. "Just for her own amusement."

"How are we supposed to get all the way up there?" Lance asks at the high door.

"We get up there by...a lot of climbing," Rapunzel looks to Eugene and Lance. The man slowly backs away, but Eugene pulls him forward. "That's the spirit!"

They link arms and press their feet against the walls. "You want to climb like this the whole way?" Lance asks him while moving.

"Back in my day, towers were much more...shorter," Eugene replies and the two fall off because the walls are so far apart.

"I got a better idea."

* * *

Lance stabs a tree, getting the sap from it. He laughs as it's on his hand. "We'll use this sap to climb the tower."

He doesn't seem to realize until later is that sap is sticky. "See? No slipping."

Both Eugene and Rapunzel are stuck next to him. "Uh, Lance? I can't move."

"Look! No hands!" Kiera and Catalina are stuck to Max's sides. Harmony sighs and digs into her backpack, getting out a solution that she made on her own.

* * *

After she's gotten them all free, they sit on the leaves of a tree.

"Eh, once you've been catapulted a few times, it's not so bad," Eugene tries to assure the scared Lance. Max is pulling them back.

"Don't worry, Lance. It'll all be over soon. Uhh, the catapulting, I mean. Heh Not your life," Rapunzel chuckles sheepishly and Harmony stares up at them.

"I keep telling you, this isn't going to work..." She sighs up at them. Pascal looks up at the tower, Daisy shaking her head. He moves Max's ear for him to let go and they do.

"Too high!"

"Look at you go, Lance! You're a natural!" Eugene laughs at him, finding this payback for the jabs at him earlier.

"We're gonna make it!" Rapunzel shouts, but they land on another tree and go flying in the other direction. They land in the net that Harmony had prepared, because she knew that this idea wasn't going to work. "Anybody else got an idea?"

Kiera looks up at her sister, giggling. "We do."

* * *

"This is quite literally the exact same plan," Eugene deadpans as the three are on top of the tree again. They're launched into the air, flying past the tower. Cass just laughs at all their efforts, the Enchanted Girl appearing in front of her.

"Ah, I could watch them do this all day..."

"Let them in," The ghost turns to her.

"What?"

"Defeating her isn't enough. You must take away who they are, force them to fight you. Break their spirits. You've held back long enough. Let them in and finish this now," She smiles evilly.

"...Fine," Cass relents, about to turn away.

"And when Princess Harmony arrives…use the boy as her weakness. I want to see her enraged with my own eyes."

Cass smirks, remembering that Rapunzel and Harmony once told her that the girl thought Varian had a crush on her.

"I think I know just the thing…" She smirks, glancing towards outside. She walks back inside, the moonstone glowing.

Harmony sighs sadly, looking towards her friends being sent back to the net. She looks up towards the tower.

_In a perfect world_

_Varian patted a sick Harmony in bed as she slept peacefully._

_One we've never known_

_Varian, as Ruddiger, stumbled onto the stage in front of Harmony, having volunteered to be her partner._

_We would never need to face the world alone_

_She stood side-by-side with Varian in front of the wolf Catalina._

_They can have the world_

_Harmony and Varian sat together at the Challenge of the Brave, Rapunzel shoving food into their hands._

_We'll create our own_

_Harmony sat next to Varian at the fountain after he was disqualified from the science expo._

_I may not be brave or strong or smart_

_She watched him walk off the stage from the expo with a deep frown._

_But somewhere in my secret heart_

_Varian pulled Harmony up from the well, both of them falling onto the ground. They stared at each other's eyes as they held each other._

_I know_

_They bumped into each other and she dropped the papers she had for the expo._

_Love will find a way_

_He helped her down from the machine Rapunzel was in._

_Anywhere I go I'm home_

_He started acting out what Rapunzel said outside his home, causing Harmony to laugh._

_If you are there beside me_

_He gave her a butternut from Attila, smiling._

_Like dark turning into day_

_He begged with her to stop the decay incantation at the Great Tree._

_Somehow we'll come through_

_She saw his face once the dream world was gone from her mind, running towards him with arms outstretched. Tears were in her eyes._

_Now that I've found you_

_Varian hugged her tightly in front of the red rocks after seeing that she didn't hate him._

_Love will find a way_

_She held his hand, dragging him along after Rapunzel in Herz Der Sonne's tunnels. A small smile was on his face after hearing her assure him that he wasn't ordinary._

Varian looks outside his cage forlornly. Harmony must be really upset by now...he wants to see her again more than anything.

**I was so afraid**

_Varian rubbed his neck after he revealed to Harmony he was her partner for the Contest of the Crowns._

**Now I realize**

_He picked her up and spun her around after they realized the solution to the amber that trapped Quirin._

**Love is never wrong**

_Flowers landed in his hands thanks to Rapunzel and Harmony took them with a smile._

**And so it never dies**

_Harmony's eyes widened in embarrassment as she called Varian her boyfriend. She ducked behind Rapunzel to hide herself._

**There's a perfect world shining in your eyes**

_He wrapped his coat around her in the garden and they stared into each other's eyes._

_**And if only they could feel it too**_

_Harmony, as a bird, flew down to him and nuzzled him, both of them chirping. _

_**The happiness I feel with you**_

_The two danced gracefully at her birthday party._

_**They'd know**_

_Harmony uncovered his eyes, showing the newly painted caravan for himself._

_**Love will find a way**_

_The two of them shared an accidental kiss thanks to the spaghetti dinner._

_**Anywhere we go**_

_The two laid down together in the grass after they got out of the Great Tree._

_**We're home**_

_They hugged each other at Tirapi Island as their boat was out on the water, looking up at the stars together._

_**If we are there together**_

_She listened to him in the rain, her umbrella protecting them both outside his house._

_**Like dark turning into day**_

_He picked her up in the snow, going back towards his house as she was freezing._

_**Somehow we'll come through **_

_They flew together on top of Little Big Guy, Harmony's arms stretched out like wings._

_**Now that I've found you**_

_Varian caught her as she fell when she first met him at his lab, and she slowly looked up at him. They recognized each other immediately._

_**Love will find a way**_

Harmony looks up at the tower, gripping at the goggles she's holding in her hands.

_**I know love will find a way**_

Varian stares at the letter she gave to him from Demanitus, placing his chin on his knees.

* * *

"I am telling you, the sap thing will work," Lance tells the group as they finally decide to approach the tower. "We just need to try a different tree."

"Lance," Harmony speaks up. "Sap won't work in this situation. Varian is in there, we can't waste any more time!"

He winces and Eugene pats his back. He knew that she didn't mean it since she's worried about the boy.

"Come on, Cassandra," Rapunzel whispers to herself. "Just...let us in." She touches the wall and it opens up, concerning them. Rapunzel steps in first and the others follow. However, there are multiple paths nearby.

"Which way do we go?" Lance wonders, Rapunzel looking between them.

"It's your birthday, Eugene, so you get to decide which path to take!" She smiles widely at him. "We're celebrating and adventuring. It's a...celebventure!"

"Alright, here we go. Onesie, twosie, redsie, bluesie, this one! Blondie and Brownie, you two and I are gonna go this way."

"And the cool kids will take this tunnel," Lance gestures behind him. "Come on, girls. You too, Max."

* * *

Varian slowly opens his eyes, sitting up in alarm. "What?! Where? Where am I? Mona? Mona, are you here?"

The sky around him is purple as he stands up, and he sees to be in a broken environment of Janis Point because of the tree up ahead.

"What the...?"

The Enchanted Girl's head appears in front of him, smiling widely. She floats towards him and he steps back in alarm.

"Where am I? Who are you? Do you know where my girlfriend is?"

"A friend...or at least, I'd like to be," She smiles widely as she lowers herself. Then her full body appears as she's floating upside down. "There is a way to save Cassandra and to see your precious little girlfriend again. The final incantation. The sundrop must use it against the moonstone's power."

She floats in front of him, splitting in half.

"What? No—no, b-but there's no other incantation," He pulls out the scroll from his bag. "It's not on the scroll! And what's gonna happen to Mona if it's used against Cass' power? They share one half of the moonstone."

"Isn't there? You just need to know how to look," She turns her head around, but not her body, silently creeping him out. "Don't worry about Harmony. You see...she can't use the final incantation."

"She can't?" He asks as she disappears. The scroll flies out of his hand and lands in front of him, having increased in size.

"What she doesn't know is that the moonstone is capable of that incantation. You need to use the sun to see the sun."

The sun and moon symbol fly off the paper. "Use the sun to see the sun? What? I don't understand," He states as the symbols fly around him.

Green flames appear in front of him and her head floats in front of him. "Use the sun to see the sun." The flames get bigger and he steps back, falling off the platform.

Varian sits up in his cage, awake, panting heavily. "...That was a dream. Oh, why couldn't this be a dream?"

He takes the scroll from his backpack, opening it up. "Use the sun to see the sun..."

The Enchanted Girl looks down at the cage, a sinister smile on her face.

* * *

Pascal and Daisy lead the way down some steps. They crawl the window that was salvaged from the tower, the same one Gothel fell out of. Rapunzel glances at it and they step forward.

"Getting in here was too easy," She says as they look up ahead to the stairs in front of them. "We could be walking into a trap. Harmi, is she in there?"

"Yeah...yeah, she is," Harmony whispers to her. Pascal turns black, giving a thumbs up. "Good idea. Think you can get in without being seen?"

Pascal nods at them and Daisy gestures that she'll go with him. "Be careful, buddy," Rapunzel kisses him on the forehead.

"You too," Harmony kisses Daisy's cheek. "Help Pascal if he needs it."

They release their pets, Pascal running up the stairs. Daisy flies after him.

* * *

"So you see, young ladies, the seasoned thief inherently knows his way around unfamiliar places. It's a keen sense one develops after years of studying one's craft, and-"

"And we're back at the entrance," Kiera interrupts him as they're back where they started.

"Now that we've refamiliarized ourselves with the correct entrance, we can proceed with the correct route!" Lance points a different way, the other three looking at him in annoyance. Since when did he nominate himself as navigator in this team?

"We can proceed to the correct route," He moves in the opposite direction.

* * *

Pascal peeks behind some black rocks, sneaking to another one and acting like he's a ninja. Daisy rolls her eyes at him, flying above quietly. He leaps forward and rolls into a ball. He skids to a stop, hiding behind another rock. Nearby is the spot that leads to Varian, which gets blocked by black rocks. Cass appears from the floor and Pascal turns invisible. Daisy hides behind a spot in the ceiling. She walks right past Pascal and he opens his eyes, peeking from behind. She doesn't seem to notice either of them as she's walking to her throne.

She glances behind her as he sticks out his tongue, sliding to another rock. He tiptoes to another one, but she stands right in front of him, dropping the black rock and noticing him. She looks up at the ceiling, seeing a spot of yellow and making the spot go away. Daisy falls a bit, flying in the air as she looks at the woman. They both wave sheepishly and she reaches out her hand...

"This is taking too long. We're going up there," Rapunzel looks up the steps.

"Girls, wait," Eugene stops them. "What if you can't convince her to come back? What if the only way is...to..."

"This is Cassandra," Rapunzel tells him. "Not some monster. She'll come around." She steps down from the window. "I have to believe that."

"I don't know what will happen once we see her, but I know that I have to make sure Vari is safe. He'd do the same for me..." Harmony looks up ahead.

"And if you believe it...then so do I," Eugene holds his girlfriend's hands.

Varian looks at the scroll again through his goggles, groaning in frustration. "Needs the sun to see the sun. What does that even mean?!" He throws the two objects away, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall with a pout. A glint comes off from his goggles, hitting the scroll...to reveal writing.

"Sunlight!" He smiles towards outside, where the sun is setting. He crawls up to the scroll. "The words are hidden, and it needs a beam of sunlight to reveal the incantation! Demanitus, you genius!"

"Pascal? Daisy?" Rapunzel asks as the three step inside.

"Pascal? Daisy?" Harmony calls out as neither them or Cass seem to be inside the room.

"Come out, guys," The blonde whispers encouragingly.

"Guys..." Eugene is looking out a crack from the wall. "I found Varian." He points outside and they join him to see the cage all the way over there.

"Don't worry, Varian! We're gonna get you out of there!" Rapunzel calls out to him. Harmony tries to peek past them, but she's too short.

"Not now, I-I found the last incantation. It was hidden with a photo-reactive ink! Obvious, right?" He snorts at them.

"Of course," Harmony gasps at this.

"Yeah, super obvious," Eugene rolls his eyes.

"I-Is Mona with you? Is she okay?" Varian calls out.

"She's right here!" Rapunzel pulls Harmony forward and she squints, barely able to see him. "She's fine!"

"The problem is, I need a concentrated beam of sunlight to see it! I mean, I tried using my goggles, but they're too scratched up," He holds his goggles in his hands. "I need...something else, like a-a prism or a glass!"

Rapunzel, Harmony, and Eugene turn to each other. "Or..." The blonde digs into her bag, pulling out the ring. "A crystal?"

"Is that a...?"

She smiles softly as Harmony tries not to squeal. "Yeah."

"For me?" He gestures to himself and he takes her hands. "You were going to ask me? I mean, I was going to ask you! All this time, and you still find ways to surprise me."

The tower shakes and it falls out of Rapunzel's hand. Luckily, Eugene catches it.

"Uhh, she must know we're here. Okay, g-get the ring to Varian. We're gonna go find Pascal and Daisy."

Before Rapunzel could leave, Eugene turns her around, holding her cheek. "Be careful."

She smiles a bit and leaves with Harmony, who looks over her shoulder. "Please, make sure he's okay."

"I will," He promises her. Eugene slowly walks onto the path, the tower shaking again.

"Pascal?"

"Daisy?" Harmony calls out as they look around.

"Are you two here?"

The tower shakes again and they step back once they see black rocks sprouting from the ground in front of them. Cass emerges from them, holding the two animals in black rock cages.

"Yeah, they're here."

She releases them and they run up to their owners, who hug them. They turn to Cass as she steps forward onto the ground.

"You made a mistake coming here."

"Your mistake was kidnapping my boyfriend!" As the girl says this, the Enchanted Girl reappears. "What did you do to Varian?!" Harmony shouts at the both of them. "I swear, if you hurt him-"

"It wouldn't be any different than you keeping him prisoner during our trip, now would it?" Cass spits back at her. "No wonder why he turned against you, because you're using him to get away from the moonstone."

"That is such a lie," Harmony narrows her eyes in anger. The Enchanted Girl smiles evilly.

"Oh? Then why didn't you tell him you were searching into the moonstone before?"

"How did you know—"

"Because he told me so," Cass interrupts Rapunzel. "He tells me everything. If he loved you, he wouldn't have loved me first and _go for second best_."

"You stupid lying-" Harmony lunges forward, only to be held back by Rapunzel.

"Calm down. She's only trying to get you angry for the thrill of it," Rapunzel narrows her eyes at the woman as the girl struggles to get a punch to Cass. Harmony drops her arms, taking a deep breath. All she wants right now is Varian safe and sound.

"I'm not stupid, _you _stole his truth serum from his bag," Harmony seethes, pointing to Cass. She knows what the woman is doing; she's trying to bait her. Just so her former friend can see her with the rage she was trying to bring out of her for years.

But now, she has Cass for that. She just wanted to see Harmony angry just once, and now she has.

"Cass, we're not leaving this tower until this is resolved," Rapunzel gets onto her feet. Cass simply waves her hands so that every single spot is covered by a wall, including the one that leads to Varian. Eugene is on his knees as he hears the commotion.

"Then I guess you're not leaving," Cass smirks sinisterly at the sisters. Rapunzel lets down her hair as Harmony creates moonlight in her hands. They stand together as they're about to face their former friend...

"You do realize that I have complete control over the rocks now. And you know what this tower is made of," Some black rocks appear nearby and the two glare at her. "And I also know that sometimes this happens."

Cass creates another black rock and Harmony gasps in slight pain, holding her stomach. She glares up at the woman.

"That's the thing about having to _share _this power," Cass hisses at the girl. "You can hurt the other person with it."

Rapunzel blows a bang away from her face. "You okay?" She asks her sister as she slowly stands up.

"I'm fine."

Pascal and Daisy gesture for Cass to make a move. "Show them how powerful you've become," The Enchanted Girl smirks between the three. Harmony clenches her fists.

"We're not going to fight you," Rapunzel says bravely.

"Then this will be very easy. Crescent high above, evolving as you go." The moonstone glows as the tower shakes again and she raises her arms.

"Cassandra, don't!"

The two are sent in the air by a black rock, apparently getting squished when the pillar meets another. When the platform lowers, they're nowhere to be seen. A golden beam of sunlight appears, causing Cass to grit her teeth. The two sisters emerge from the ball that was Rapunzel's hair.

"Maybe it won't be as easy as you think."

"Now, that's more like it," Cass says in amusement. "But there some things your hair and your powers can't block."

The pillar caves in underneath them.

"Rapunzel!" Harmony shouts as they fall, and the woman snags something with her hair, Harmony hugging her waist. Their bags fall from the tower.

* * *

Eugene is about halfway to Varian, falling onto the path. "Man, I really hate birthdays."

"Hurry, the sun is setting!" Varian urges him. "Eugene, come on!"

"I'm going as fast as I can, kid, without dying!" He calls out to the boy. He gets onto his feet and manages to advance further.

"Come on!" Varian holds out his hand as the ring falls. It slips out of his grasp.

"First memory and now balance?" Eugene asks in lament. "Age...why do we have to age?"

Varian holds up the ring, meaning he caught it. "Nice snag!" He smiles at the boy, moving forward. Varian takes out the scroll, holding up the ring to the light. The writing from the last incantation is finally revealed as the ink appears.

"It's working."

"Way to go, kid," Eugene smiles at him. However, the paper starts to burn.

"Ah! No, no, no, no, no, no!" He digs into his bag as Eugene tries to blow it out. Varian writes it down on paper before the entire scroll burns, the flame touching his hand. He drops it and the ashes fall out of the cage.

"I got it!" Varian smiles and they both sigh in relief.

"I certainly hope so, because that thing was not easy to come by," Eugene tells him. "Now, can you figure out a way to get through these bars and then how do you get back into the building? Because I've got nothing. Should've asked Brownie to remove 'em herself!" He facepalms himself.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Varian asks softly. "Cass' black rocks...they can hurt her?"

"...Yeah. Yeah, they can," Eugene closes his eyes. "But she can find a way to get past that."

* * *

"I'm telling you, we have to go down to go up!" Lance is pulling at Max's tail, trying to get everyone to listen to him. "Going up to go up is too simple!"

Max whinnies in protest, snorting angrily at him. He points his nose upwards, letting his tail go.

"I don't care what you smell. What's more trustworthy? His nose or my intuition?" He asks the girls, Kiera groaning in annoyance.

"We're missing all the action!"

* * *

The two sisters are still outside the tower before Rapunzel starts climbing. They make it back inside the tower.

"Sorry Cass, but you're not gonna get rid of us that easily."

"Give up the moonstone now," Harmony lands next to Rapunzel. Cass simply hits them with a black rock, sending them into the air. Rapunzel snags a black rock with her hair, Harmony doing the same with a rope made of moonlight. They catch themselves before they could hit a flurry of black rocks.

They swing safely onto the ground. "Cass, please! This is not who you are!" Rapunzel pleads with her.

"Wrong! I finally know who I am!" Cass shouts, creating more black rocks towards them. The older sister grabs Harmony's hand, running off with her. The black rocks continue to follow as Cass finally hits Rapunzel's hair with it, trapping her to the wall.

"Rapunzel!" Harmony screams before the woman knocks her into the wall with a black rock. Black rocks trap the area around her arms and legs, causing her to drop her quiver. She then traps Rapunzel completely.

The Enchanted Girl simply looks on with a small evil smile.

"I will never stop trying to get through to you," Rapunzel declares to her former friend. "I won't fight you, I won't justify your hatred, and there's _nothing_ you can to change that! Nothing!"

"Oh ho ho ho, there isn't? Cuz I kinda think there is."

Suddenly, the platform and the cage start moving. "Bad. This is bad."

"Uh oh," Varian murmurs, his eyes staring at the man. "Eugene?"

He simply reaches out his hand. "Stay close, kid."

Varian takes his hand as Eugene stands in front of him. The wall closes and the cage slides to Cass. "Welcome back, boys. Let me help you out."

Cass directs black rocks at Eugene, trapping him in a rock prison. Harmony looks towards the cage.

"Vari!" She murmurs softly.

"Mona," He looks up at her, relieved to finally see her face-to-face.

"You won't fight me, but will you fight..." Cass grips Eugene's chin. "For him?"

"Cass, leave him alone!" Rapunzel demands her.

"Let them go," Harmony narrows her eyes.

"Break their spirit!" The Enchanted Girl is enjoying this.

"I just realized I forgot to give you my birthday present, Eugene," Cass clenches a fist, making the prison tighter.

"Don't give in to her. Don't do anything she says!" He squeezes his eyes shut.

"Rapunzel!" Varian looks to her. "I have the final incantation, you have to use it!" He holds out the paper to her. Pascal snatches it with his tongue, bringing it over to her and opening up the paper.

"Final incantation? What is he talking about?" Cass looks at the boy.

"Never mind that! With the third incantation, you can take what she possesses...the power of the final incantation. Now finish her!" The Enchanted Girl instructs Cass, pointing to Harmony. She turns to the trapped girl and smiles evilly.

"You have something I want, Princess. Now hold still."

"And what makes you think I'll just give it to you?" Harmony spits at her, trying to move.

"Because you don't have a choice," The Enchanted Girl speaks up, floating in front of her. "It's her destiny now...not yours."

"Listen, I am sorry about what happened, but this won't fix anything," Harmony glares at the ghost.

"Of course it will!" She exclaims in defense. "I get my revenge for you forgetting about me and what you were supposed to do for me, and she...gets your power. All of this was supposed to be yours!"

"Well maybe it was a mistake being your friend!" Harmony spits at her, the Enchanted Girl clenching her fists for her defiance.

"You still haven't figured out who I really am, have you? And here I thought you were smarter than this." Harmony gives a look of confusion by that statement. "Do it," She turns to Cass, who closes her eyes.

"Wither and decay..."

"No!" Rapunzel shouts at her.

"Cassandra, don't!" Eugene yells, but she doesn't listen.

"End this destiny."

A blue beam of light suddenly arrives in front of Harmony, circling her.

"Break these earthly chains."

The light reaches into Harmony's mouth and she lifts her head up, her head spinning.

"And set the spirit free."

The light comes out of her mouth as it holds all of her powers, which go to Cass. Harmony's restraints go away as her eyes close. She slowly falls onto the ground near Varian, unconscious. They can't tell if she's actually breathing or not from their positions.

"Mona..." Varian whispers in horror. "NO!" He reaches out to her. He manages to grip her wrist, shaking it as she doesn't move. It's like her arms are limp. "No, please!"

"Little sister..." Rapunzel murmurs in fear.

"Harmony, no," Eugene whispers in horror, looking at her body.

"W-What?" Cass, for once, is actually shocked. "No, that wasn't supposed to happen, she's supposed to be standing up!"

She may have wanted her powers, but not like this. She just wants her own destiny...

"Cassandra," Rapunzel speaks angrily, her eyes burning furiously. Judging by what her friend did, she has every right to have this reaction. "You hurt my little sister. She could be _dead_!"

Cass pants heavily, watching as the boy turns her wrist over. He sees the moon symbol from Harmony's hand fading away. "You...you sucked the power out of her," Varian takes a shaky breath. "Why? Why would you do this to her?!"

She shakes her head slowly as she stares at the unmoving girl. "No...I didn't mean to, she was supposed to be fine! I didn't know it would harm her!"

"Cassandra, why?" Rapunzel asks quietly.

"I just wanted the power to use the final incantation that she had!"

"And her life was the price? You took too much from her!"

"I didn't know that it would take everything, I-I…" She stammers, unsure of what to say for the first time ever since she's had the moonstone.

Varian tears up as he tries again to get her up. Harmony's heart is...so pure. And she was the first person who accepted him for who he was at first meeting. He knew they were soul mates the moment they met. They've obviously had their slips...he thought he could take her pain away. But she's never free of it. She feels more deeply than anyone he's ever known. And he'd follow her anywhere, and they would always be together...even in death...

"Who cares?! Do what needs to be done!" The Enchanted Girl points at Rapunzel and Harmony.

The blue-haired woman snaps out of it. "Crescent high above, evolving as you go," Cass takes one step forward and black rocks form in front of her. They go all the way to Varian, who holds Harmony as best as he can so that she doesn't get hurt.

"Rapunzel! Use it."

"Varian, look after my sister!" Rapunzel tells him in response and he nods. "Power of the sun. Gift me with your light. Shine into the dark," She puts her head down. Her hair starts to glow golden. "Restore our fading sight."

She opens her eyes as they're gold as well with no pupils. "Rise into the dawn."

Her body lifts up into the air, her hair in all directions. "Blazing star so bright." A golden light releases in shock waves. The Enchanted Girl's body flickers, but she doesn't look concerned at all.

"Impossible!" Cass grits her teeth at this. The light stops to reveal Rapunzel.

"Burn away the strife. Let my hope ignite. Let hope ignite."

She floats over to Cass, Varian staring in awe as he holds his girlfriend. "Mona...?" He tries and fails to wake her up.

"Let him go, Cassandra!"

Cass snaps out of her shock. "I don't follow your orders, anymore!" She flings black rocks at Rapunzel.

"I said, let him GO!" She moves her arms, destroying all of the black rocks in her path. Cass prepares more, but they're destroyed again. The Enchanted Girl giggles, a wormhole appearing. She smiles wickedly as she's lifted up into the air. This is what she really needed from Harmony…Rapunzel glares at Cass.

"Let him go!"

Cass just smiles, throwing more black rocks as the moonstone glows. Her eyes are now white with no pupils as the moonstone sparks. Rapunzel sends a flash of light, the two forces clashing. This causes the moonstone to lose a shard. A blast occurs, breaking Eugene's prison.

"Ah, Eugene!" Varian shouts from the cage.

"Varian!"

His cage also breaks and he's sent flying off the tower, letting go of Harmony before he fell. "No! Mona!"

Cass falls as well, screaming. She creates a black rock for herself to land on.

Rapunzel faints into her hair from exhaustion.

"Just because we're not there yet doesn't mean we're not getting there eventually!" Lance exclaims to Max, Varian landing in his arms. His hair and clothes are slightly messed up, but other than that, he's okay.

"Lance?" He sighs in relief, hugging him.

"Varian! See? Here he is. And I led us right to him."

Kiera facepalms, but they run up to the boy. "Dad!" The two shout and he smiles at them.

"Where's Mom?"

"I-I don't know," He stammers, looking up in concern.

Rapunzel slowly wakes up. "Eugene! Pascal!"

"Rapunzel!" They appear in front of her with happy smiles and she hugs them. "I know this is an emotional moment for you, but I just gotta say that. Was. Awesome!" They hug each other and he suddenly lifts his head.

"Where's Harmony?" Eugene looks around for her. Rapunzel notices a pile of rocks covering her body and she gasps.

"Oh my gosh! Harmi!" They rush over to her, moving the rocks away. It was a miracle her body didn't fly away like Cass and Varian... "I'm so sorry I let this happen to you..."

The girl still hasn't moved at all as they turn her over. Her hair surrounds her body as Daisy chirps in concern.

Eugene feels her neck and looks up at the worried blonde. "She's still breathing. If we hurry, we can get her back to the castle medic to get her looked at."

* * *

Harmony is laying down in her bed, hair rested over her pillow. Having all of the power she had in her taken away had taken a toll on her. She hadn't woken up ever since they left Cass' stronghold, and she hadn't touched Varian since then...it feels like forever since she felt his warm arms.

Lance had told Varian to wait outside until she woke up, but it was becoming impossible to keep him away. None of this would've ever happened if she wasn't given the Moonstone...she knew that a lot of people say that it isn't true, but it is.

Growing up with it was hard, since having the dark and evil powers of the Moonstone, or at least just a taste of it, wasn't very normal. She caused a lot of problems back then and now. She hated being alone in the castle all the time. Just being able to create black rocks alone was a mess...

Most people hadn't seen it as a gift, which she learned the hard way. The horrified looks from her own people was something she'd never be able to forget. They'd call her a witch, run away, or (a rare thing) would just ignore it altogether.

There was no _way _she would want anything to do with that kind of power again after this. It's not like she had control over it in the first place. It's not a choice. She could ignore it, but that was impossible. Almost everything happened because of her black rocks...

Avoiding it wasn't just something she could do. Which is why she hates having it.

However...

She has learned to endure it, thanks to all of her friends...and surprisingly Cass. She'll never resort to being like her...not on her watch. Especially since now she doesn't have any power…

"I can't believe I let this happen," Varian paces around, the others staring at him in concern. He's whispering as they're standing outside the girl's door. He's tried and failed to get inside her room. "If I hadn't kept pushing for Cass to listen, then she wouldn't have sucked the power out of her!"

"Cass wanted that power whether or not she listened to you," Eugene tells him solemnly. "But she's a tough kid. Brownie will pull through."

"The medic told me that she was near death!" Varian turns to him, his lip quivering as he tries not to cry. "Why didn't I just keep my mouth shut when she wanted the scroll?! I can't take this anymore, I need to go in there."

He tries to run up to the door, Lance stopping him.

"I know you're worried. We are too. But she's been through a lot today," Lance tells him regrettably.

"I understand your concern, and I want to go in there too. But you can't see her right now," Rapunzel says in a hushed voice. "She needs time to recover, Varian."

"Rapunzel, Mona **needs **me, and I have to see her," Varian points to her door. "I-I can't just sit here and wait."

"We know, but right now, she's resting, kid," Eugene places a hand on his back. Harmony blinks slowly as she hears the quiet voices, sitting up slowly.

"Listen, Cass said some...stuff to Harmony which she didn't take well," Rapunzel bites her lip. "So whenever she wakes up, she might not want to talk about it."

"Why?"

Rapunzel glances to Eugene, already knowing that he won't take it well. This makes him nervous, nevertheless.

"W-What did she say?"

"She got her angry by saying...that Harmi is using you to get rid of the moonstone and that was why you turned against her, which we all know is not true, but...that's not all. She also said that you told her everything, you loved her before you loved Harmi, and that...you settled for second best," Rapunzel takes a deep breath.

Varian narrows his eyes after hearing that. It was obviously a way to get Harmony mad, but that was low, even for Cass. How could she tell the princess such lies? He has to go in there and make sure that she's okay. He whips around to the door.

"Please, you have to let me in!"

"The medic said she has to rest. You can't go in—Varian, wait!"

The door opens and Varian stumbles inside, staring at the girl. She gasps at the sight of him, relieved to see the boy. He closes the door behind him.

"Vari!" She murmurs, quickly running up to him.

"Mona," He says softly and they share a big hug once they meet. The boy spins them around a little, happy to finally see her. He grips her waist and hair, running his hand through it. She couldn't control her tears as she sobs into his shoulder. He almost felt like crying himself. The whole ordeal, both of them wanted to embrace each other, but couldn't since other things kept getting in the way...

It was worth the wait.

"Are you...are you really okay?" She whispers so quietly he almost didn't hear. He pulls back a bit, holding her cheeks gently.

"I am now," He wipes away one of her tears and she smiles weakly. "But you shouldn't be asking me that, I wasn't the one who passed out! She literally drained your powers of you. You really had me worried, Mona, I almost had a heart attack!"

"I'm sorry..." She murmurs softly, but he just kisses her all over her face, causing her to laugh.

"Don't. I'm just glad you're okay...and that you're alive in front of me. Just don't scare me like that."

"No guarantees," She chuckles weakly and he hugs her, running his gloved hand through her hair again.

"Rapunzel told me what Cassandra said to you," Varian looks just as angry as Harmony did when she heard it. "Mona, you know it's not true, right? I always had feelings for you. I never felt anything for Cass, and you're not second best. It's always been you."

"I know..." She smiles sheepishly, pushing a bang away from her ear. "But she just made me so mad..."

"I get it," He closes his eyes. "She did that to me too when she stole your power," He suddenly smiles at the reminder. "I almost forgot. I've memorized the incantations! Now you can use the Moonstone properly."

She seems hesitant as she bites her lip, slowly looking up at him. "I...I'm not sure I want that kind of power again, Vari. I know that Cass stole what I had left, but is it even worth it...?"

Cass could've hurt him trying to steal it away...she didn't want to risk the lives of people she loves just to get it back.

"It's not about the power you have," He shakes his head rapidly. "It's about how you use it. You still have the embodiment of the Moonstone inside of you, now you just have to control it."

"How do we even know I still have any power?" She looks up at him skeptically.

"Eugene's Dad said so himself: When it was given to you, you gained half its power. That's why you could still use the rocks and why you were able to survive. It might be cracked...but you are half of it," He holds her shoulders.

"...I guess we can try one step at a time."

"And we'll do it together," He grips her shoulders.

She looks away and he notices her look.

"Mona, you can't blame yourself for this."

"You should be blaming me," She mutters, refusing to look at him. "Do you know how it feels to have this evil power? And the fact that you disappeared without a trace..." She takes a deep breath. "I should've looked back. I should have known that Cassandra would use that opportunity to take you. Listen…if being with me is too much for you… I understand if you want to..."

She couldn't even finish her sentence as she closes her eyes. He needs to be safe, away from her…she couldn't bear to lose him again like she did today.

"Mona." He presses her forehead to hers. "Look at me. Please, just...just look at me."

She doesn't want to, but she does anyway. She sees the kindness in his eyes as he cups her cheek, caressing it softly.

"What happened back there...I...I don't blame you for it. You had to rescue the others. Because you're not the type to leave someone in need."

"But...I did..." She closes her eyes. "I couldn't stop her in time...You could've gotten **hurt. **What happened to you, that's on me! I..."

He kisses the top of her head. "All I ask is that you be yourself...and that you never forget who you are, Mona. You're brave, intelligent, and strong...and of course beautiful."

She chuckles, holding back a sob. "I mean it. I see a kind, gorgeous girl, and I think...what does she see in me? A princess and a poor boy. But then you're always there to show me that no matter what..." He looks at the hand still on her cheek, pulling it back to stare at it. He suddenly gets flashbacks of what he did to her face...but then quickly washes them away. "You believe in me and that I can be a better person. Not just for me, but for you."

She sniffles and he kisses a tear away. "You're truly amazing, Princess Harmony...I'll never forget that. And I promise that you'll never lose me. We're in this together for better or worse."

Harmony looks up at him slowly, seeing his gentle smile. She couldn't help but return the gesture. He presses his forehead against hers again.

"You give me hope," He whispers quietly. "Forgave me before anyone else did...comforted me about my father...I don't know how I ended up the luckiest guy in all of Corona."

"You can stop now," She blushes a bit. "I'll be okay..."

He laughs at her face, staring at her in the eyes. He moves away a bang from her face and they say nothing. But they didn't really need to...

He leans in slowly to kiss her lips softly. Her hands move to his arms as he peppers her lips with soft kisses. This sends butterflies to her stomach. No matter what, he still does that to her despite it being over a year. She doesn't mind it, though. Not at all.

A knock suddenly interrupts the two and Varian slowly pulls away, looking over his shoulder.

"Varian. Sorry to interrupt, but we need you here for Eugene's birthday!" Rapunzel calls out from the other side.

Both of them chuckle as he turns back to her, moving his arms to her waist. "Mona...about me giving Cass the third incantation, I..."

"It's okay..." She murmurs, holding his cheeks. "I know you wouldn't give it to her willingly, so I figured she used your truth serum…do us all a favor and let that be the only thing you don't keep in your bag. Oh, and work on your snoring."

The boy is so glad to have her back that he doesn't even mind the slight lecture. He smiles softly, pecking her lips. "I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

Rapunzel is in her room, holding up the ring to the ceiling. She shines it with her elbow, smiling as it glistens.

Someone clears their throat and she looks to see Harmony standing in the doorway.

"Harmi!"

Rapunzel stumbles onto the ground, hugging her sister tightly. The girl returns it, relieved to see her. "You're awake! I am so sorry I let this happen! I should've protected you more. W-What kind of sister am I to have Cass-"

"Rapunzel," Harmony stops her. "You did what you could, and that was saving Varian and Eugene. There was nothing you could've done to stop Cass. And I'm not angry with you."

"But you should be..." Rapunzel frowns in guilt. "You were close to dying back there."

"Yeah. I was. But I didn't," She smiles softly. "It's because of you that I'm still standing. This isn't something you should blame yourself for. You're the best big sister in the world, and nothing will ever change that."

Rapunzel smiles as she squeezes her into another hug. Harmony returns it.

"And you're the best little sister."

"But...something she said is still bugging me," Harmony furrows her eyebrows and Rapunzel looks down at her.

"Your imaginary friend, right?"

"Yeah...she asked if I knew who she really was, but I don't know her outside of who she used to be..." She glances away. "And with the way my former friend is ordering Cass around...I doubt Cass knows the truth either. But I know that we'll find out what she's hiding soon enough."

"Well, Blondie," Eugene suddenly enters the room, sitting next to her. Harmony steps back from her sister. "One of these days we'll get this whole proposal thing right, huh?"

"I just...I thought I could have everything," Rapunzel looks down at the ring. "But...after today...I'm not sure it's gonna be that easy."

Eugene takes her hand, kissing her forehead. She places her head on his shoulder. Harmony smiles as she opens the door.

"Oh, there you are," Lance is peeking in. "Looks like someone forgot to eat their birthday cake~!" He wheels in what was left of the cake from earlier. The two adults stand up.

"You know, I've been thinking...getting old won't be so bad. So long as I get to do it with you," Eugene smiles, pressing his forehead to Rapunzel's.

"Happy 1st birthday, Eugene...Make a wish."

Varian smiles, holding his girlfriend's hand. "Growing old with you is all I need."

"Ditto," She smiles softly at him and he kisses her cheek. Eugene blows out the candles.

* * *

Cass' stronghold is completely destroyed as she emerges, panting heavily. She looks at the cracked moonstone. Suddenly, something purple sparks, and she covers her eyes. A human body lands in front of her. The Enchanted Girl is now a human, her color scheme grey and black.

"Finally...the clash of the sun and the moon has released me from my prison," She says to the shocked Cass, looking at her body.

"It's good to be back..."

* * *

Harmony sits on her bed, staring at the bare left hand. That symbol has plagued her for years...and yet, just like that, her powers were gone. She wasn't sure whether to be relieved or to be upset. But...she knew that someday, she'll have to use it to her full extent. Which is...scary to think about. She had no idea what she was going to do, or even if she can do it. She couldn't even create black rocks anymore. Cass took it all away...

She's a unique case deviated from the Moonstone: she isn't evil, but she's still connected to it in a way. It gives her hope that someday, that anyone from evil could be looked in a positive way.

Rapunzel lightly knocks on her door, causing her to look up.

"Hey..."

"Hi..." Harmony smiles weakly as her sister steps forward, sitting next to her.

"How are you feeling? I mean, not physically, since you're still alive, thank goodness and-"

"Punzie," She interrupts with a small smile. "I know you were worried about me. It's okay to ask. To answer the physically part, I'm fine."

"And...emotionally?"

"It...it feels weird not having my powers anymore," Harmony states slowly. "I mean...I wasn't sure that this would ever happen to me. The Moonstone is the reason why I was stuck in the castle for so long, and why I grew up isolated from everyone. And now that I don't have it anymore...I don't know. Should I feel happy? Should I feel sad? If it weren't for that opal, I feel like we wouldn't get along so well, and I definitely wouldn't have met Varian."

"That's not true," Rapunzel places a hand on her shoulder. "You may be the embodiment of the Moonstone, but you're unique, Harmi. I couldn't imagine myself not being close with you, and you definitely would have met Varian. He loves you for who you are, and you don't need the Moonstone to be yourself."

Harmony smiles up at her. "Thank you, Punzie." She hugs her sister, who returns it happily. "I can't believe that she tried to BAIT me and I fell for it. But I just wanted Vari to be okay…thanks to you, he is."

Her older sister smiles.

"I actually came to ask you something," The blonde pulls back, the girl looking up in confusion. "Eugene and I may not be engaged...but I do know that I want you to be a part of our wedding, whenever that is. So...will you be my maid of honor when the time comes?"

Harmony gasps sharply, squealing happily at the question. "Oh my gosh! Punzie! I'd be honored to be your maid of honor when you two tie the knot! As long as you're mine if I get married."

"You mean when," Rapunzel winks at her, causing the girl to blush. "Don't get married too young, though! You're still my little sister."

"I'm not thinking about it!" Harmony laughs, grabbing a pillow and smacking her sister with it.

"You totally were!" Rapunzel giggles, hitting her back with a pillow of her own. "Harmony and Varian, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g!"

"Stop it, you're embarrassing me, and people will hear you!" The younger princess shushes her as they continue their pillow fight.

"Oh come on! You know that I'm right!"

Eugene smiles as he watches the two sisters.

**Angel: I loved writing this special, especially the love duet between Harmony and Varian. I contemplated various moments between them that showed her memories of him, and vice versa, and then moments they've shared together. I wasn't gonna put it in the special at first, but I changed my mind. I've put in 4 songs in a special before *waves it off* And this should confirm that Harmony still doesn't know that her 'imaginary friend' was Zhan Tiri.**

**Love Will Find a Way belongs to the second Lion King movie.**


	65. Race to the Spire

**Angel: Warning, there is a swear word in this chapter. But I think Cassandra was probably more blinded by what she's gone through to really realize who Zhan Tiri was until she learned the truth. I mean, she trusted Zhan Tiri, like Harmony did. Heck, even Harmi still doesn't know, and the two knew each other for years. She thought of Zhan Tiri as a friend, and not an evil sorceress. And I think it also has to do with the fact that Zhan Tiri was described as male, and not female. Zhan Tiri was meant to be unsuspecting of her true identity because of that fact. I don't even know why myself they called her a sorcerer when that's a male term...**

**As for why Rapunzel never said that the ghost girl was Zhan Tiri, it might've been the fact that Cassandra wouldn't really believe her. I feel like if she knew ahead of time who Zhan Tiri is, she wouldn't listen. And Zhan Tiri would manipulate it so that Cass wouldn't find out until it was time. I mean, we all know how the two are at this point. The sorceress is like...a puppet master in the show. ****Logically, Zhan Tiri set up the entire show. **

**Cass is already one half of the moonstone because of Harmony. Varian forgave everyone earlier than he did. He got a letter from Demanitus. He and Harmi are surrogate parents to Kiera and Catalina (though that's mostly because of knowledge I didn't know about until later XD). He went on the trip in season 2! Basically, I've already ****strayed away from canon multiple times whether Cass redeems herself earlier than the show depicts. The story's been done for months now, I can't just ignore the final fight between Cass and Rapunzel...**

**These 4 days need to go by faster...XD**

**I looked at my final grades today and thankfully, I did not fail any of them XD I actually did pretty good! Especially since I had to write my first book report this semester (up until this semester, I had never written a book report in my life). **

At the bottom of the Spire is Calliope's home, where she's talking to the former Keeper. "Now, then, Calliope, show me what you have learned."

She clears her throat. "Well, here we have the Masks of Alastros. This is, of course, is a Snafarian Sarcophagus, and here-" She gasps as something seems to be missing. "Huh...that's strange...the Shapeshifting Cloak of Retudnus is missing..."

"Never mind that, child. Tell me, where is the Mind Trap?"

"You mean the talisman that can control the minds of any who've sworn loyalty to the moonstone? Like the Brotherhood?" She chuckles a bit.

"Yes...now where is it?" Something seems to be off.

"Why, locked away in an enchanted box that can only be opened with a key that I possess," She gestures to herself boastfully.

"Then I'll need that key..." The Keeper moves away the Shifting Cloak, revealing that he's actually Cass. "Now."

"Ah! There's the cloak!" She gestures to the cloak.

"The key," Cass glares at the woman. She runs away, the baby Kurlock running after her. She opens up the doors to a room, slamming them closed. She then grabs a sword from the adjourning wall and plants that between the doorknobs.

"Guard the door, buddy," Calliope tells her pet. He growls towards the door. She stands in front of a shelf. "Where is it, where is it?" She whispers to herself as she takes potions off the shelf. "Not that one. Oh, aha!" she holds up a green bottle. She rushes over to her desk, grabbing the quill and quickly writing.

The door slams from outside as a black rock goes through it. She struggles with the cap of the bottle. "Darn cork!"

She manages to get it open, but it goes flying onto the ground. "Uh oh." The door jiggles again and she looks towards the wood. She cringes, as she has to make this quick. She takes a key and puts it inside the bottle. She then rolls up the paper, hiding both objects behind her back. The door bursts into pieces by Cass as she steps forward.

"Stay," She traps the baby Kurlock with black rocks and he growls at her. She turns to Calliope threateningly. "Give me that key or I will tear your precious Spire apart!"

She narrows her eyes. "It is pronounced Spy-your," She puts the paper into the bottle. Black rocks knock away her desk and she chuckles nervously. "Why do you need the Mind Trap anyway? There's so much other great stuff here. There's the Pan Flute of Hawthrone!" She plays some music from it, tossing it away. "The Cask of Icarus. O-Or the hard candies of Ambrosia." She pulls some hard candy away from her ear. "Mm, these things are so good! Want one?"

She drops it onto the ground and Cass just gives her a 'really' look. Calliope puts the cap on the bottle, and it disappears into thin air. She coughs a bit, smiling sheepishly at Cass.

"That was a poor choice."

She creates a black rock to trap Calliope's sleeve to the wall. She creates more directed at her neck and she whimpers in fear.

"Where did you send it?" Cass demands to her.

* * *

At the Snuggly Duckling, Rapunzel and Harmony are playing music together. Eugene and Varian clap for them as they stand on tables. The older sister is playing guitar while Harmony is playing the fiddle. Ulf bumps into Big Nose and he moves away his hat. Shorty swings around from the chandelier up above, laughing. Eugene stands up, Shorty bumping into him. Vlad catches the man into his arms, and they both laugh. He drops the former thief onto the ground.

The two sisters laugh, beaming towards each other. Rapunzel is just so happy to have her sister recovered after losing her power and nearly dying. After a few days and some rest, she was back on her feet, but she's unable to do anything related to the moonstone. She can't sense anything evil, use moonlight, or create black rocks. She still wasn't really sure that was a good thing or a bad thing. She just knew that whatever she decided, she just wants to live her life with her sister again.

"Woo!" The two jump off the tables, going over to Attila. Harmony taps her foot to the beat, the others clapping along in tune. The girl laughs, Varian staring at her with a smile. Suddenly, a green light appears in the ceiling. Rapunzel holds up the guitar as a weapon, Harmony doing the same with her fiddle. The same bottle Calliope was holding appears. Attila slowly takes it into his hand.

"Whoa! I've read about these! Enchanted message bottles! I've always wanted to get one!" Rapunzel smiles in excitement.

"I don't think I've gotten one either," Harmony glances up at her. Attila opens it and green smoke comes out of along with the paper.

"Ooh! Your lucky day! It's for the both of you," He holds it out to Rapunzel, who pumps her fist.

"Yes!"

"Who would be sending us a message?" The teenage girl raises a brow in confusion.

"Rapunzel and Harmony, help!" Rapunzel starts to read it. "Cass attacking Spire. Keep this. And then it ends. Calliope must be in trouble."

"Calliope?" Eugene walks up to them, followed by Varian. "Oh right, the obnoxious know-it-all Keeper of the Spire. Guys, put the weapons down already! It's just a bottle, for crying in the night!"

"You can hit something later. Come on, nothing to see here," Harmony waves them off and they walk away in disappointment. Rapunzel shakes the bottle, hearing something inside. She lifts it upside down and a key falls out of it.

"A key...but for what?" Eugene asks curiously.

"I-I-I don't know. But one thing's for sure, we have to get to the Spire as fast as possible and help Calliope!" She looks up at him.

"Uh, Sunshine, this is the same Calliope who lied to us and almost got us eaten by a bear monster," Eugene tells her, a hand on her back.

"She also called my hair moppy," Varian pouts, crossing his arms.

"It's not," Harmony smiles at him, playing with his bang. "It's cute. And she made us sleep outside in the rain."

"Look, guys, I am not her biggest fan either, but she needs our help," Rapunzel frowns a bit.

"It's just my luck to fall in love with the most compassionate person in the world," Eugene comments, causing her to smile.

"Fire up the balloon, Varian!" She holds up the bottle, the pub thugs holding flaming torches eagerly.

"No, guys, she means fly the balloon, not...never mind."

Pascal facepalms as Daisy chirps in defeat.

* * *

Varian and Harmony are finishing up the final touches together. She's wearing the goggles that he gave her. "We chemically treated these thrusters so the flames will burn hotter and longer than any natural flame. We're gonna fly like the wind."

Harmony lifts up her goggles away from her face. "And it's all thanks to our upgrades! Giving the thrusters a boost was a great idea, which I suggested," She smiles a bit boastfully. "This baby's going onto my blueprints. I think I'll name it Speedy," She pats the thruster, the boy grinning at her slightly. Now he sees what she meant when she saw him with the hot cocoa in Demanitus' chamber.

Varian turns to Eugene and frowns slightly. "Don't touch that."

Eugene lets go of the bucket and reaches out to something else. "Or that," Varian adds in.

"Eugene, come on, we're almost done," Harmony looks up at him. "Focus on something else."

He gives an annoyed look and then he reaches towards the thrusters.

"OH MY, DON'T TOUCH THAT! IT'S GONNA BLOW!" They both shout at him and he screams like a little girl, falling into the basket. Both of them laugh, Harmony holding her stomach.

"Ha ha! Gotcha! Just messing with you," Varian smiles mischievously.

Eugene stands up, glaring at the couple. "I knew that."

Pascal and Daisy are laughing too. "And you're on my list, frog and goose."

The duckling chirps at him in anger. "Daisy! Language," Harmony warns her and she argues back at the girl. "Wow, okay." She shakes her head at her friend.

"Guys, focus," Rapunzel gets their attention. "Look at this. It took us weeks to get to the Spire on foot, but thanks to your speed balloon and this direct route, we'll make it in a day," She smiles at the couple, crossing her arms.

"Good job, guys," Eugene congratulates them and they smile. Then Varian notices something about the path.

"Oh wait, this takes us over Kresten Loch." She says nothing as she smiles. "Uh, Kresten Loch? The frozen sea? Miles and miles of deadly wintry expanse? Just like the storm that almost got Mona killed?"

Pascal and Daisy frown a little.

"Relax, it wouldn't be the first time I faced near death," Harmony waves it off.

"I know, I just...I want you to be safe," He frowns a little, holding her hand.

"With you and my sister, I will be," She kisses his cheek.

"That's the one, Varian," Rapunzel smiles, hands on her hips.

"Well, if it were anybody other than you two, I'd be worried-" He suddenly falls to the ground, his boots off his feet. "Who glued my boots to the ground?"

"That's for your little balloon prank earlier," Eugene speaks up from behind. "Eugene Fitzherbert never forgets!" He puts the paintbrush inside the glue bucket, only to find it stuck to his hand...

Harmony giggles, bending down to her boyfriend. "That's okay, I have a solvent for the glue in my bag."

"Really?" He blinks in surprise that she's prepared.

"Yeah! And I have a bunch of coats and gloves," She pulls out a large bag from the basket. "It doesn't hurt to be prepared..." She rubs the back of her neck.

"You're amazing," Varian chuckles as he hugs her and she giggles.

"Aw, thanks..."

"Hey Rapunzel?"

She looks at him, seeing a big smile from the boy. "Is Mona ticklish?"

"Vari, don't you-"

"Oh yeah," Rapunzel smirks playfully. "You should've seen her when we traveled back in time."

She gives her older sister an accusing look as if asking 'Why would you tell him that?'

Rapunzel just giggles softly as she sees Varian reaching out his hands. Harmony starts laughing as Varian tickles her sides. Some of his mischievous side is still in play. Rapunzel smiles at the two as the girl falls onto the ground. The boy smiles down at the girl, towering over her and watching her laugh.

"Varian! Stop it, I'm gonna pee!" She giggles, wiggling around slightly. She tries to push his hands away, but misses.

"Mm, nah," He continues and she bursts into laughter, her hair underneath her head.

"Rapunzel, you traitor!" She wheezes out a bit.

* * *

A black rock rises from the ground. A chest lifts up into the air as the black rock hits it. Cass is trying to get the chest open by force. She had forced Calliope to give it to her. She continues using the black rocks to try and open the chest. The Enchanted Girl just watches her struggle with it. Eventually, Cass gives it up and it falls in front of her.

"Ugh! It's no use! I can't get to the Mind Trap talisman..."

"Then it looks like we'll need to get that key after all," The Enchanted Girl steps up to her.

"Calliope sent it to Rapunzel and Harmony," Cass sighs in irritation. "And something tells me they won't just hand it over to us."

"To us? No. But we may have other methods at our disposal," The girl smiles to herself, back turned to Cass.

* * *

Harmony looks out to the birds as they're on their way to the Spire. Rapunzel is drawing in her journal. "You know, Sunshine, this all kind of reminds me, remember when we used that cauldron to launch the caravan off that rock thing?" Eugene asks casually.

"Ugh, that was when I got skunked..." Varian grumbles a bit at the memory. That was also when the sisters got cursed and they wouldn't let Madame Canardist have their precious items. That was definitely not fun...

"Sorry again for that," Harmony smiles sheepishly.

"Eh, I love you too much to let that ruin things," Varian waves it off. "If anything, that tickle fight made us even."

He playfully reaches out his hands again and she backs away. She grins softly, pointing at him. "Nope, not this time, I let Rapunzel do it to me three times when I was in the past."

Rapunzel flips her journal to the page and shows the moment drawn.

_Eugene wasn't so sure that we would make it, but I knew that our plan would work! It was so amazing! We flew through the air! Woo hoo! I'll never forget that moment!_

On one page is Eugene's screaming face and the other is the sisters holding the cauldron at the end of Varian's caravan. There's actually a little drawing of him peeking out the window too.

"Of course you painted a picture of that. Why do you keep drawing me so scared in these?"

"I paint it like I see it," She smiles at Eugene.

"Ditto," Harmony looks over her shoulder. "You should see my drawing of you when we dealt with all those crows."

"I do not look like that when I am scared," Eugene defends, crossing his arms. "I look much more handsome."

"You looked exactly the same when we scared you earlier," Harmony raises a brow at him.

"Let's see here..." Varian flips through Harmony's journal, stopping at a specific pages. "Yup, here we are," He holds up the journal for Eugene to see the exact same face that's in Rapunzel's journal. And this was just from today. She painted the teens laughing at him from Corona, fixing up the balloon. Rapunzel was in the basket smiling.

"I'm telling you, that's not how it looks!" He insists to them.

"Oh, really? Hang on, guys!"

"Oh finally, we get to test this out!" Varian smiles, holding the basket's edges. Harmony does the same as they speed up, Eugene screaming his head off. He hugs the opposite side and Rapunzel smiles.

"Ah! There it is."

He's making the face again and Pascal has his mouth and eyes wide open. Daisy has the same face as him.

"You making fun of me too, frog?"

"Actually, he's not," Rapunzel looks up ahead. She rubs her arms, the others doing the same. "Kresten Loch..." They're just approaching the area.

"Pascal, Daisy, I would like to sincerely apologize. Your previous expressions of terror were completely valid," Eugene says to them.

"Alright, let's bundle up, guys," Harmony holds out their coats to them. They start putting on their winter clothes over the clothes they have now, passing over the snow and underneath spikes. Pascal is actually frozen to Eugene's cheek. He cringes as he releases the chameleon, putting him underneath his hat. Pascal shakes himself off, squeaking from Eugene's hair. Harmony puts Daisy into her hoodie. "Okay, so we're pretty cold...but at least we're not that guy."

The teens both wince as they see something completely frozen in ice.

"I-If we keep up this pace, we can make it to the Spire by nightfall," Rapunzel reports to them. Something flies past them and Harmony looks up.

"What was that?"

"What?" Varian looks around, a boomerang hitting the balloon.

"We must have come too close to a wave!" Eugene calls out.

"Wha-But we weren't anywhere near a wave," Rapunzel shakes her head. "Brace yourselves!"

Eugene hugs her tightly as the balloon falls. They start flying out of control as the balloon shakes, running out of air. They slide all the way onto the ground, coming to an abrupt stop. The balloon floats to the ground, completely no air in it. Varian and Eugene stand up first.

"Everybody okay?" Rapunzel pants slightly.

"Yeah...yeah, we're okay," Varian looks at Harmony, who rubs her arms slightly.

"Just gonna have to make sure that I take it easy this time," She laughs nervously, getting flashbacks of when she passed out from the cold. If her boyfriend hadn't found her in time, she would've been dead sooner than later.

"All in one piece," Eugene smiles slightly and he steps out of the basket, followed by the others. "What do you think took us down?"

"I'm not sure," Rapunzel looks up at the sky. "But I am sure this place doesn't get any warmer at night."

"I could've sworn I saw something fly past the balloon before we went down...not sure what it was, though. It flew by so fast," Harmony turns her eyes to the balloon.

"Are the thrusters okay?" Eugene asks the teens as they inspect the damage.

"They're fine. Only the balloon seems to have been affected. Nothing a quick patch-up can't fix," Varian reports to them.

"Alright guys, let's get sewing," Rapunzel walks over to the deflated balloon. "Harmi, get your needle and thread."

The wind blows on them, giving off snow as the girls sew. Pascal and Daisy are holding the thread while the boys are holding up the balloon.

"HELLOOOO!" A voice calls out from seemingly nowhere, echoing.

"Uh, any guesses as to what that might be?" Rapunzel smiles nervously.

"Not what," Harmony tells her as they stand up, looking up ahead. "Who. That was a person's voice."

"HELLOOOO!" Calliope runs up to them. "I saw your balloon go down! Are you coming to help me?" She slips on the ice, sliding to a stop in front of them.

"Calliope!" Rapunzel helps her stay steady, looking over her. "Oh, thank goodness you're okay. We got your message. What are you doing here, a-and what happened with Cassandra?"

"I escaped, but your friend is still at the Spire! She's after the Mind Trap, an artifact that would give her control over the members of the Brotherhood!" She informs them and as soon as Varian hears the last sentence, his eyes widen.

"The Brotherhood?" Eugene asks slowly. "Like Adira and Hector."

"And my father..." Varian murmurs quietly. Harmony places a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.

"What would she want with them?" The former thief asks the Keeper.

"What do I look like, her biographer?!"

"Didn't work on that attitude, I see," Harmony deadpans at her.

"Whatever Cass plans to do with this Mind Trap, we cannot let her have it," Rapunzel states to everyone.

"Wait..." Eugene steps forward. "What was that?"

Something is moving underneath all the ice that they're standing on. "Is something moving under there?" Rapunzel asks while hugging herself. They may have winter gear on thanks to Harmony, but it's still cold. Eugene turns around.

"Sew, Pascal and Daisy. Sew like you've never sewn before!" Eugene urges the two animals. The two take the needles and continue sewing. Blue-colored Vodniks rise out of the ice, surrounding them. Calliope screams as she runs off.

"Get me outta here!" Calliope shouts, the fish creatures starting to attack the group.

"They're Vodniks!" Harmony exclaims as she recognizes them.

"Why are they attacking us?" Varian calls out to her. Rapunzel slides out of the way from an axe, Harmony doing the same. Eugene rolls out of the way as Varian slides onto the ice past a Vodnik.

"Pascal, Daisy! We'll keep you covered and Calliope is..." Rapunzel slides to the woman behind a rock. "Hiding."

Calliope shushes her and Rapunzel hears a roar. "Eugene, duck!"

He does so and an axe goes flying, chopping the rock in half. Calliope shouts in alarm as she runs off. Eugene takes a piece of ice in hand, throwing it at the Vodnik. He takes it into his mouth and bites it into pieces with his teeth. Eugene gulps in fear.

"Eugene, twirl attack!"

"Vari, load me up!" Harmony pulls out her bow and arrow.

"Do we have a move called twirl attack?" Eugene asks with a shrug. He steps back from a Vodnik.

"Uh, we're about to!" Rapunzel latches onto Eugene as he spins around. Varian throws some chem balls to Harmony, and they stick to her arrow. She fires it into the air so that it hits some snow up above. Rapunzel twirls into the air, snow falling onto the Vodniks thanks to Harmony. Eugene catches the blonde with a laugh.

"Twirl attack, first try, alright!"

"Nice thinking, you two," Rapunzel smiles at the teenagers.

"Yeah, but I have a feeling that they'll be back," Harmony glances to the army around them. "And not because I used to have that kind of sense."

Calliope stares at them as the two pets have fixed the balloon, and it's now flying over their heads. "Way to go, guys! You fixed it! Everyone's just getting all the credit today, huh?" Eugene smiles a bit. The Vodniks run up to the four and they make a break for it. They start running towards the balloon. The four reach a rock, running up it. They jump and land in the basket. The Vodniks jump after them. Rapunzel turns the crank so they can keep moving.

"Uh, where's Calliope?" Rapunzel asks them.

"HELLO!" Calliope hollers from below. "Are you just gonna leave me here?!"

Of course they wouldn't, no matter how annoying she is. Eugene holds Rapunzel's hand as she reaches her other hand out.

"Calliope, grab my hand!"

"Hurry!" Harmony looks behind them. She takes off into a run to catch up, but the Vodniks are right behind her. Callipe isn't fast enough as one of them is right behind her. Thankfully, Rapunzel lets out her hair and grabs her arm. They lift her into the basket and Calliope sighs in relief.

"Geez, they are fast!" Rapunzel comments at how the Vodniks are still behind the balloon. "The leg muscles on those things must-"

One of them throws an axe directed right at Rapunzel. Eugene deflects it with his sword.

"Can't she pay you a simple compliment?!"

"Why are they so hostile?" Varian couldn't help but ask.

"Uh, this could be close," Rapunzel states as she looks up ahead at a small glacier. They heighten the thrusters so that they fly away from the Vodniks. They jump towards the balloon, but end up missing it entirely.

"We made it!" Calliope cheers, "Calliope for the win!" She turns around to the annoyed four. "You're welcome."

Harmony rolls her eyes in disdain.

Rapunzel hears a roar, turning around. "Wait! They're in trouble." She sees the Vodniks hanging onto the edge. "We need to go back and help them!"

They're over a field of sharp rocks. The rock one of them is hanging onto to is about to break off. The other Vodniks cry out in concern.

"But they just tried to obliterate us!" Calliope frowns at them.

"That doesn't mean we should do the same to them," Harmony gestures to the creatures.

"Sorry, but that's not the way the princess works," Eugene smiles a bit for Rapunzel's words.

"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree," Varian smiles at his girlfriend, who blushes slightly. She was the one who was supposed to teach Rapunzel how to be ready to be a proper ruler, but it seems they've switched roles. Rapunzel has taught her compassion, and that she doesn't need that much help to become a great ruler...

Because she's already going to be one.

Rapunzel moves the crank so that the balloon turns around. The two Vodniks fall and Rapunzel saves them with her hair. She brings them back to the ground and they take off. "Think of it this way, you guys are gonna have so much fun sledding back down that thing." She waves to them. Surprised by her selfless act, they wave back to the two princesses.

"Have fun in the cold! I know I won't," Harmony murmurs that last part to herself.

"You got any more coats?" Calliope asks the girl.

"Um, I only packed four. I didn't think you would escape Cass," She rubs the back of her neck.

"So I escaped with my life and now I freeze," Calliope pouts, crossing her arms. "How's that for a reward for saving your lives in return?"

"You didn't-"

"Harmi," Rapunzel places a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be fine, I'll give her my coat. After what happened during the storm with you, I'm not taking any chances."

"Punzie. I won't get lost in the cold again like last time," Harmony hugs herself as her hair flies past.

"I know, it's just..."

She stares at her sister as she remembers it clearly.

"_Princess Harmony is gone!"_

"_Little sister, no..."_

"_That's not what happened, at all!"_

"Nevermind," She shakes her head rapidly, confusing them as she takes off her coat.

* * *

"There it is," Rapunzel announces as it's nighttime. They've finally reached the Spire. "The Spire. Let's just hope we're not too late and Cass hasn't gotten that box open."

"Speaking of the box, where's the key?" Calliope asks her.

"Oh, I have it right here in my bag, which has its very own security system. See?" She opens up the bag to reveal Pascal in it. The balloon touches the ground and Eugene puts down the sandbag. They step out of the basket as Rapunzel looks around. "Where's Cassandra?"

"Wouldn't she have left, I don't know, a few black rocks?" Harmony asks her sister.

"Right..." Rapunzel replies slowly. Calliope opens the door to the Spire and they step inside. She has a wide smile on her face for some reason. Varian and Harmony stare at her, giving each other a quick look. Something seems off...

She reaches the chest. "Here it is," She takes it into her hands. "Now give me the key so we can make sure the Mind Trap is still here," She holds out her hand to Rapunzel.

"Mm, I...am gonna pass on that. I think the box should stay closed," Rapunzel states to her, holding her bag in her hands.

"If it's as dangerous as you said it was, why bother unlocking it?" Harmony agrees with her sister.

"Now where's Cassandra?" Rapunzel asks again. If she is still here, and Calliope did escape like she said, she'd lead them right to her.

"She's right here."

They look up to see Cass walking down the steps. Varian frowns deeply, pulling Harmony close to protect her. The last time she saw them, she sucked out Harmony's power and left her for dead. Despite her showing some concern, it didn't excuse what she did.

"I don't wanna fight you again," Rapunzel narrows her eyes at the woman.

"Stay away from Mona," Varian warns her and she just laughs.

"That's on you both. Where's the key?"

"Hi, sorry, while we're asking questions, I've been sitting on one. The blue hair, what's going on there?" Eugene asks the woman. "I mean, it looks way better on Brownie, but really, Cassandra?"

She simply pulls out her sword. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, easy," He backs away from her.

"Something tells me that's personal," Harmony whispers to him.

"You're not getting the key. I've hidden it," Rapunzel smirks, crossing her arms.

"It's in her bag," Calliope speaks up to their shock, joining Cass' side. She pulls at her face to reveal that she's the Enchanted Girl. Harmony gasps at her appearance, stepping back a bit. "Ah. I love this cloak."

"It was a trap," Varian whispers in realization, narrowing his eyes.

"What have you done with the real Calliope?" Rapunzel demands them.

"She's fine. Or at least, she will be, provided you give Cassandra what she wants."

"And why should we trust your word?" Harmony hisses, pointing at her.

"Because whether you like it or not, her life is on the line. Now give Cassandra the key."

"I'm sorry, have we met?" Rapunzel asks her.

"She's the voice I heard at the Great Tree," Harmony reveals, glaring at them both. "She's also the one I spoke to at Cass' stronghold before she ordered Cass to almost kill me!"

"And she was the one who told me how to find the final incantation..." Varian gasps, facepalming himself. "And that...gave her the ability for her to be seen again...so dumb, Varian!"

"You did that?!" The blonde yells at the girl. "How could you? She did nothing to you!"

"She _ruined _everything for me!" She shouts back, pointing at Harmony. "So I did what I could. Not that there's any regret."

"You-!" Varian lunges forward and Eugene holds him back. He could only imagine what the boy must feel upon hearing that. He had almost lost the love of his life, and the person behind it didn't even care what it resulted in.

"Introductions later," Cass sheathes her sword. "Now hand over the key." She snatches the bag from Rapunzel, who glares at her. She shakes out the bag, kicking away its contents.

"Huh...it's not in there?" Rapunzel asks innocently. The Enchanted Girl looks angry towards them, Varian looking smug at her face. "Maybe I put it in my other bag."

"Now," Harmony clicks her teeth, tapping her chin. "Did we lose it?"

"Come on. We both knew this wasn't the real Calliope," Rapunzel gestures to the small girl. "We suspected something was up back in Kresten Loch. We knew a wave hadn't cut the balloon. But something had. After conferring with Harmony about the damages, we found out that the cut was similar to..."

The Enchanted Girl holds up the boomerang, slightly impressed. "Yeah. That was it. And when you coincidentally showed up moments later, and then didn't correct my pronunciation of Spire, I knew you weren't the real Calliope."

"Huh...you know, come to think of it, I thought you were somewhat less annoying. Not much, but somewhat," Eugene states, holding up a finger.

"Good effort, though, with the coat," Varian crosses his arms.

"I enjoyed our trip together, girls," The Enchanted Girl says, giving Cass the box. "It provided me with an invaluable lesson. Your weakness...compassion. After all, I already know of your sister's..." She gives Varian a knowing look and he narrows his eyes. "You went out of your way to help the Vodniks because you felt...sorry for them."

"Some people would say that's a strength," Rapunzel places her hands on her hips.

"I know I do," Harmony huffs at the girl, who laughs.

"Strength? No...useful, yes," She throws the boomerang, a candle falling onto the ground. It moves towards some black rocks...and right above them is Calliope tied up and gagged.

"Calliope!" The two sisters exclaim in unison. "Let her go."

"Right now," Harmony grits her teeth, pulling out her bow and arrow. Cass runs up to Calliope, threatening to cut the rope with a black rock.

"Give Cassandra the key, or Calliope becomes a permanent artifact here," The Enchanted Girl threatens them. "And drop your mundane weapons, now," She narrows her eyes at the teenager.

"Mundane, no. But useful to evil bitches like you, yes," Harmony quips, smirking as the girl growls at her.

"How do we know she's the real Keeper of the Spire?" Eugene questions, as it could be another trick. Calliope muffles something from her gag. She manages to remove it.

"Actually, it's Spy-your," She corrects him.

"That's her," Rapunzel gives a look of slight annoyance.

Calliope wiggles around from the rope. "Time's up, girls. Hand over the key now, or Calliope pays the price. Stand. Down, Princess," She glares at the two sisters.

"Oh really? You're the boss of me now? If you think I'm just gonna bend over and-"

"Pascal?" Rapunzel asks, the chameleon holding up the key. "Harmi...put them down."

"Do it or we'll do more than kidnap your precious little boyfriend!" The Enchanted Girl hisses at the girl. She was focused on Harmony, but now that the princess is a thorn in their sides, she doesn't need her anymore.

She looks between Calliope and the two women, growling in annoyance. She throws down her bow and arrow onto the floor.

"All of it," The Enchanted Girl is eating it up in how she's actually listening now...unlike in the past. Harmony keeps her glare as she takes off her quiver, dropping it onto the floor. "Over here," She points to the spot in front of her and Harmony kicks them all over.

Rapunzel takes the key from Pascal. "First, let Calliope go."

Cass smiles evilly upon seeing the key. "No chance." She walks up to them. "Listen girls, I don't wanna hurt her. Really, I don't, but I will. Just like I did with your precious little sister. Now give me the key."

The boomerang moves past the two and Rapunzel lifts up her arm. It goes flying back and hits the key. The Enchanted Girl catches it into her hands.

"Ugh, let's speed this up."

Cass walks over to her and opens up the chest. Rapunzel stares at her in disbelief for what she's done. She threatened someone's life just for this talisman...let the girl trick them just to get the key...

The inside glows blue once the chest is opened. "Yes! Cassandra, the Brotherhood of the Dark Kingdom is now yours to command!" She smiles wickedly as Cass takes it into her hands. Rapunzel lets down her hair and throws it at them. Cass just creates black rocks as the girl breaks Harmony's arrows with one snap.

"What do you want with the Brotherhood?" Rapunzel grits her teeth at Cass.

"_Quirin_ is a member of that group! You know that!" Harmony shouts at her, pointing to Varian. "Adira told us so!"

"You can't have a war without soldiers, princesses. I don't care who it is as long as he's useful. I never liked Adira, anyway! But at the moment, you've got other things to worry about," Cass snaps the rope off Calliope.

"No!" The two shout and Rapunzel throws her hair at a black rock. The woman lands on it, and she throws her to Eugene. Calliope sighs in relief. The two start to leave when the two sisters stand in front of them.

"Not so fast."

"Do you really think you can stop me? Harmony has no power here. I have it now. There's nothing she can do to fight back."

"Oh, maybe not," Eugene speaks up behind them, both him and Varian on the steps. "But you're forgetting we're in a room full of magical artifacts. And I don't know what any of them do!" Eugene takes a sword.

"As much as I wanna say don't touch them, desperate times call for desperate measures," Varian smirks a bit. The floor glows and caves underneath them. They fall into a secret room below.

"Okay...so we know what the sword does."

"Uh, Eugene," Varian points up at Cass, who's crawling towards the Mind Trap.

"Oh ho ho, no you don't," He throws a bottle at her, which causes a tornado of purple smoke to appear. A badger falls onto the ground, crawling around.

"Huh. That could've been Ruddiger's cousin," Varian murmurs, more of them falling from the vortex.

"It's raining badgers?! Why is this even a thing?" Eugene tries to shake one off his foot.

"Oh, that was to end the Great Badgers Scarcity of 1312!" Calliope calls out from her spot, a badger landing on her head. Cass takes one off her head, throwing it away. The Enchanted Girl bumps into her as a badger is latched to her head. Cass pulls it off, but the Mind Trap flies out of her hands. Eugene takes one off with a laugh.

He notices the Mind Trap has fallen onto the ground, narrowing his eyes. He throws away the badger and dives for it, only for it to slide out of his reach. It goes over to the Enchanted Girl, who bends over to pick it up. A badger runs past, and it goes over to Calliope. She catches it with her, but it's quickly out of her mouth thanks to a badger.

"I can't believe you brought the key back! I told you to keep it away!" She shouts at the two sisters.

"No, your note said keep this," Rapunzel chases after the Mind Trap, Harmony and Varian ducking from badgers.

"I started to write 'keep this away', but I was under attack! What do you want from me?!"

"How were we supposed to know that?!" Harmony screeches at her in disbelief. Nothing in that note started with an a at the end of that sentence. She really expected them to figure that out on their own?

"Rapunzel!" Eugene takes it into his hand. "I got it!" He holds it up and the three smile. The Enchanted Girl throws her boomerang.

"Great! Let's go!" The Mind Trap flies out of his hands as the girl bends down to grab it, but the badgers again keep it away. She chases after it and they go after her. Badgers land on Eugene's head.

"Hey! Get off me!" He bumps into a shelf and a bag falls into the middle of the floor. It opens up and a hand floats from it. Eugene cringes in slight disgust as it slams down. He dives out of the way, the hand crawling up to him. He crawls backwards. "This is one angry hand!"

He runs away from it.

"Uh, technically, it's Raging. It's called the Raging Hand of Bombados." The Mind Trap ends up nearby and she scooches towards it. The Enchanted Girl takes it into her hands.

"I'll take that."

Calliope gets onto her knees, throwing some hard candy. The girl trips on them falling onto the ground and dropping the talisman. She growls at Calliope, seeing a lamp nearby.

"Hard candies of Ambrosia, baby!" Calliope hollers, the two sisters running past her. Harmony comes to a stop and sees the girl on the floor.

"Huh. For once, Calliope did something she can actually take credit for," She continues running after her sister. The blonde grabs Cass' arm, and she pulls back. Rapunzel grabs her arm and she pulls Rapunzel onto the ground. The Mind Trap is between them.

"Quit it. Stop it. Stop it," Eugene warns as the hand is poking him. Varian is running away from badgers, one of them jumping onto his head.

Eugene slaps the hand's finger and it shrinks, crawling away. "Where's all your rage now, hand?"

"Get me out of this hair," Cass demands to the temporary queen.

"Gladly," The two pull and she goes spinning. Rapunzel bends down and takes the talisman. "I got it! Let's go!"

The Enchanted Girl tackles her from behind.

"HEY!" Harmony pulls her off as Daisy flies Pascal over to it. He lands on top of it, pushing away a badger as he slides over to Eugene.

"Right on, frog!" Varian and Rapunzel run up to them. "Quick, let's get out of here before-"

"Oh Princess!" The girl calls out. She's holding the lamp, Calliope being pushed onto the ground by Cass.

"Please, not the Lamp of Terror too! I'd be trapped in limbo for 10,000 years!" Calliope shouts as she starts to get sucked in. Cass puts her arm around Harmony's neck, pulling her backwards and pointing her sword at her head.

"Give Cassandra what she wants," The Enchanted Girl threatens her.

"Do it or I'll end her," She starts touching Harmony's cheek with the tip of the sword.

"Ah, get off me! Rapunzel, don't!" The girl struggles slightly. The two frown slightly at them, as they didn't want to see them get hurt. Cass tugs at her hair tightly, the sword now directed at her neck. "OW! Stop it, oww!" She sobs slightly.

Rapunzel narrows her eyes at her cries of pain, holding out the Mind Trap. "Take it."

Cass walks up to her and takes it. The girl moves away the lamp as Cass lets Harmony go. She rushes up to the three, hugging Varian. He runs a hand through her hair, glaring at the two.

"Thanks for your compassion," The Enchanted Girl and Cass leave through the ceiling, Rapunzel looking away sadly. Eugene wraps an arm around her.

* * *

"They really should put labels on these things!" Eugene struggles to put the sword back in place. "Whew!" He looks towards Rapunzel, her eyes directed at the chest. Varian is checking Harmony for injuries, in which they were none.

"Are you okay?" He asks softly and she rubs the end of her hair.

"My head hurts, but I'll be okay. It's my sister I'm worried about," She glances at the blonde. Eugene walks down the steps, taking the chest from her and putting it back.

"Let's get out of here, huh?"

Rapunzel sighs a bit. "I'll be right there."

"You got it," He smiles softly. "I'll go prep the balloon."

He leaves the three and Pascal squeaks up at Rapunzel. "Aww, thanks, Pascal."

"Today...was a loss, but we'll figure this out, Punzie," Harmony places a hand on her shoulder. "We always do."

"Thanks, Harmi."

"Yeah..." Varian sighs a bit. "Guess Cass got what she wanted after all..."

"I believe Cassandra promised us a proper introduction," The Enchanted Girl comes out of hiding behind the steps. "But she failed to deliver, didn't she?"

They all glare at her, angry for what she's done. "Frankly, I'm surprised you all hadn't guessed as to who I am, seeing how we've already met, in a way. You see, over the centuries, I've taken the form of whatever suits my needs. A warlock, a demon...even a blizzard."

The two teens gasp sharply. "You're...Zhan Tiri."

"B-But that's impossible! You were imprisoned for years by Demanitus!" Varian stammers in disbelief.

"How the heck did you get free?" Harmony demands to her.

"Oh, I have you to thank for that one, Harmony. It was because of you touching the moonstone that I was able to be freed. You are right, the moonstone isn't entirely evil...for it granted a wish. A wish for you to have a friend...and that's where I came in."

"...No..." She murmurs in horror, backing away. _She _was the reason Zhan Tiri was free? Her 'imaginary friend' was the Zhan Tiri herself?

"Of course, you wasted its only wish for a friendship that ended in betrayal."

"Betrayal?" Varian asks her, confused.

"When did I betray you?!"

"You questioned your destiny!" Zhan Tiri fires back angrily. "Don't you remember when you were 10?"

Harmony tries to think as she glances around, her eyes widening. "That was when Papa told me that I had to grow up...I accepted it out of favor for my kingdom...that's why you never came back. You were spying on us?! You made me continue the decay incantation! YOU ALMOST KILLED ME!"

Usually, Harmony is a rational person, but those two can really push it sometimes...

"And you tricked me!" Varian grits his teeth, pointing at her.

"But none of it doesn't make any sense. Cass knows how evil Zhan Tiri is," Rapunzel changes the subject. "Why would she team up with someone-"

"Cassandra knows only what I want her to know. I'm playing her, Rapunzel. She has no idea. But she is under my complete control," She walks up the steps. "Prepare yourself, sundrop and moonstone. An eclipse is coming. And when it does, Corona will become nothing more than dust."

She takes a teleporting hula hoop and throws it over herself, disappearing. Harmony grunts in anger, calming herself down. Rapunzel clamps her mouth shut, taking in what she said...

* * *

"Goodbye Rapunzel, Eugene, Harmony, and Varian!" Calliope waves to them as they leave. "Sorry you blew it, but it wasn't my fault!"

"Ha ha ha, bye," Eugene smiles nervously as Rapunzel looks away. "I really can't stand her..."

Harmony has her arms crossed over the edge, looking down. Rapunzel looks out to the sun. "Hey, Blondie. Look, I know today didn't pan out like we'd hoped it would, but you did what we had to do. And we will get Cass back."

"Actually, Eugene, at the moment, I'm beginning to think Cass is the least of our worries," Rapunzel stares up ahead. Varian places a hand on Harmony's shoulder.

"I'm...sorry I let Zhan Tiri trick me. Maybe if she had...you'd still be the moonstone," He murmurs to her.

"She's tricked all of us in some way," Harmony sighs slowly. "And it's not hard to figure out why...I can't believe it. For 8 years, she waited just so I would be like Cass sooner than later. I wanted a friend, but...not like this."

"You were a newborn," He reminds her. "You didn't know what you were doing."

"I still don't," She hums a bit. "But we'll stop Zhan Tiri and bring back Cass," She turns to him and he holds her hand.

"And I'll be right there with you, Mona," He smiles sweetly and they share a brief kiss.

"Aww!" Rapunzel coos, causing them to laugh. The blonde hugs them both. "You're right, Harmi. She's played all of us. But together, we can do it! And...it's because of Zhan Tiri that I'm scared that you might not survive from all this, little sister. But I see now that you're a headstrong, determined princess who lost a friend...just like me."

Harmony smiles weakly at her sister. "True...but the last thing I need is people to watch over me 24/7. I can take care of myself."

The woman chuckles, pulling her into a hug. "I have no doubt about that. Okay, I'll ease up if you promise that you won't go out into the snow when we reach Kresten Loch again."

"Deal."

* * *

Cass' fortress has been remade. She smirks at the Mind Trap in her hands and activates it. The power spreads all the way to Hector. He stands up as the Brotherhood symbol shines on his hand. He reveals glowing blue eyes.

Then at the Forest of No Return, Adira is meditating there. That is, until the effects of the Mind Trap reach her too.

Then, Quirin is plucking pumpkins from the patch. Varian and Harmony walk up to the wagon as they were helping out.

"Oh, hey dad."

Once they're gone, the Mind Trap reaches the man. He looks straight at Harmony and suddenly, the effects go away...


	66. A Tale of Three Sisters

**Angel: Rise of the Guardians is still in the lead with 20 votes! I feel like I'm in a casino just looking at the poll every now and then XD**

"Hello again, old friend," The Enchanted Girl is in the Demanitus chamber, looking up at the amber. Varian no longer works in it after what happened and moved all of his stuff into Harmony's lab, not that she minded. "My dear Demanitus, I wanted you to know...you've lost," She takes a crack and throws it at the fallen device. "When the eclipse comes, I shall draw the powers of the sundrop and the moonstone to myself. And as for their human hosts..."

Smoke comes out from the bottom, giving off the silhouettes of the two sisters and Cass. "To ensure that their once inseparable bond doesn't interfere, I have set a plan into motion that will cement their rift..."

* * *

Two boys head to a certain cottage, where the bridge has been cut off. They stop nearby the bridge. "Looks like this is the place."

"Come on, let's go. Or are you scared?"

"I'm not scared!" His companion denies and they move away the vines.

"Ha ha, you are scared."

"I am not!" He denies again, peeking through the glass. He slowly opens the door, which has mold grown onto it. "You go first."

The taller boy walks inside as a broken music box is on the floor. The smaller boy who has a lantern in his hand walks past it. They look around the abandoned cottage.

"This place gives me the creeps..."

"Not me." Most of the objects in there are broken, knocked over, or haven't been touched in years.

"See? No big deal."

A creak is heard nearby, and they look to see a door. They step up to it as it opens. "There's no-"

Gothel appears with a cloak over her, scaring both of them. They run out the door, which closes behind them. Then the light inside flickers out.

* * *

The next morning, Rapunzel throws up a ball into the air. Harmony and Varian are at her side. The teenage girl has since moved on ever since finding out the truth. There was nothing else she could've done for Zhan Tiri, and even if she wanted to, it'd be for the evil sorceress. Or anything Varian could've done to stop her from entering his freaky dream. That was all part of her plan...for what exactly, they didn't know. But they'd be ready. Zhan Tiri was never a friend to her...

"Okay, all you need to do is keep your eye on the ball," She winks at three little girls. "Like this," She swings her hair at the ball, sending it flying.

"Oh, Princess Harmony, you look pretty today," A girl bounces up and down.

"Aww, thank you. That's sweet," She smiles softly as Varian grins. Then they cringe when the ball hits a boy on the head. One of them that had visited the cottage last night.

"Alright, I was wrong. All you need to do is keep your eye on the ball _and_ move your hands," Rapunzel rubs her neck.

"Ohh...yeah...sorry," He nervously walks to the ball, Harmony glancing up at him.

"He's been like that since this morning," She whispers to her sister.

"He's been really silent today too," Varian rubs the back of his head.

"Is little Seth okay?" Rapunzel asks in concern.

"No. I heard he saw a ghost last night," One of the girls speaks up.

"Ohh. We've seen tons of ghosts. And there's nothing to be afraid of. You know, Ruthless Ruth has a surprisingly beautiful singing voice. Although, the ghosts of my boyfriend's family...they weren't as nice. What did you see?" She bends down to the boy.

"It could've been Ruthless Ruth," Harmony places a hand on her hip, holding up a finger. "She's the only good one we've known so far."

"And yet I've seen none of them," Varian shakes his head.

"You had to be there," She pats his shoulder as they turn to Seth. "So?"

"Go...Gothel," He murmurs after a few seconds, looking away.

Harmony, Daisy, and Varian all gasp. The girl covers her mouth with both hands.

"What did you say? I-It sounded like you-"

"Gothel!" He says louder. "Old Lady Gothel! I saw her ghost!"

Pascal literally turns pale, fainting.

"As in, the Gothel that imprisoned Princess Rapunzel for 18 years? Killed Eugene? Died falling out of a window? That Gothel?" Varian asks in elaboration and the boy nods.

"Where?" Rapunzel narrows her eyes.

"That old cabin, out in the woods."

* * *

The three stand in front of the same cabin, moss and ivy growing on the exterior. Pascal squeaks from Rapunzel's bag, looking up at her. "Aw, I know, buddy. I don't like it either, but...whatever's going on in there, I need to see for myself. You guys didn't have to come with me, you know."

"We know, but...you need the support," Harmony places a hand on her shoulder.

"You did the same for us numerous times," Varian chuckles nervously. "I-I mean, neither of us know Gothel on a personal level like you, but I-I'm cool helping you with this."

"Oh, don't tell me you're scared," Harmony smirks, hands on her hips.

"What? No!" He scoffs, waving it off. "I've just...never seen an actual ghost."

"She died by turning into dust. There's no body for her to become a ghost! No way to survive that. But Seth's words aren't exactly easy to ignore," She crosses her arms. "We have to at least investigate that."

"...Do you think we should tell Cass about Zhan Tiri?"

The two look towards Rapunzel, who's still staring up ahead. "She deserves to know the truth, right?"

"In a way, yes, but...I don't think she'll believe us," Harmony speaks up after a few seconds.

"She's blinded by her hatred for you two," Varian murmurs, glancing between the two sisters. "Chances are that she won't listen."

"But we could still try...Come on, guys. Let's go," Rapunzel steps forward, followed by the two teens. A blue glove moves away a leaf as they look at the trio. Rapunzel opens up the door and they slowly step inside.

"Ugh. This place is kind of gross," Harmony whispers to herself as she looks at the walls.

"Yeah, it's really gone downhill," Varian whispers as they look through an archway. They go down the two steps.

"H-Hello?" Rapunzel stammers as they go further inside. They stop nearby an open door and go towards it. She looks to the others before reaching out a hand to it. She slowly moves it, gasping. What the boys saw last night reappears, Gothel moving towards them. The two teens scream at her. She comes to a stop, Harmony inspecting it further.

"Wait..."

Gothel moves back to her original position and the two hesitantly step forward. "How are you...?" Rapunzel seems to be coming to the same conclusion as she sees that Gothel isn't real. Pascal hides underneath her hair as someone else enters the cottage. The person that was watching them from outside picks up a piece from the music box.

Rapunzel removes the cloak, and it's revealed that 'Gothel' is actually just a mannequin with her head on it.

"Made of...wax?" Rapunzel touches it lightly.

"Oh thank goodness," Varian drops his shoulders in relief.

"To others, it's just her ghost to scare people off," Harmony gestures to the fake Gothel. Rapunzel looks up and sees the ropes and candle. "They're too scared to realize that it's all fake."

"What is this...?" All of that was set up to so that the fake Gothel would move.

"A pulley system..." Varian murmurs as he examines it. "Anyone could operate this while in the shadows."

"Clearly someone wanted people to think that Gothel or her ghost was hiding here. The question is..."

"Why?"

They turn around to see the other person who walked in. "What are you doing here?"

Cass steps forward, removing her cloak. "My friend told me there was suspicious things going on."

"Your friend?" Rapunzel then remembers who she's talking about. "Listen, Cass, that little friend-"

"You don't belong here," Cass points her sword at them, causing them to step back.

"But that little friend of yours...she's not a good friend," Harmony shakes her head rapidly. "I know that myself. She was always pressuring me to do what she wanted, and I'm glad that she can't do that to me anymore! She didn't even care about me, and she doesn't care about you either!"

"Shut it, Harmony, I don't believe you," Cass grits her teeth as she touches the Gothel model, causing the door to close. She turns around to it, gritting her teeth and sending black rocks towards them. Even if she was stuck here, she knows that she doesn't want them in here. Rapunzel pushes Harmony and Varian out of the way. She lets out her hair, flinging it at Cass.

She grabs it into her hand and pulls. She then runs around a beam and traps her hair with it. Harmony pulls out her bow and arrow. She fires and it knocks the sword out of Cass' hand, to her ire.

"I wonder, are you fighting us or are you fighting yourself?" Rapunzel runs up to her.

"I'm pretty sure it's you three!" Cass goes over to her sword and with a black rock, she brings it back to her hand. She runs up to Rapunzel, Varian helping her hair free. She ducks her head as Cass slices off the Gothel head. Rapunzel sweeps her leg, causing Cass to fall. She drops her sword again, and this time, Rapunzel snatches it.

"Wait! Can we just talk about this?"

"Both of you knew the same person," Harmony gestures to the two women. "You know that for a fact, Cass."

Music is suddenly heard, getting Cass' attention. She pulls out the chime she took from the music box. She puts it to her heart and she stands up.

"I am through waiting!"

She creates a large black rock, Harmony pushing Varian onto the ground. The cottage tilts upwards, causing them to fall. A secret passage opens up and they scream, landing in a mine cart. Rapunzel sits up first, Cass holding her head. She turns around to attack them when the cart moves backwards, and they start moving down the track.

"What is this place?" She looks around as she's never seen it.

"Worry about that later! Right now, let's duck!" Rapunzel screams at a stalactite and they duck their heads, the rock hitting their cart.

"This was not what I was expecting from today!" Varian cringes as he holds onto the edge. Pascal struggles to hang on as they start turning around in a spiral. They reach the end and bump into a rock that has glowing mushrooms on top. They fly into the air, landing on the ground. Rapunzel lifts her head up, looking at the two who landed nearby.

"You two okay?" She asks as Harmony groans, sitting up.

"I just rode a mine cart underneath a creepy cottage, soo...I'm more in between that and not fine," Harmony waves a hand.

"Ow," Varian slightly holds his head as he sits on his legs. Harmony crawls over to Rapunzel and starts tying up her hair. Cass takes the chime, gritting her teeth at the three. The two sisters stand up once Rapunzel has her hair tied, the ceiling slightly crumbling. They turn around to Cass.

"No, no, no!" They shout, but she doesn't listen and creates a black rock anyway. It hits the ceiling, which caves in on them. They look towards the blocked entrance.

"And now we're stuck. Under a mountain."

"We were going to tell you that those supports were unstable!" Harmony glares towards Cass.

"Perfect," She grumbles underneath her breath, crossing her arms. "Locked in here alone with you."

A growl is suddenly heard, getting their attention. "Maybe not so alone..." They look over the edge together.

Some flies arrive and Pascal chases them so he can have a snack. The four are pushing at the rocks to get them free, but it's no use.

"Look, Cassandra, you wanna get out of here. We wanna get out of here," Rapunzel gestures to herself and the two teenagers. "Pascal and Daisy definitely want-"

They see him eat all the flies and Harmony looks at him in disgust. Thank goodness he's here to get rid of them. The flies suddenly come out of his mouth, and he's left dangling up in the air. They just stare at him as Daisy facepalms.

"Okay, uh, Pascal's having fun, but I know they have our backs on this. We will get out sooner if we work together. So...truce?" Rapunzel holds out a hand to the former friend. Both of the teenagers stare at her wide-eyed. Cass just narrows her eyes. "Temporary truce? Teeny, tiny temporary truce?"

"Ah ha ha," Varian places a hand on her shoulder, interrupting the conversation. "Rapunzel, can we talk to you for a second?"

He leads the two sisters away. "You wanna work with Cassandra?" Varian stares at her incredibly. "Rapunzel, she drained Mona's power and left her for dead! None of us even knew she was alive until minutes later!"

"I know that..." Rapunzel frowns slightly at the memory. The whole time she was using the incantation, she had no idea that her sister was still alive. Which was...pretty awful to think about it, because it looked like that way for a good few minutes...And she knows that he's been very protective of Harmony lately because of that fact. "But we don't have a choice, Varian."

"I don't know...what if something else happens to her?" Varian frowns, hugging Harmony from behind.

"Vari..." She glances up at him. "We're stuck inside a cave underneath an old cottage. These supports could break at any minute. Do you understand where this is headed?"

Varian sighs slowly. The only way to get out was to work together... "Yeah...I don't like this, but I guess I see where you two are going with it."

"I promise that nothing bad will happen to her, Varian," Rapunzel places a hand on his shoulder, but Cass had overheard the whole conversation. "I don't need help from two little brats or from you!" She points a black rock at the two as Varian steps back, holding the girl close.

"You stay away from her!"

"I'm not working with them," Cass denies, shaking her head. "I'd rather we both ditch the lovebirds in separate directions."

"Cassandra...no," Rapunzel narrows her eyes as she stands in front of them. "They're just teenagers. I'm not going to sacrifice their lives. Leave them out of this."

"...Fine..." She relents, moving the black rock away. "But stay out of the way."

"You got that right," Varian whispers to himself.

She turns around and points her black rocks at the rocks in front of them. "Cass, stop. You could bring the mountain down on all of us," Rapunzel states as debris falls from above. "And your rocks made rips in the floor."

Gas seeps in from the floor, and it causes some mushrooms to completely wrinkle.

"Oh no. Poison gas," Harmony cringes at the floor.

"Which are evidently leaking poison gas. Wonderful."

"Nothing good comes out of a rift, huh?" Cass asks casually, and Rapunzel smirks a bit at the irony. Pascal is still catching files when something else comes out of a hole and eats it. It's a mole and it mocks Pascal for himself getting all the bugs. Pascal glares at him and then finally notices the gas. He runs back up to Rapunzel, using her hair to cover his mouth.

"Me too, Pascal. Let's find a way out of here."

"Hurry, it won't be long before it reaches our mouths," Varian covers his mouth with his gloves. Cass swats some flies away and notices a hole going upward. The others notice her leaving and run up to her.

"Cass, don't you think that we'll improve our odds if we stick together?" She asks, only to get a sword pointed at them.

"Rapunzel, there is no bond between us anymore," Cass threatens her. "Got it? The sooner you can accept that, the better off we'll be. So I'm going in this direction, and you're all going to go...anywhere else."

"If this is the only way out, you're killing us, you know that?" Harmony hollers at her, and she doesn't seem to care in the slightest. Rapunzel looks to the gas at their feet and then at the mushrooms.

"Yeah, anywhere else isn't really working for us..."

Pascal holds his breath and they follow after Cass. She's made it to a hole as the debris falls from the ceiling again. A giant mole comes out of nowhere, roaring at her. It stares at her face-to-face as it corners her and she steps back. She crawls onto the edge, an annoyed look on her face as the mole sniffs her. Then it leaves the area and she puts away her sword. She steps back, falling into the hole. She's suddenly stopped in mid-air and pulled up by Rapunzel's hair, to her ire.

"You know she's not gonna like this," Varian whispers to the woman as they're helping her. Luckily, she doesn't let Cass get too close.

"Cass, you gotta watch where you step."

She shushes her and they look up to see a bat sleeping. Rapunzel holds out her hand, and she glares for the gesture. More debris falls again as the giant mole comes back. They all cringe and Cass reluctantly accepts Rapunzel's hand, pulling her up. The chime from Cass' pocket falls out and starts to play.

"Uh oh," Harmony winces as the mole lets out a huge roar, waking up all the bats. They start flying towards them, and they try to get them away.

"They're drawn to the sound! Shut that music box off!" Rapunzel lets out her hair.

"I am otherwise engaged!" Cass retorts back, using her sword to swat away bats.

"A really bad day not to bring my backpack!" Varian cringes as he waves his hands to get the bats away.

"Pascal, shut that box up!"

He rushes over to it, moving past bats. He jumps on the chime to try and make it stop, and then he holds it over his head. He's about to toss it when the baby mole grabs it with his mouth, mocking him again. Pascal and Daisy chase after him.

"You know, for blind things, these guys are pretty good at finding us," Cass states and they all fall to the floor thanks to the mole.

"Technically, uh, bats aren't actually blind," Rapunzel corrects Cass.

"Yeah, they actually have pretty sharp vision," Harmony points out. "Them being blind is just a myth."

"Bats prefer eyesight to sound-"

"Good to know, but I didn't ask for a science class!" Cass interrupts them rudely.

"Watch out!" Rapunzel points up ahead to the mole, and they stuff its mouth with her hair. The bats hold her and fly her up into the air.

"Rapunzel!" Harmony shouts, pulling out her bow and arrow. She tries to get a good shot but can't. "Ah, I can't fire without it hurting the bats or Rapunzel!"

She tries to get them to let go, but is unsuccessful. "Could use an assist, Pascal!"

He's still struggling with the mole for the chime, which falls all the way to Rapunzel's bag. He pushes it inside and closes it. He jumps over the mole and onto the bats' backs to reach her. Daisy smacks some away as Pascal reaches Rapunzel's shoulder, fighting them off. She falls onto her hair as the mole focuses on Cass. The bats fly over to the two teens. Harmony swats at them with her bow.

"Get away!"

"Ah, stop!" Varian covers his hair with his arms.

"Hey handsome! Over here!" Cass jumps onto a bat and the mole jumps after her, falling into the hole. It roars up at her and she lands back on the ground. "You said these bats can see, right? So make your hair do the bright thing!"

Rapunzel focuses and her hair glows, along with Harmony's. Together, they send the bats away in gold and blue light.

"Wait, your hair can still glow?" Varian asks his girlfriend in surprise. "Of course! You were the embodiment of the moonstone! That part still hasn't disappeared unlike your other abilities."

"Ah, we should get out of here before their eyes adjust," Rapunzel tells them.

"I think they already have," Cass points out and Harmony gasps. They take off into a run.

"In there!" Rapunzel stops in front of a door, pulling at it. Cass fights off the bats as Rapunzel kicks the door open. They rush inside and push at the door. The bats try to get inside, but together, they shut them out. Rapunzel pants in relief. Cass puts her sword away. "And that...is going in the journal! 3 pages, easy!"

"Mine carts, bats, moles...ah, it's not gonna end there, is it?" Varian takes some breaths, hands on his knees.

"Nope," Harmony shakes her head.

"Nice move on that mole, by the way," Rapunzel comments as she fixes up her hair again.

"...Okay, fine."

"Fine what?" Rapunzel smiles nervously.

"...Temporary truce," Cass holds out her hand. "But just until we get out of here. And their information might be...useful for now," She glances at the two teenagers.

"Well...now I have a new condition," Rapunzel rubs her chin.

"Let me guess, I have to be nice to you," Cass frowns a bit.

"That's not what I was gonna say. Okay, that is what I was gonna say, but...you just have to not be mean. Especially to them," She gestures to Harmony and Varian. "You won't threaten them in any way or start any fights with your words. And no, I didn't forget about you either on that one," She gives her sister a look. "So...if you can do that, then Harmi won't get angry."

"Easy for you to say, I didn't bait you," Harmony mutters under her breath, Rapunzel elbowing her. "Okay, okay. I won't get angry only if she leaves my name out of her mouth," She crosses her arms. "That means no telling lies or that your friend told you to say it either."

"And do. Not. Touch. Her," Varian warns Cass in the same way he tells others not to touch anything.

Rapunzel holds out her hand and Cass shakes it. Then she shakes with the teenagers. "That was oh so delightful."

"Alright, I'll let that slide because we're just starting," Rapunzel sees a torch and grabs it.

"What is this stuff?" Cass looks at a shelf full of things. Most of the stuff on the wall are drawings, but some of them are familiar. Rapunzel gasps at one.

"The sundrop...oh, look at this. The sun incantation. Gothel was alive a _long_ time."

"She must've been alive when you were born, then," Varian glances to Harmony, who gags slightly.

"The thought of that unnerves me, do not say that again. Ugh! No offense, Cassandra."

He holds up his hands in defense. "Why did she have this...?" Pascal latches onto Rapunzel's shoulder with his tongue, flying over to her shoulder. Daisy sees all the mushrooms and then they notice a wall of mirrors.

"She must've been looking into the sundrop before Rapunzel and I were even born..." Harmony turns to Varian.

"Which means she knew about the moonstone, but knowing its power, she just wanted the sundrop," Varian glances at Harmony. Sometimes he wonders what it would be like if Gothel had taken Harmony too...well, in a sense, she did grow up in a similar way like her sister.

"Oh...I knew she was vain, but..." They look to a wall where a hand mirror is missing. "It looks like one's missing."

Cass touches one and suddenly light comes from it, surrounding the mirror. An image of Cass comes up, and she looks like her younger self.

"Good morning, beautiful."

"Mother?" The two women ask in unison. Pascal goes over to a desk of potions, dropping one onto the ground.

"Well, don't you look lovely today?" She examines herself in the mirror as the potion spills onto the floor. "Smoky eyes definitely work for you."

"And she's...talking to herself," Rapunzel deadpans at this.

"This must be...entries of some sort," Harmony stares at the mirrors. "So that she wouldn't forget," A deadpan look hits her face.

"Mona's nothing compared to her," Varian scoffs, waving it off. The girl blushes, smiling at him.

"Thank you, but I really hope you're not comparing me to the same woman who kidnapped my sister..."

"No," Varian shakes his head rapidly. "But I do mean it when I say that you're prettier than her."

Rapunzel touches another mirror. "Today, I received so many compliments on my way to town."

Cass flips a mirror. "The bookseller couldn't believe how young I looked. Someone told me I was breathtaking. Can you believe it?"

"No wonder why she wanted the sundrop flower," Varian rolls his eyes at this.

"Disgusting at how she came to be," Harmony gags towards the mirror. Thankfully, she'll never have the...pleasure of meeting Gothel in real life. She's only heard of her through stories from Rapunzel and Eugene, but to actually witness it at first hand was a little weird. True, she's seen some paintings of her and saw her in a few dreams, but those were all just in her shared dreams with Rapunzel's mind.

"Magic mirrors," Cacss murmurs as the hallway is full of them.

"It looks like these can trap images and play them back. Like a diary or something," Rapunzel eyes them closely.

"And I thought your journals were-"

"Ah bup, bup, bup," Rapunzel interrupts her, waving a finger.

"Think about how you wanna finish that sentence," Harmony smirks, crossing her arms. Cass sighs in defeat.

"...Less annoying than this. Happy now?"

"Yes I am," Rapunzel smiles, following Cass. However, that potion that Pascal spilled starts to follow them. They end up in the room where there's a large portrait of Gothel above the fireplace. Rapunzel places the torch inside it. Cass touches a mirror to see Gothel touching herself up with makeup.

"I was paid the nicest compliment today. There I was, picking out fruit, and-" She hears a sweeping noise, turning to the little Cass in annoyance. "Ugh, Cassandra. Would you be a dear and sweep a little quieter?" She moves away from the mirror and Cass clamps her mouth shut.

"Ugh. Well, that's typical Gothel right there," Rapunzel comments as she had overheard that. All of them did, really.

"I've never met anyone so..." Varian rubs the back of his neck. "Full of themselves..." Not even Eugene goes that far.

"What do you mean?" Cass asks Rapunzel, since she doesn't remember much growing up with Gothel.

"She wasn't exactly the nurturing type...not like our mom or Quirin," She gestures to Harmony and Varian. "When she was around, that is."

"Funny, she was never around for me," Cass shrugs at her. "I wonder why?"

"Cass..." Harmony sighs, closing her eyes.

"It's not like I _asked _to be taken from my parents by a mad woman! She never told me that Harmony was my sister either! I had to find out from my parents after I returned home. And all Gothel ever wanted from me was my hair. She didn't love me," Rapunzel gestures to herself. "She didn't love either of us."

Cass looks away, and this conversation gives Zhan Tiri the opportunity to slip the missing mirror into Rapunzel's bag. However, it is missing a shard.

"Cass, the only good thing Gothel ever did was bring us together...not just you and me, but Harmi and I too," Rapunzel gives her sister a one-armed hug. If Gothel hadn't passed away, she wouldn't even have met Harmony.

"Only good thing?" Cass grits her teeth as this was hitting too close to home. "You really think this is a good thing?"

"It was..."

"For you, maybe," She retorts back, looking at the mirrors.

"Cass, Gothel connects you more than you'll ever understand," Varian speaks up. "I never even met her, and yet from what I can tell, Rapunzel's right."

None of them notice the content of the potion spilling past them.

"She was a greedy person from what I've been told," Harmony gestures to her sister. "All she wanted was to stay young and beautiful forever! That's the only reason why she kidnapped my sister and kept her away from the outside world for 18 years! And she's the reason why I grew up in the castle...because she was selfish. She changed my life for the worse for her own gain."

"Cassandra...do you really think that woman cared about anyone but herself? Harmi's right, just look at her mirror diaries," Rapunzel points to a mirror.

"Cassandra, what are you doing in here? I thought I told you to make us dinner," Gothel says from the mirror. Cass turns to look at them. At the back of her mind, Harmony is certain that the only reason that Gothel had a child in the first place was to put her to work. She doesn't even know who would be that oblivious to give Gothel a child, not that she's saying Cass doesn't deserve to exist.

"You and I have something in common that no one else could ever understand."

Cass finally notices that the potion is heading to the fire. "Guys!"

It touches the fireplace and it creates a wall of fire between the three and Cass. It travels back all the way to the potions table. The other liquids bubble up.

"Watch out!" Cass saves all of them by moving them away from the table with black rocks. It still explodes, however, sending all of them onto the ground. "Now we're even."

However, because she used the black rocks, the poison gas reappears from the floor. "What the?"

"The gas!" Rapunzel exclaims as they stand up.

"Please tell me that gas isn't also flammable."

"Uhh, but the looks of it..." Varian follows the trail of gas to the flames.

"Yup. It is," Harmony cringes and then there's an explosion. The picture of Gothel burns to a crisp as they're hiding behind a mirror.

"Moles, bats, gas, and now fire?!" Rapunzel exclaims at everything that's happened today.

"We've dealt with worse," Cass rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, at least there's no savage mermen warriors," Rapunzel chuckles a little.

"Or sneezeweasels," Cass points out.

"Or those Drexis things."

"Or a man with a rhino," Harmony holds up a finger.

"Or even a Mother and Father with tea that can turn us into birds..."

They all smile at the memories. "Good times," Rapunzel grins at her sister.

"Do you mind if we find a way out of here?" Cass asks, a little weirded out by the reminiscing. Not to mention, they're still stuck in a room that's on fire.

Pascal squeaks as Daisy flies forward, pointing outside. "Pascal and Daisy are right! Looks like the bats have already found one. They must know of a way out of the mountain down there."

"The problem with the mole hole is...that there is a whole mole in it, remember Raps?" Cass questions, gesturing to the hole that the bats are flying in. Varian and Harmony whip around to her in shock as Rapunzel gasps.

"You called me Raps!" She clasps her hands. "You haven't called me Raps since..."

"Oh, don't read into it," Cass looks away and the blonde gives a frown. She really thought that Cass was warming up to her again...Harmony puts a sympathetic hand on her shoulder, Rapunzel turning to her. She smiles and Rapunzel smiles back. "Now let's get out of here, fast!"

Rapunzel beams towards something and they look to see another mine cart. "Oh come on," Varian mutters at this.

"You'd rather walk through fire?" Harmony asks him, pulling him inside. Rapunzel throws her bag in and jumps in.

"All ashore that's going ashore!" She calls out, acting like she's in a ship. Cass is the last one to enter the mine cart.

"How do you expect this thing to go anywhere?" Cass asks incredibly.

"Well, with the right acceleration..." Varian starts off.

"Maybe somebody could shoot a rock out of the floor and push it? And since my sister can't do it," Rapunzel clears her throat and mumbles. "That somebody is-"

"Me! I get it! I thought you guys said more black rocks would bring the mountain down on us."

"Could," Rapunzel corrects, holding up a finger. "We said could."

"It's a risk we'll have to take," Harmony looks towards the bats.

"It'll just take one!" Varian smiles sheepishly, shrugging. Cass sighs at their plan.

"This is a very bad idea..."

A rock drops from the ceiling. "Oh, that's your cue!" Rapunzel tells the woman and she creates a black rock. This sends them propelling forward and they crash through the door. The mine cart rolls down the path and jumps inside the mole hole. The four scream, Rapunzel hugging Cass. Varian hugs Harmony as they fall. Pascal hangs onto the end of Rapunzel's hair, and loses his grip. He uses his tongue to get back on Rapunzel's shoulder.

The cart slides down a wall and they end up spinning around, going through the tunnel. The bats fly after them and Cass fights them off.

"Uh oh," She murmurs as she looks up ahead. The giant mole digs into the tunnel, roaring at them.

"Oh no!" Varian exclaims with wide eyes. Rapunzel tilts the mine cart so that it goes to the right and they zip past the moles. The giant mole crawls after them, speeding up to them. Pascal glances behind him to see the baby mole blowing a raspberry at him. Pascal shakes an annoyed fist as they roll forward.

"He's gaining on us!" Cass turns to the three. They hang onto the edge, bending down in the cart.

Harmony looks around for a rock she could probably hit to bring down on the mole, but that'd probably bring them down on all of them if she tried to. "I can't get a good shot!" She puts her bow and arrow back in her quiver.

"I think that's your department," Rapunzel tells Cass. She turns around and raises her hand. She creates a few black rocks to block the mole's path. The mole roars, the baby one roaring along with it. The mole gives up, turns around, and heads in the other direction. "Nice move!"

"Thanks," Cass smiles back at her. The two teenagers grin slightly to each other. It almost felt like the two were friends again by their encouragement. The four look up and scream in alarm to see a small rock up ahead which they can't avoid. The path is getting too narrow.

"Give me a post!" Rapunzel starts to undo her hair. Cass creates one from above and Rapunzel throws her hair at it. She grabs the rock, pulling everyone out of the mine cart. The cart hits the rock and Rapunzel's bag flies out of it. The mirror slides out of her bag. "Mine carts. Who knew?"

The four start laughing at this. "And look! With a little black rock help, our exit," Rapunzel gestures to her left. Then Cass sees the mirror on the ground. She takes it into her hand.

"The missing mirror...you took it?"

"What? No!" Rapunzel waves her hands after tying her hair back up. "I didn't! I have no idea how that got in my bag."

"Did you?" She glares up at the teenagers.

"No!" They both deny in unison.

"How would we do that? We all noticed that the mirror was missing the same time you did," Harmony gestures to the mirror. Cass touches it and the diary entry shows Gothel giving the music box to her daughter.

"Oh, here, let me show you, sweetheart. Turn the key, like this," She turns it slowly. "So whenever you hear this tune, you'll think of your dear, sweet mother...and the love I have for you."

Cass smiles softly, hugging the woman. "I love you, Mama!"

She runs off with the music box and the entry ends there, to their shock. "Cass...I have never seen that," Rapunzel explains to her.

"Really?! The one mirror showing that Mother—_my _mother—had a shred of affection for me and it just happens to wind up in your bag?"

"Cass, this is Rapunzel. She would _never _steal," Varian defends Rapunzel.

"We went to Pincosta with Staylan and Morgan, and Rapunzel even refused to let them steal horses!" Harmony points out. "You know that! We told you that story!"

Cass ignores them, staring at Rapunzel, who couldn't say anything. She had no idea how this mirror that she's never seen got into her bag. She then grows angry, as this was a personal blow to her. Despite knowing all of that, she remembers what Rapunzel especially said about her mother. For some reason, to Varian and Harmony, she's honestly surprised. As if she didn't believe Rapunzel would do something like that...

"Out of my way," She pushes all of them away, Varian catching Harmony from behind.

"Cass-"

She creates the exit and goes out into the open. She turns around to them. "Goodbye, Rapunzel. I don't care what you do, Harmony, but you'll never get your powers back from me."

"What?" The rocks shake and they realize what she's doing. Harmony runs up to the exit. "No!" Cass drops the black rocks, trapping all of them inside with no way out. "Cassandra! AHHH! CAAAAASS!"

She hears Rapunzel screaming, looking back...but she turns around and leaves them there. Rapunzel presses her forehead to the rocks, when something seeps in from behind.

"Oh no..." Harmony murmurs as she turns around. The poison gas is back.

"Hold your breath, everyone."

The four do so as Rapunzel pushes against the rocks. They're too heavy for any of them to move. She hits them with her shoulder, but they're just too big. The gas starts to fill up around them and Rapunzel holds her head.

"Cass...C-Cass..." She succumbs to the gas, falling onto a rock. Their eyes widen as they look to each other. Pascal turns to the gas, looking around.

"Pascal," Harmony covers her mouth with her sleeve. "The mole...it's strong enough to get through the wall."

"The chime from the music box! Hurry," Varian points to Rapunzel's bag. Pascal holds his breath and rushes over to it. He digs inside and pulls it out. He turns the crank and plays the music. He holds it above his head as the teens stand on opposite sides from the rocks.

The mole digs into the ground, rising out of it. The mole points to Pascal.

"Draw them over here," Harmony waves a hand towards them. He runs over to them, throwing the chime onto a rock. He jumps onto Harmony's hand and they run out of the way. The mole breaks through the rock and into the open. The sun shines down on them and the mole covers its eyes, retreating away. It crawls into the hole it came from. The baby mole blows a raspberry at them and Daisy flies to him out of annoyance, hitting him a few times.

The mole now has a few bruises and sinks down in defeat. Pascal gives a proud raspberry to him, giving Daisy a high five.

Harmony and Varian both sigh in relief as the gas goes out the exit, completely gone. Rapunzel faints onto the floor.

"Oh my god," Harmony gasps, bending down to her.

"Rapunzel! Are you okay?" Varian lightly shakes the woman. Pascal nuzzles her in worry and Harmony starts doing some chest compressions. She coughs a bit, waking up to see all of them looking down at her.

"Oh..." She stands up, hugging all of them. "Pascal, Harmony, Daisy, Varian...oh, my heroes," She sighs in relief as they hug her back. She then frowns as she remembers what happened.

"I don't know how all of this happened, but..."

"I know, Cass is more lost than I thought, but she's not gone..." Rapunzel finishes for Varian. She grabs her bag and they follow her out. "I promise...I will never give up on her."

"But something's still bothering me..." Harmony murmurs as the three walk side-by-side. "Just how did that mirror get into your bag?"

"I wish I knew," Rapunzel sighs a bit. "I know you two didn't take it."

"Today was the first time any one of us had been in that room..." Varian glances behind him. "And besides, in the time that we've all known you, we know that you frown upon stealing. I mean, you told Dwayne numerous times not to do it himself."

Harmony suddenly stops walking as she realizes something. The two notice her wide-eyed expression, turning to her.

"Mona?"

"But whoever did it...did all of this," She says to them.

"What do you mean?" Rapunzel blinks at her.

"Think about it. Rumors spread around that Gothel is back. Knowing that you'd come here and Cass too, it was to get you here. Because that person knows you two would come. And then right after we leave that room, seeing all those mirrors, the missing mirror just happens to be in your bag? After you and Cass got along for a sheer few minutes? This is all too coincidental. Rapunzel...I think you were set up." Harmony turns to her.

She gasps in realization. "So that Cass and I would still be apart. To turn her further against me...but...why?"

They look to each other in worry. "That's...something we'll have to figure out on our own. Just like with the black rocks. I just know that whoever put that mirror in your bag..."

"...They knew about Gothel all along...they saw the mirror diaries long before we did..." Rapunzel whispers slowly.

"And they told Cass that Mona would want her powers back," Varian glances at the girl. "So that she'd be angry towards her too."

"I kind of do now..." Harmony closes her eyes. "I know what it resulted in, but...that was a part of my normal life. And I just want to use them to stop Cass and Zhan Tiri now...that girl was not my friend," She glares up ahead. "She's using Cass like she tried to do to me. Cass may infuriate me, but I don't want that for anyone, betrayal or not."

"...I think we already know who could've done this," Rapunzel speaks up and they narrow their eyes.

"Zhan Tiri," They say in unison.

* * *

Zhan Tiri is holding something in her hands as she smiles evilly. She has the missing shard from the mirror.

Cass returns and Zhan Tiri places the shard behind her back. "You were right. Rapunzel did know that Gothel loved me. Harmony and Varian were in on it too. All the princess wants from me now is her powers back."

"You poor thing," Zhan Tiri clasps her hands together innocently. "But now you know...and that knowledge will only make you stronger."

Cass opens up a door and leaves. Zhan Tiri pushes the shard out the window with a tiny grin. There was a reason why she took that shard. "Turn the key, like this...so that whenever you hear this tune, you'll think of your dear, sweet mother...and the love I have for you."

"I love you, Mama!" Cass hugs her and runs off and then Gothel groans.

"Hopefully that'll keep her out of my hair for a while. Lousy little pest," She says to herself, proving that Rapunzel was right. The shard continues to fall as Zhan Tiri has successfully kept the truth...

That Gothel never really did love anyone...but herself.


	67. Flynnposter

Thunder strikes as it rains. Cass is facing someone outside.

"It doesn't matter how many of you there are. Each of you will fall!"

The guards from Corona run up to her, but she knocks them all back with a slash from her sword. The Captain is not too far away.

"Cassandra! Stand down!" He warns her, but she doesn't listen.

"You're the one that should stand down, Father...while you still can," She narrows her eyes at him.

"You know I can't do that," He pulls out his sword.

"Then you will fall like the others!" She declares, sending black rocks towards him. He steps over them and runs up to her. He throws his sword and the hilt hits the moonstone, crushing it to pieces. "No! My power!"

He points his sword at her. "I don't need my powers to defeat you," She stands up, holding her weapon with both hands.

"Cassandra...I can't fight you," He shakes his head slowly.

"Then you will never be able to protect Corona," She grits her teeth, running towards him. He strikes at her, and then there's a flash.

The Captain sits up in his room, as it was all just a dream. He pants as it's still raining outside, placing his hands over his eyes. He knew that they'll have to fight Cassandra when the time is right, but...he couldn't do it.

He just can't.

* * *

The next morning, he's gathered all citizens and royalty to give the news. "King Frederic. Queen Arianna. As the Captain of the Corona Royal Guard, I have sworn to defend this kingdom against all who threaten it. But as a father, I cannot face my daughter in battle. And so it is with a heavy heart that I...retire from my post."

Everyone gasps at this, Pete even fainting with Stan catching his partner. Arianna and Frederic glance at each other. They don't want to force him to fight Cassandra...they wouldn't ask any father to fight their daughter.

"Captain, you have served Corona with loyalty and pride for so many years. Thank you."

"And we respect your decision," Arianna tells him.

"And as for my replacement...it was a very difficult decision. There are so many qualified guards."

"Can we get some water over here?" Stan calls out as he holds Pete.

"Have any of these guards ever successfully guarded anything?" Lance whispers as he nudges Eugene. Harmony gives him a look.

"My replacement has put his life on the line for Corona countless times, and so it is with utmost confidence that I recommend Eugene Fitzherbert!"

He holds out the helmet to the man, who spits out the tea he was drinking. "What?!" He asks in shock.

"Ha ha! Captain Fitzherbert!" Lance puts an arm around him. "I like the sound of that! Hey, uh, buddy, I have a few outstanding citations so if those could somehow, you know, disappear?" He chuckles a bit, Harmony narrowing her eyes.

"No, and I will disapprove of those if they ever fall in front of my parents," Harmony whispers to him, causing the man to pout.

"What do you say, Fitzherbert?" Captain smiles at him.

"Me?!"

* * *

"Captain of the Guard?!" Eugene whips around to the two sisters, now dressed in a red coat, white pants, and gloves. "What was he thinking?"

Rapunzel chuckles as she holds the helmet. "That you're the perfect choice!" She holds it out to his head as she can see him wearing it.

"You wanted to be a guard 2 years ago, anyway," Harmony smiles up at him. "And remember, the Captain used to hate you. This is a step up, Eugene!"

"Oh, l-look, I'm flattered by everyone's support. I really am. It's just that me? Come on! I was a legendary thief! I was Flynn Rider!"

"Ah, you _were_ Flynn Rider," Rapunzel points out. "Now, you're Eugene. Maybe give this Captain thing a shot," She stands up, taking his hands.

"Come on! Let's check over here!" Stan's voice calls out from the hall. They peek out of the door to see Pete and Stan running past.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hey, what's the commotion?" Eugene asks him.

"The princesses' crowns, they've been stolen! Again!" He shouts, running after Pete.

"Ohh, sounds like the kind of thing the Captain of the Guard might handle. Huh? Hm?" Rapunzel nudges him slightly.

"First job as Captain, eh?" Harmony grins a bit.

"For the record, I have not yet accepted that position," He reminds them.

"The ceiling!" They see a panel is gone and a rope that's been left behind, the crowns gone from their pillow. "No one would think to stand guard up there! Whoever did this must be a criminal mastermind the likes of which Corona has never seen!"

"Stan, Pete," Eugene speaks up as he, Harmony, and Rapunzel are standing behind him. "I literally committed the exact same crime."

"We really need a safe place to put our crowns," Harmony rubs her chin. "Or at least, to make it so that thieves can't steal them..."

"Sir," One of the guards arrives in the room. "We've got a detailed description of the thief," He holds up the poster.

"Very funny. Who put you up to this?" Eugene deadpans, taking the paper. He holds up the poster to reveal that it's a wanted poster of him. However, the man on that poster has a mustache unlike the previous ones. "Oh, nobody wants to own up, huh? Okay. Well, I'll get to the bottom of this. Brownie, who paints the wanted posters in town?"

"Well, there's an old man in town who does it, and he hasn't retired. But I should tell you-"

"Got it," He walks off to go into Corona.

* * *

A person dips red paint onto a paintbrush, painting the wanted word onto the poster. "Perfection..."

The door opens and Eugene storms into the house. "You know, it's one thing you get my nose wrong all these years, but this mustache bit is taking things too far!" He yells at the man. "I demand-" He takes one look at the man and sees that his glasses are cracked. Which is probably what Harmony was trying to tell him.

"Ohh...this was not intentional, and I can see you are very busy, and I will just close this door right now," He closes the door behind him out of embarrassment. He stares at the poster in his hands. "Is it possible there's another Flynn Rider out there...?"

A shadow stands in front of the new poster.

"Rider..." He scratches at the face, ripping it off.

* * *

The girls, Lance, Max, Rapunzel, and Eugene are standing in the castle courtyard. Varian and Harmony are standing on top of a box.

"Ladies and gents, I give you the Roo-"

"I just can't believe how much this guy looks like me!" Eugene interrupts rather rudely. "And he's using my moniker-"

An apple hits the back of his head. "Ow!"

Harmony crosses her arms next to Varian, who clears his throat. "We'll wait."

"Oh," Eugene clears his throat awkwardly. "Sorry. But was the apple really necessary?"

"Neither was interrupting, but hey, you live and you learn," She points to him. "Go on, Vari."

"Thank you, I'll start again. I give you..." He wraps his arms around Harmony's waist and together, they jump off the box. "The Rooster!"

He rolls the r as they pull down the rope to reveal the machine. "Or at least it will be once we put it together."

"Our design," Harmony smiles proudly, gesturing to herself.

"It doesn't look like a rooster," Kiera stares at it.

"Uh, it's an early warning system. If Cassandra or any other danger threatens the kingdom, this will fire a glowing mortar into the air and alert everyone in Corona," He places his hands on his hips.

"We kind of got the idea from when we used that cauldron to cross Lumbard's Pass," Harmony giggles slightly.

"Great idea, and a great inspiration! At least something good came out of that. Right, Eugene?" Rapunzel turns to smile at him, placing her hands on her hips. "Eugene?"

He's still staring at the poster. "Sorry, it's just, cheekbones like these, they just don't come around twice in a generation, people. They don't!"

Harmony shakes her head slowly at him. Sometimes his focus is on things that she will never ever understand...

"Eugene," Rapunzel puts the poster down. "This is more important than some fake Flynn Rider."

"Rapunzel, he stole the crowns! I mean, only _I _could get away with that. Look, Flynn Rider has a reputation. I refuse to have it tarnished by some hack imposter! I am going after him."

"Eugene, you gave that up years ago," Harmony pinches her nose. "Shouldn't you be focusing on being the Captain of the Guard or the Rooster?"

"I will, but after I deal with this!" He gestures to the poster.

"Well then, I'm going with you."

"Ah, ah, hate to nag," Varian holds up a finger. "But who's gonna oversee the Rooster's installation? All military-grade applications require supervision by the Captain himself. Gah!" He whips around to Lance. "Don't touch that."

"Lance, you're acting Captain of the Guard until I get back," Eugene turns to leave.

"Sweet! A promotion!" Lance pumps his fist.

"Ah dah, dah, dah, it's temporary," Rapunzel corrects him.

"Sweet! A temporary promotion."

"Brownie, or Varian, one of you come with us! I need someone smart to explain just how wrong this is to people!" Eugene turns around to them.

"Ugh," Harmony slightly rolls her eyes. Is that really all they're good for?

"I've gotta stay with the Rooster to test it," Varian frowns a little. "Not that I'm not saying she can't handle it, but-"

"I get it," She chuckles knowingly. "You wanna see this through. Don't worry, I'll take care of this with them. Though you should really watch out for these three. Who knows what trouble they'll get into this time?"

"Oh, I can handle them," Varian smirks towards them. "But I wanted you to see it firsthand…"

"If I don't go, he'll bring it over our heads for not helping him. Just show it to me later. Bye Vari," She pecks his lips and walks towards Eugene and Rapunzel, who are walking away with Max. "And Lance, I mean it when I say do. Not. Touch," She glares at him in the same warning tone Varian gave to him.

* * *

The imposter is checking himself out with the gems from the crowns. He puts on Rapunzel's and throws his bag over himself, laughing as the coins fall out. Two land on his face.

"I'm getting my vest dirty and I don't even care!" He makes a money angel on the ground. "Hello beautiful," He makes a stack with coins before throwing them up into the air. "It's good to be me!"

Eugene growls as one of the coins spins to a stop. "Would you get a load of this villainous scum, huh?" He turns to the others. "Sorting through his booty with his well-manicured hands." He turns back to the man as he's putting coins in his pants. "Counting his loot with those piercing, almond brown eyes." Then the man is spitting out gold coins like a fountain. "He makes me sick."

He looks back again and sees that the gold and the imposter are gone. "Huh?" He slides to a stop. "Ah, he's onto us. Max!" He whistles with his fingers and Max runs past. He grabs onto the saddle and they take off.

Flynn Rider slides onto the grass, running down the path. He jumps past a tree, Max and Eugene doing the same.

"Come on, Max! This fool is as good as caught!"

Max whinnies as he continues running. "What do you mean he's faster than me?"

Flynn Rider grabs onto a vine, swinging around. He spins around the tree and Eugene swings Rapunzel's frying pan at him. This sends him flying and he hits a tree, falling onto the grass. The two princesses peek from behind the tree.

"Not so fast now, is he, Max?" Eugene brags as they arrive. He gives Rapunzel her frying pan back. Eugene steps down from the horse as they surround him. "Now, time for some answers, huh?" Pascal punches his hands together.

* * *

The imposter has his eyes closed, but they open. Then he sees Pascal's tongue in his ear. "Ugh! What is this...is this hair?"

Rapunzel has him tied up. "Yeah, hair does the job."

"Always works," Harmony shrugs a bit, holding her bow and arrow, but not aimed at him.

"Oh, it's your hair? In that case...hi," He pulls off a smolder. "The name's Flynn Rider."

Both of them give annoyed looks. "I suddenly feel like I'm in my sister's shoes today," Harmony murmurs to herself.

"No it's not!" Eugene comes in between the sisters. "No, sorry, nada, full stop," He holds the two crowns in his hand. "You thought you could steal the crowns better than me? Huh? Did ya? Did ya?! Well, you thought wrong."

He hands the crowns to Max. "Can we lock these things up better, please? Thanks. But let's talk about the real offense," He marches up to Flynn Rider. "Grand theft to boot. And how do you look exactly like me?"

"Ha ha ha, buddy. Exactly like you?" He starts laughing, to Eugene's disbelief. "Come on, come on now. Don't flatter yourself."

"No, don't flatter _myself_. No, don't flatter yourself, buddy! Okay, can you believe this guy? Big talk from a persona stealer," He crosses his arms.

"You stole it first," Flynn Rider quips back.

"I _adopted _the persona. There is a difference!"

Everyone behind him stares at the two in annoyance. "Law-man sell out."

"Ooh, ooh, who you calling sell out, huh?" Eugene points an angry finger at him. "And you know what? Flynn Rider never had a mustache, so there!"

"That's because yours truly gave him a long overdue upgrade, Big Ears," He smirks and Eugene gasps sharply.

"You, sir, have gone too far," Eugene grips his collar. Rapunzel throws some hair at him, pulling him away.

"Eugene, relax," Rapunzel steps up to him.

"Yeah, Eugene," Flynn Rider chuckles at the name. "Relax."

"Oh, he's just all big talk right now because we caught him," Harmony waves it off. "You really shouldn't be taking other people's identities, even if it's former."

"Aha! See!" Eugene points at her with a big smile.

"Aww, already getting attached to me, sweetheart?"

"Ew. No," She scrunches up her nose in disgust.

"No one can resist all this," He pulls off the smolder again.

"Don't test us, Rider," Rapunzel points at him. "My sister is in a happy relationship, so don't try anything funny or I'll pan you! And I'll let Harmi use you for target practice!"

They hold up their weapons threateningly and he sweats a bit.

"Got it."

"Come on, let's get this Flynnposter back to Corona," Rapunzel walks off. Eugene sighs wearily as they escort him away. None of them notice someone watching them in the shadows.

"In the hands of the law again...I'll bide my time," He smirks slightly, moving away.

* * *

Varian is walking down a hall to Harmony's room. "So, before we install the internal chamber..." He's holding an apple.

"No need to consult the schematics!" Lance holds out a hand in front of him. He stands in the sunlight from a window as he's in a guard's uniform with various badges on him. "It's already been assembled."

He escorts Varian up onto the roof of Harmony's room. "And we improved on your design."

His eyes widen as an actual machine rooster is sitting on the roof of the crown princess' room. "Now it actually looks like a rooster! You're welcome."

Varian facepalms at him. The head falls off, landing on Harmony's balcony.

* * *

"Why do you always bring people here when you don't even like it yourself?" Rapunzel couldn't help but ask as Flynn Rider is heading for the pub.

"I bring people here because I know they will hate it."

Rapunzel's eyes widen at his explanation. That's why he brought her here when they first met...!

"Huh. If you had a different reaction from what you told me, you would've gone back to the tower a long time ago!" Harmony chuckles at her face.

"So there I was, you know, I'm surrounded by a battalion of guards." Flynn is telling a story to the pub thugs, and they're very interested. "All with their arrows drawn and pointed at numero uno, so I hand over the goods and I say...I see...your point," He holds up a dagger and they laugh.

"Where'd you get this guy?" Vlad turns around to the others, pointing at Flynn. "He's great!"

"GREAT?! What, that's not even his story!" Eugene protests at this. "It's mine! And he forgot the best part," He chuckles as he approaches, joining Flynn. "S-So then, the Captain says, lock him up and throw away the key! And then this is where it gets great, he actually does! I spent weeks in jail while they searched for it, but man, it was worth it! For the story, you know." He laughs, but they look bored, and Shorty has even fallen asleep.

"But, uh...I guess you had to be there," He walks away dejectedly back to the others.

"Well, of course, all that is nothing compared to the time I took on the Earl of Camembert, single-handedly," Flynn continues telling another story. Eugene leans back against the bar with a pout, arms crossed.

"Huh," Harmony blinks in realization. "Vari wanted to hear that too when he first met you."

"Eugene, you really need to let your jealousy of this guy go," Rapunzel tells him. "That's not who you are anymore."

"You willingly gave that part up, so why should it bother you this much?" Harmony gestures to the imposter.

"Flynn Rider was the closest thing to an identity I ever had, okay? Sure, I was on the wrong side of the law, but I was my own man! In Corona, I'm just Rapunzel's incredibly attractive boyfriend. Or that super, super good-looking free loader living in the castle. Or the older brother figure to the younger princess. I can't let somebody tarnish my legacy..."

"Legacy?" Rapunzel asks incredibly, scoffing. "You were a thief. Behind each stolen item is someone who's upset or heartbroken that it was taken. Is that a legacy to be proud of?"

"Let's not forget, you stole my crown the day you met Rapunzel," Harmony points at him. "Yes, I was out of town when you returned it, but I was the last broken heart you left behind in a sense. Why would you want to have that left as a legacy?"

"Well honestly, it depends on the-"

The two give him a look that says he should not finish that sentence. "No, no, definitely not!"

"Instead of locking him up, why not try to help him? Wouldn't that be a more rewarding legacy?"

"Not only that, you'll be returning the favor. Rapunzel was the reason you changed, after all," Harmony smiles, gesturing to her sister. "I mean, if _Dwayne _could change with a lot of effort, then this guy should be a breeze."

"Ahh...you're right, you're right. You're right, you two." He goes over to the table.

"There's the Eugene we know," Rapunzel smiles at the others.

"Excuse me," Eugene clears his throat at the thugs. "Excuse me. Excuse me, can I get by, thank you?" He pushes them away to see that the poster's eyes have been cut out. Shorty's eyes are over it.

"Check out my smolder."

"You helped him escape?!" Eugene turns around to Vlad.

"What? He was funny!" Attila states as he runs up to the secret entrance.

"Oh! And he did it the same way I would have done it!"

* * *

He's running in the tunnels when he bumps into someone, falling onto the ground.

"Well, hello again...Rider."

He clears his throat awkwardly. "Do I know you?"

The man simply steps up to him slowly.

* * *

"Why are we standing on top of Harmony's room, anyway?" Catalina looks around as it's now nighttime.

"It's the best altitude to try out the Rooster," Varian gestures to the contraption. "Don't worry, I got permission first, so long as we don't touch anything in her room...or destroy it..." He rubs the back of his neck.

"Huh...you two are pretty similar," Catalina couldn't help but comment.

"We are, huh?" He smiles as both of them tend to be territorial about their labs. "Well, you know what they say. Great minds think alike! Of course, I don't fight much as her, and she's more free-spirited than I am."

He takes a drop of Flynnoleum and puts in only one drop. Lance looks down at him in disapproval. "Hm. I don't think that's enough."

"Okay," Varian chuckles, putting up his goggles. "With all due respect, I'm the alchemist. Flynnoleum is very powerful. Add too much of it and this thing will shoot far, we'll end up warning another kingdom. Doh! I forgot the fuses. Keep an eye on this stuff and DO. NOT. TOUCH. Anything. That goes for you too, girls," He gives them a warning look, sliding down onto Harmony's balcony. He runs into her room and opens up the door.

"I'm the alchemist," Lance mocks him once he's gone. "Well, I'm the guard wearing the Captain's uniform, and I don't think it's enough." He takes the eye dropper. "Do you?"

Kiera chuckles at her sister. "Nope." They both smirk and he throws away the tool. He takes the whole barrel into his hands.

* * *

Max is sniffing around as they end up at the same dam that they fought the royal guards in.

"Trail ends here, pal?" They look towards the ground to see the imposter being carried away.

"He's not alone..." Rapunzel looks up ahead and Harmony places down her goggles to get a better view. "Who is that?"

"If I didn't know better, I'd say that's..."

"The Baron," Harmony finishes for them, lifting up her goggles.

"The Baron?! Here?" Rapunzel exclaims in shock.

"Yeah, I know. Awful, right?" Eugene starts walking away. "However, it also solves our problem, doesn't it?"

"No," Harmony stands up, staring at him.

"The Captain of the Guard's duty is to protect all of Corona's citizens," Rapunzel states and he stops, as he's not convinced.

"I mean, do we know for a fact that he is a citizen of Coro-?"

Harmony points her bow and arrow at him threateningly as Rapunzel undoes her hair. "You may be my big brother, but if you take one more step towards that cavern, I'm gonna fire!"

"Okay, okay. Okay, you're both right, I'm coming," He steps forward towards them.

"Good answer," Harmony puts her weapon away. They all jump off the cliff.

A crab crawls away as they're walking across an old broken down bridge. "That's the Baron's hideout?"

"Ooh, talk about a fixer-upper," Rapunzel comments at their surroundings.

"This place has been downhill for a while, by the looks of it," Harmony murmurs to them.

Flynn Rider is tied up to a pole. He suddenly wakes up and looks at the area around him.

"You were supposed to steal these for me years ago," The Baron tosses the two crowns to his feet. "And now that I've got 'em, it doesn't even matter. Look what's become of me." Ever since he suffered that spider bite, half of his body, face, and neck are completely green. His hair has gotten wild, and his clothes are slightly tattered.

"Y-y-y-you know, I'm looking at you, and—and—and there's a lot of you, and I am—I am drawing a blank. Now, and don't take this the wrong way, but you have a face that is hard to forget. Because believe me, I'm trying," He stammers at the man.

"Enough games, Rider," The Baron grits his teeth at him. "I lost everything because of you, and now I'm gonna take everything from you," He grips at the man's vest.

"Kay, h-here's what I think. I-I-I-I-I-I think that you think that I-I-I-I'm somebody else."

The Baron growls in annoyance for his stalling.

* * *

Varian lights one of the fuses on top of the roof of Harmony's room. "The Rooster's first test is a go in a-three, a-two," Kiera and Catalina back away. "Oh, you don't have to stand back. I calculated it so the blast is contained and focused-"

The Rooster explodes, fireworks going off as an entire blast goes through the town. Thankfully, it doesn't affect any buildings in town.

Unfortunately, for them, the blast has caused a hole to appear in Harmony's ceiling in front of them...Varian coughs out some green smoke.

"You added more Flynnoleum, didn't you?" He looks to Lance accusingly. The man looks up as Varian yells at him, but he can't hear. The blast has given him temporary hearing loss.

"MONA IS GONNA KILL ME FOR THIS!"

"What?!" Lance hollers at the boy, who glares at him.

* * *

Rapunzel uses her hair as a rope so that Eugene and Harmony can get down there. "Steady...steady..."

Eugene tilts at Max's ear, and he looks up. He nudges Rapunzel and they look to see a projectile from the Rooster flying over to them.

"Uh oh."

"That's the Flynnoleum!" Harmony's eyes widen in recognition. They move out of the way, and the two let go of Rapunzel's hair. Harmony's quiver goes flying off her shoulder. Daisy chirps at her friend in horror. The duo end up falling right next to the Baron and Flynn Rider.

"You came for me! Eugene! And...actually, I don't know your name, beautiful. Alright! Do you know this guy?"

"You're lucky I lost my quiver," Harmony points at him with a glare. "And it's Crown Princess Harmony to you!"

"This guy? Unfortunately, we do. Baron! That must be you," Eugene holds his side. "Right? I mean, we can't really tell because we don't think you're aging very gracefully. Like at all. Have you considered a moisturizing consultant? Because I can put you in touch with my guy. He's very cheap."

"It's because of the effects from that Kai spider," Harmony whispers to him. "Have the venom in your body for too long, and...well, that," She points to the Baron's green part of skin.

"There are...two of you?" The Baron releases Flynn.

"Well," Flynn scoffs at this. "It's more like one and a half, if I'm being honest."

"Shh," Harmony shushes him.

"If you're being honest. You hush your mouth! You're not even a third of the man I am," Eugene retorts back, to Flynn's ire.

"Break it up! You're obviously the real Rider," He points to Eugene.

"Ha! Well, thank you very much for recognizing the genuine article."

"You're gonna regret saying that in a few seconds," Harmony whispers and she's right as the Baron grips her arm.

"Nobody has that fragile an ego."

He grabs at Harmony's throat, slightly squeezing it. "Let her go!" Eugene glares at him as Harmony lets out a small gasp, trying to catch her breath.

"So, then it's settled. Uh, if you could just, unlock these shackles, my good man. I'm gonna get on out of here."

"Not so fast!" The Baron grabs Eugene with his free hand. "I'm gonna get rid of you all."

Rapunzel's hair is hanging over the edge. "Well, looks like it's up to us, Max." She slides all the way down and lands in front of the hole.

"Just knowing this is the last time I'm ever going to see you..." The Baron has Harmony and Eugene shackled to Flynn at the post. "It really brings a smile to my face."

"What did I ever do to you?" Harmony asks him and he slams the post above her head, causing her to gasp sharply.

"You're the reason why your boyfriend isn't with my Morgan. He could've made her so happy, but you just had to take that away."

"Up yours! She barely even knew him, and they don't even have anything in common!" She glares at him. Both Eugene and Flynn stare at her in shock that she spoke in that way towards him. After all, even after she changed, she was still a princess.

"Ha ha," Eugene laughs at her remark. "Barry, Bobby, seriously? Last time? Last is so...finite."

"And I, well, honestly, I'm having a hard time making that out as a smile," Flynn comments as he looks over his shoulder. "More of a stern glare."

"He's got all of them, guys," Rapunzel whispers, but the Baron heard her anyway. He looks up at her and she gasps.

"Your girlfriend's here," He watches her move away from the hole. "But not for much longer." He removes a rock so that water comes into the room. "Now, if you'll excuse me..." He climbs up the wall.

"No! Rapunzel!" Harmony cries out in worry, a crab crawling out after him.

"Let them out of there, Baron," Rapunzel threatens him.

"When this is through...you're gonna wish he had stayed with my Stalyan and that Varian had gotten with my Morgan," He grabs a huge boulder.

"Staylan and Morgan have moved on. Why can't you?"

"Because I've got nothing to move on to!" He throws the rock at her, but with her hair, it breaks into pieces once they meet. He throws another one at her, and it knocks her onto the ground.

"Uh...Eugene," Flynn speaks up while Eugene is trying to get free. "It occurs to me that, uh, now we are about to face our doom...now might...now might be a good time to apologize."

"Actually, no, now is a good time to help _me _get us out of here!"

"I can't get this open, I'm not the lock picker," Harmony tries to get free.

"Will you two just listen to me? I'm sorry, to the both of you...I stole your name, but it gave me an instant reputation. And I did flirt with the princess a little. Without that reputation, I'm nobody. Just boring old Brock Thunderstrike."

"Come on, we gotta...I'm sorry, what did you say your name was?"

The Baron picks up another boulder and throws it to Rapunzel, who was just starting to get up. She uses her hair to cover herself. "I'll hold off the Baron. You two go help Eugene and my sister."

Pascal and Daisy nod in unison before she grabs him and flies away.

"I'll tear it all down if I have to!" He grabs a large rock, which starts to break apart. Rapunzel stands up, unable to move. Max suddenly comes in and pushes her out of the way.

"Thanks, Max," She stands up, only for part of her hair to get stuck underneath some rocks. "Ah, I'm stuck!"

Another pillar is about to fall on her and she screams, bracing herself. However, nothing happens and she looks up to see Max holding it with his back.

"Alright, sit still. If you can get your wrist close enough, I can pick your lock, and then you can pick mine. And then together, we can pick Brownie's." Eugene instructs the imposter.

"Got it."

He concentrates and then soon Brock's hands are free. "Nice work! Man, you are better than they say. Color me impressed, whoo!"

"Be impressed later," Harmony looks over her shoulder since she's to the right of Eugene. "Now get us out of here!"

"Thank you very much. Now could you please..." Eugene sees him leaving and panics. "No, no, no, no! Where are you going?!"

"Sorry, pals. Not my fight. I want your reputation, not your problems," He climbs up the wall.

"You jerk!" Harmony gasps at him, the water touching her hair at this point.

"Come on! You wanna be Flynn Rider? Go ahead. Leaving someone like this is totally something Flynn Rider would do. But ask yourself: Is this something Brock Thunderstrike would do?" He glances at the two, but shuts his eyes closed and leaves them there. Eugene pulls at his shackles.

"Black rocks would've been useful if I had that power," Harmony grunts as she pulls. A squeak is heard from above and they look up to see Pascal. Daisy flies through the hole, hanging onto the chameleon.

"Ah, Pascal, Daisy! Quick, there's a lock pick in my-"

The water reaches over their heads and they have to hold their breath. The two animals dive in, going over to the shackles. Pascal gets the lock pick while Daisy swims over to Harmony. He slowly picks at the lock while Daisy does the same with her wing. They squeeze their eyes shut, but a few moments later, they emerge from the water.

"Alright, frog!"

"Thanks, you two," Harmony hugs them to her cheek. They crawl out of the hole in relief.

"Oh, thank goodness that's over."

"Eugene! Harmi!" Rapunzel calls out, pulling at her stuck hair.

"Don't worry, I'll get ya-" The Baron grabs the man and tackles him onto the ground. He holds the boulder over his head.

"This is how it ends, Rider."

He's suddenly hit from behind and he falls unconscious thanks to Brock and a frying pan. "Ooh, mama, I have got to get me one of these!" He holds out his hand to Eugene.

"Flynn, you came back!"

"Yeah, well...no. Flynn didn't come back. Brock did," He smiles a little.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel shouts as her sister is trying to help her.

"Come on!" They push at the boulder.

"Almost..." Her hair finally slips free from the rock. "Ah, I'm free!"

Max, however, is still stuck in his spot. Rapunzel, with her hair, grabs the boulder and together, they get it onto the larger one.

"Run!" They all move out of the way. The Baron grabs Brock by the ankle.

"Help!"

He gets dragged by the man as the rocks start to fall. Rapunzel grabs his hair and ultimately saves him. He coughs from the dust, looking up at Rapunzel.

"Wow! Uh, weren't we supposed to save you?"

"Ha ha. Uh, yeah, no, they usually do most of the saving," Eugene points to the sisters, who smile in amusement.

Pascal squeaks as he and Daisy hold up the crowns. They go over to their owners and join them. They smile up at Eugene and Harmony gives Max an apple, to his delight.

"Great job protecting my sister, Max."

* * *

They walk away from the area as the Baron is tied up. He's taken away by Max off to prison. "So, I, uh...I-I guess this is the part where Flynn Rider goes to jail, huh?" He holds out his wrists to be handcuffed. Eugene steps forward with the shackles.

"Eugene?"

Instead of cuffing him, he's grabbed the man's hand, clearing his throat. "Uh, it's true. Yes, Flynn Rider should go to jail. But as it turns out, I only see Brock Thunderstrike standing before me. Just promise me you'll make your own future and carve out your own identity." Brock smiles at him. "And whatever you do, do not let an awesome name like Brock Thunderstrike go to waste, man, because wow! What a name, that's like a gift from the heavens, you know?"

"Well, in, uh..." Brock clears his throat. "In that case, princesses, Captain, various pets. Are you pets?" The three animals just look at him in annoyance. "I-I don't even know."

The crab from before pokes his foot. "Ah! My own pet," He puts the crab on his shoulder. "Brock Thunderstrike and my new pet...Hulk the Lightning Claw, bid you adieu," He bows at them, turning around and leaving.

"He's not so bad," Rapunzel smiles as they walk up to the wanted poster. Eugene removes it and crumples it up.

"I really don't like him."

"If you say so," Harmony smiles in amusement as they leave.

* * *

The Baron is groaning as he's put into a cell, still the same as he is now...

"You know, Lance...it's hard to admit this, but when they wanted to make me the Captain, I was...scared," He closes his eyes and Lance seems to look sympathetic for him. "I-If I could just open up for a moment..."

The entire time Eugene is talking, Lance can't clearly hear a thing he's saying because he still hasn't gotten his hearing back.

"That's when I realized if they believe in me...well darn it, it's okay if I believe in me too. And I..."

Lance still can't hear a word he's saying. "To accept the position of Captain of the Guard!" He laughs, hugging his friend. "Oh, why, that feels good to get off my chest. Thanks for listening, buddy. Say, where did you get those medals, by the way?" He opens up the door.

"What?!" Lance hollers, putting a hand to his ear. "What was that? Eugene, check out the medals!"

Eugene rolls his eyes, pushing him through the door.

* * *

Harmony opens the door to her room and her eyes go wide as she notices the sight in front of her. Of course, she's looking at a giant hole in her ceiling. "My room!"

Varian still looks like a mess as the girls are smiling sheepishly. Lance is still getting his hearing fixed. "Uh, there's a perfectly good explanation for all of this..." Varian starts off and she gives a deadpan look. It wasn't exactly hard to determine what happened.

"...He touched the Flynnoleum, didn't he?"

"Actually, that's the best explanation for what happened," Varian points at her. She immediately turns to Kiera and Catalina since they were the only other ones with him.

"Girls! Why didn't you stop him?"

"We're kids," Kiera shrugs at her. "We love seeing stuff explode."

"Did they get hurt?" Harmony looks up at Varian, who shakes his head no.

"They moved out of the way because it turns out, they were in on it," He places his hands on his hips in disapproval. "So no, they didn't get anything major unlike me or Lance."

"Kiera and Catalina, you go to your room. Tomorrow morning, you're going to clean this mess up! Exactly the way it was before you blew it up!" Harmony points at the door.

"But Mom-"

"Now," She narrows her eyes and they pout, walking away. She turns around to Varian. "And as for you and Lance-"

She stops talking as Varian is staring at her for some reason.

"What? Vari, being silent isn't going to do anything, I'm not looking past you leaving Lance to make a hole in my room!" He still doesn't respond and she sighs. "Okay, stupefied boyfriend, enter the only solution." She whistles slightly and Daisy flies in front of him. She smacks him across the face, but not hard.

"Ow! Oh...sorry, I..." He looks away sheepishly.

"You...?" She asks expectantly, wanting to hear why he hadn't reacted.

"I just...never realized that someday...that's going to be us," He clears his throat. "Parents."

Harmony blushes as she moves a bang away from her face. They already knew that the girls would be in their care when they're old enough...but it's only now just hitting them that the day that happens isn't so far away...

"W-well, that's like 2 years from now, but today you-"

"I know, I know," He rubs his neck, smiling. "It's just...you know, I want this. To grow old with you, have children, and then teach them our skills! I mean, it is still going to be a while, but...I can't wait to age with you and see what happens."

She smiles softly at him. "I can't either. Besides, your ridiculous hair will be something to tell our future children."

He chuckles in embarrassment, looking at his soot-stained clothes and disheveled hair. "I...didn't know that they poured it all in until we tested it out. Made a mess of it."

"I think it looks...cute," She reaches out her hand, plucking a stray bolt out of his hair. The two smile at each other as he wraps his arms around her waist. "You look like a raccoon," Harmony giggles at him.

"Mona," He whines slightly at his girlfriend. "I don't wanna be told by you I look like Ruddiger!"

"Then go take a bath," She tells her raccoon boy. "I'll stay here and do what I can to my wall..."

* * *

It took more than one bath to get himself fully clean, but he did it and now he looks normal again. And thankfully not like his own raccoon. After getting his clothes cleaned by the handmaidens, he knocks on the door of Harmony's room. When he hears nothing, he steps inside to see that the girl is on the floor, having fallen asleep. There are a few bricks and cement laying nearby. She's physically and mentally tired after the day she had, so it was understandable.

With her having her own lab, it wasn't uncommon to see her fall asleep in the most random places. She'd stay up at night sometimes inventing things. One time, he found her asleep upside down in her lab.

He watches her chest rise up and down as she sleeps. It was very relieving for him to think that this princess, someone higher up than him, still forgave him for all that he did. And he knew the reason, because she truly loved him.

She shouldn't be so tired, and yet she is. She should be having fun, she's only 16 after all. But...what happened with Cassandra is still weighing on her. He has high hope that she'll stop blaming herself and appreciate all that she's done. Not just for her, but for others. One of the reasons why he started to see her as someone amazing is because despite all the bad things surrounding her, she never lets it stop her. She still opened up to Rapunzel and others, and she continues to help others...

"Fell asleep while working hard again, huh?" He shakes his head in amusement. "Hm..."

He bends down and picks her up in his arms. She immediately snuggles into his shoulder, humming. He smiles at her, marveling at how adorable she looks.

Varian walks over to her bed, Daisy moving over the blanket. He nods at her gratefully, gently laying down the girl in her bed. He strides over to the other side, flopping onto her bed in exhaustion himself. Today was definitely a long day, and he'll definitely scold Lance, Catalina, and Kiera later. But for now, he just wants to watch Harmony sleep.

He moves the blanket over them, laying on his side. He runs a gloved hand through her hair.

"We really are the same...but I wouldn't change that for the world. Goodnight, Mona," He leans over and kisses her forehead. She snuggles into him, snoring lightly. He wraps an arm around her, allowing the girl to rest her cheek on his chest.

Since he's sleepy himself, he decides to let his eyes close just until his father comes...

* * *

A half hour later, Quirin is being escorted by Rapunzel and Eugene to Harmony's room. "Thank you for letting my son bathe himself first before he left, Princess."

"No problem! Lance and the girls are gonna fix up that wall first thing in the morning, and apologize to Harmi too."

"After some sleep, I'm sure his hearing will return," Eugene points to his ears.

"So you're the new Captain of the Guard," Quirin eyes his outfit. "You must be proud."

"Ehh...surprised was more my reaction," He rubs the back of his neck.

"Here we are!" Rapunzel stops in front of the girl's room, knocking. "Harmi? Is Varian with you? Quirin's here to take him home."

They hear nothing and Pascal hands her the key. Rapunzel unlocks it, and sees that the hole in the wall is letting in moonlight towards Harmony's bed. She turns towards the direction it leads her to and coos at the sight.

Varian is fast asleep on his back, arms wrapped around Harmony protectively. She's still snuggled into him underneath the blanket.

"Couldn't stay up, could she?" Eugene notices all the tools near the hole.

"They look so cute!" Rapunzel smiles at the two, who are so tired, they don't even wake up. Quirin chuckles at the teenagers.

"So they do. I don't think we should disturb them any longer. I'll come back for Varian in the morning."

"Well, we'll tell them that you stopped by," Eugene places his hands on his hips in amusement.

"I'd prefer it if you didn't," Quirin smiles lightly. "Allow them to enjoy themselves for the night."

"We'll see you tomorrow, then," Rapunzel waves as he leaves the room. "I'm glad that they're happy."

"Yeah..." Eugene wraps an arm around her as they also leave. "Me too."


	68. Once a Handmaiden

**Angel: Another curse word near the end...this is really it. The final episode before the series finale...Waaah, why couldn't they have just left the number for episodes for season 3...? And I could've put a Varian lookalike, but...**

**There's no one that can be like Varian :3 And it's not like he's a thief like Eugene used to be, so what would even happen there? Varian's reputation now as someone to be trusted doesn't deserve to get tarnished...But maybe I could do that as a one-shot in the future. Although, in the future, please mind your words, or else it'll just sound like I'm being told to do something, even though this is my story. I get that more often than I should, like, think about what you send before you send it...**

**Not trying to be a hypocrite, it's just merely a suggestion. And I am not deleting this story anytime soon XD I wouldn't want to, anyway.**

**Rise of the Guardians is still in the lead!**

At Varian's home, he's firing amber into the field. Statues of Cass are being affected by it. "Alright Team Awesome!" He cheers, high-fiving and bumping hips with Eugene. The new Captain of the Guard has goggles like Harmony's and Varian's on his head. "Project Obsidian is a success."

"Project Obsidian?" Rapunzel asks as she and her sister arrive.

"Project Obsidian. It's a device that can destroy Cassandra-" Eugene elbows him. "Dra's self-esteem..."

Harmony crosses her arms, raising a skeptical brow at him. "Vari...really? We know what you're really up to."

"Eugene, we are not attacking Cassandra," Rapunzel states to him.

"Of course we're not going to attack her, sunshine. But I'm Captain of the Guard now, I have to be prepared to protect our people from any contingencies," Another amber shot is fired. "But I'm-" He fires two more times and Harmony whistles with her fingers.

"Hey, hi, Vari? You can stop now," She waves to him and he smiles sheepishly.

"But I won't use this thing without your approval," He pulls out the contract. They say nothing, hesitating as they glance to each other.

"Princess, Mona, believe me, I don't wanna hurt Cass either, but we can't promise that she's not gonna try to hurt us," He places a hand on Harmony's shoulder. "I don't wanna lose you too..."

Her eyes soften at his words and she takes a deep breath. "Okay, we will sign it to protect Corona," Rapunzel seems to come to the same agreement as her sister. "But, we won't need it. Because I know the Cass we love is still in there somewhere."

Eugene hands her the quill and they both sign the paper. "I'm only signing it for you, my sister, and everyone in Corona..." Harmony murmurs as she writes her name.

* * *

Outside of Cass' lair, she's talking a walk around. She seems to enjoy the wind in her hair when a glint touches her eye. She looks at the ground to see the missing shard piece from the mirror. She bends down to it and takes the mirror, touching it.

"Turn the key, like this, so whenever you hear this tune, you'll think of your dear, sweet mother, and the love I have for you..."

"I love you, Mama!" 4-year-old Cass hugs her and runs off with the music box. The memory put a small smile to Cass' face. Then she puts the shard back where it belongs.

"And the love I have for you."

"I love you, Mama!"

Then little Cass leaves and Gothel groans. "Hopefully that'll keep her out of my hair for a while. Lousy little pest."

Her eyes widen and she glares up at the top.

"Do you wanna explain to me how this got here?" She storms up to Zhan Tiri, who's eating grapes. She throws them away. "Back at Gothel's, I thought Rapunzel and Harmony were hiding the one memory that proved my mother loved me."

"And...?"

"And you manipulated that memory, didn't you?!" Cass yells at her, holding up the shard. "You took this piece out. You tricked me into abandoning Rapunzel and the others!"

"Perhaps...or perhaps I simply pushed you to become what you've always meant to be, what Princess Harmony should have been!"

"Who are you?" She touches the girl's shoulders, tensing up. She suddenly gets a flashback of Zhan Tiri and gasps. "You're...you're that ancient demon Zhan Tiri?"

"Oh, quit pretending you're horrified," She dismisses Cass' reaction as she sits on the side of the throne. "We're not so different, you and I. We were both cheated out of our destinies! In fact, we're more like sisters than you, Rapunzel, and that twit Harmony ever were. She prevented me from getting my destiny! So what if I had to use her to get it? We even want the same thing! And we can get it if you continue to let me help you."

"No...no, I'm nothing like you," Cass stands up, horrified by Zhan Tiri and what she's done. "Just because I'm pursuing my destiny doesn't make me a bad person!"

Zhan Tiri just laughs at her. "Doesn't it?"

Cass runs off in fear of her and she continues to laugh. "Run, Cassandra! But you can't run from who you are!"

She creates black rocks as she continues running, using them to let out all her rage. She even destroys a tree, which falls in front of her. She walks up to the poster that's on the tree to see a wanted poster for herself...it's even labeled traitor.

"Am I the bad guy...?" She whispers as she turns to look back at her fortress. "What am I doing?" She sits down, hugging her knees. "To my home, my friends...Rapunzel and Harmony...I-I've gotta fix this."

Laughter is heard nearby. Vlad, Ulf, and Attila are throwing Shorty around in the woods. "Here, here!" Attila catches Shorty and prepares to throw him.

"Go long!"

He throws the tiny man and he lands right in front of Cass. "Oh hello, tall, dark, and blue," He winks at her. The other three see her and gasp.

"Look, I'm just on my way to Corona to-"

"You heard her! She's gonna attack Corona! Stop her!" The thugs run towards her, but she blocks them off with black rocks, running off. They chase after her and she hides behind a tree. They run right past her and a hoot is heard above her head. She looks up to see Owl.

"Owl!"

He gives a skeptical look, causing her to sink onto the grass. "Oh! I know, I've been...not the nicest person lately, but that's going to change."

He flies over to her. "No, I...I can't just go talk to them face-to-face!" He hoots at Cass again. "Why not? Because they won't be, I-I mean, the people won't be happy to see me! You saw the pub thugs. Not to mention I almost killed a teenage girl by sucking the powers out of her. I pushed her buttons too by kidnapping Varian and baiting her into getting mad." He looks up as he hoots again. "I...I'll have to find a way to get close to Harmony and Rapunzel without being noticed."

"You're useless! Absolutely useless!" Old Lady Crowley just happens to be in the forest with the lady-in-waiting for the sisters. "You're supposed to be collecting flowers, Faith. Flowers! Do you know what a flower is? Because these look like sadness on stems!"

"Ugh! I can't do this anymore!" Faith runs off in the other direction. Cass smirks at her.

"I have an idea." She pulls out the shapeshifting cloak from her bag.

* * *

The town is decorated with banners as Faith walks in. Owl sits on a perch. "Owl, there you are," It's Cass' voice coming out of Faith's mouth. "Oh, it's me," She removes the hoodie to reveal herself. He stares at her, tilting his head. "Does it matter where I took the cloak from?" He hoots at her. "Ugh. Fine, I took it from the Spire," She places the hood back on to turn into Faith. She stares at a poster for a play about her and Rapunzel. "But I gotta figure out how to show everyone that this...is not who I am."

Varian is holding Harmony's hand as they walk past and Cass smiles weakly at them. Despite everything she's done to Harmony, she's still going on strong with the boy...she's just grateful that the boy is by her side through everything.

"So your dad is really considering cancelling the festival this year?" Varian whispers to the girl.

"Yeah...he's announcing it later today, but my sister and I would really like it if he considered how the people feel. The Goodwill Festival is something we celebrate every year, it's basically tradition. I can't tell you how many festivals I had to watch from my window before Rapunzel came back."

"True, but he hasn't had a vote or anything like that?" He asks her and she shakes her head no slowly.

"No...hopefully my sister and I can convince him to reconsider."

* * *

"I regret to inform you that, in light of recent events, I have decided to exercise caution and...cancel the Goodwill Festival this year."

Harmony, Rapunzel, and Arianna look sad to hear him say this to the people. Cass joins the crowd.

"Unless, anyone has any objections?" Rapunzel asks the crowd.

"Does anyone want to have the Goodwill Festival?" Harmony questions them next.

Cass smiles a bit. "Rapunzel, Harmony, we talked about this," Frederic whispers to them.

"I know we did, Dad, but I still think we need to let the people decide."

"They have fun every year," Harmony gestures to the crowd. "You didn't stop them when I was in the castle for 14 years."

Arianna smiles at her daughters for their input. He looks to his wife, who nods in agreement with them. Frederic sighs in defeat.

"Very well."

"If the Goodwill Festival is important to you, speak now, or forever hold your peace," Rapunzel announces to everyone.

"I'm with you, princess!" Cass shouts immediately with a big smile.

"Faith...really?"

"Whoa, coming out of her shell," Eugene comments at her.

"Look, we don't always have control over what happens to us, but we can choose how we respond to it, right? So when tough times to Corona, Corona fights back by doubling its good cheer! That's why we're gonna make this the greatest Goodwill Festival ever!"

Everyone agrees as they cheer.

"Well, it looks like the festival is happening after all," Frederic says as the two sisters smile at each other.

Cass steps into a room, removing the hoodie with a smile. She pokes at Owl's beak. "Okay, I know. I know you think I should just go tell Rapunzel and Harmony it's me and talk to them." She's smiling at her plan. He tilts his head again, hooting.

"But don't you see? This Goodwill thing is a perfect opportunity to extend an olive branch. Trust me, this is going to work out fine." She sits on the bed and Owl flies away. Zhan Tiri is sitting on a branch from a tree outside.

"I'm sure it will," She giggles menacingly. Shorty laughs nearby and she turns around to stare at him.

"What are we laughing at?"

* * *

The next day, Rapunzel and Harmony are checking over Gregorio. Rapunzel pats him on the head. "Is it just me, or did he get even lazier?"

"Come on, Gregorio! You can't wait to grab, right?" Rapunzel holds up his arms. "Oh, yeah, I know you're pumped!"

He falls back down onto the pillow, Harmony frowning a bit. "That's the spirit!"

"I don't think he's up for it, Punzie," She tells the blonde, who jumps up and down.

"Jumping jacks! Come on! Okay, sitting jacks...yeah? Good? Okay, take five." She turns to the others. "Okay, I do not want to alarm you, but I think Gregorio might be a little...past his prime. And what's a Gopher Grab without a gopher? You just run around and grab nothing. That's not fun!"

"I mean, are you really surprised?" Harmony whispers to her. "He's been doing the Gopher Grab ever since it was established."

"Hey, why don't I help you two track down a gopher that's a little more...spry?"

"That's a great idea, Faith. But where would we find another gopher?" Rapunzel asks the 'handmaiden.'

"So, it's a gopher you're after," Shorty questions from behind and they turn to him. "There's only one place you can go to get a gopher. Some say it doesn't exist. Others say it doesn't exist."

"So...it doesn't exist?" Eugene asks him.

"Or does it?!" He eyes Eugene, Pascal, and Daisy in the eye, slightly frightening them. "It does. It is a valley of gophers and I call it...ta ta ta ta...Valley of Gophers!"

"Um...okay," Harmony sweats a bit, feeling a little uncomfortable by the pause.

* * *

They stand in the valley as there's a bunch of gopher holes in front of them. "Color me surprised, it actually does exist," Eugene comments as Cass starts to shimmer. She looks down at her dress to see a gopher pulling on the end. She tugs at the cloak. "How did Shorty know about this place?"

Cass tugs back at the cloak, and when she gets it back, she's now Frederic with a lady-in-waiting dress on.

"He said he got married here, so that's nice..." Cass then turns into Adira. "Ah, do not read into that." She turns into Eugene. "I don't want my wedding here."

"I wouldn't either. Not too big on outdoor ceremonies," Harmony waves it off. Eugene laughs as Cass turns back into Faith.

"Yeah, that would be even worse than getting married in Vardaros." Eugene turns around to Cass and she smiles sheepishly.

"Oh, Vardaros isn't that bad," Rapunzel waves it off as the gopher rips off the cloak. "Unless it's you getting married to Stalyan in Vardaros, then it's bad."

The gopher turns into Vigor, Fidella, and Little Big Guy. "Or if Morgan tries to steal Varian again," Harmony deadpans at the memory.

"Oh yeah, can't really think of anything worse than me and Stalyan getting married anyway. Faith?"

She had since gotten the cloak back, having jumped over the gopher to snatch it back and put it on. "What are you doing?"

"What, this? I-I'm s-s-stretching," She stammers, moving away the gopher with her foot.

"Neat! Where'd you learn to stretch like that?" Rapunzel smiles at Cass.

"Uhh, in acting class! It's a—It's a warm-up. Let's catch us a gopher, shall we?" She points behind her as she walks off.

Owl flies overhead as Cass walks past a gopher hole. "Acting, huh?" Eugene questions as they stare at her. "I mean, she doesn't exactly strike me as the performer type."

"What are you saying, Eugene?" Rapunzel looks up at him.

"I'm just saying it's a little strange."

"People can change if they want to," Harmony rolls her eyes and Rapunzel stops the both of them.

"Shh, look."

Cass waves them forward. "Faith, this was such a great idea! Everyone is gonna be so excited to do the grab with the brand new gopher!"

They walk off towards the gophers and she looks up at Owl. "See? My plan's working. Some bad guy," She picks up her skirt and joins the three.

"With this many gophers, we should have our pick of any-" The gophers sit up to look at him and he cringes.

"There," Cass points up ahead. "That one's perfect!" She's pointing at a blonde gopher. "We've got the bait, right? Who brought the bimberries?"

"Bimberries? No, no, no, bimberries make them crazy. It's dimberries that you want."

"No, it's bimberries, Eugene!" Harmony tells him. He drops them onto the grass and she tries to grab them back, but it's too late. A gopher eats one as do the others, going crazy.

Cass grabs Eugene by the collar. "Don't tell me you've mixed them up again!" She then drops him, laughing sheepishly. "Is what I would say if you had done this previously-" A few gophers jump onto Eugene, tackling him to the floor.

"I told you..." Harmony sighs at him before they scatter. It seems as if the one they want is the only one who didn't eat one.

"No!" Rapunzel shouts in alarm.

"We need that gopher!" The girls chase after it, the gophers jumping back onto Eugene.

"No, I don't have any more dimberry. Bimbe—whatever kind of im they are, get off!"

Rapunzel pulls up a crazed gopher, turning to her sister. "Do you have anything to help us out?"

"Actually I do!"

"Quick, get it out now!" She instructs Harmony and she digs into her bag. Cass picks one up and it shows her its teeth.

"Oh, well, that's the stuff of nightmares," Cass puts it down, the gophers running past her skirt and showing her black boots. She pulls the cloak down.

"Faith, there she is!" Rapunzel points up ahead as Harmony pulls out a claw attached to a bow that's retractable. The three trip onto the ground, laughing together. "Where did she go?"

"Look, up there!"

The gopher is on top of a tree. Harmony gives Cass her invention and with Rapunzel's hair, she swings close enough to catch it.

"Ah, good job, Raps and Harmi!" She high-fives them and they all realize what she said. "I-I mean, your highnesses."

"No! No, no, it's okay," Rapunzel waves her hands. "Actually, an old friend used to call us that..."

"Not that I mind other people calling me that," Harmony rubs her neck with a small smile.

She smiles at them, Pascal and Daisy joining their sides. "You better be worth...this," Eugene gestures to his torn uniform.

* * *

"Part of me was a little worried about having the Goodwill Festival this year," Rapunzel admits to Cass. "Considering we've spent the past few festivals with..." She looks away, Harmony placing a hand on her back in sympathy. "Well...it just...it brings up a lot of memories. But I am glad that I have you here with us."

"Same here," Harmony smiles, gesturing to herself.

"Thank you for sharing, it means...a lot."

"Ah, Princess Rapunzel, Princess Harmony!" Feldspar runs up to them. "I'm doomed! It's 15 minutes to curtain, and both of the leads of my play just called it quits!"

"Feldspar, my man! You are in luck because Faith here is an actress!" Rapunzel gestures to Cass, who shakes her head rapidly.

"Oh thank goodness! Faith, you're a lifesaver. But, I don't have anyone to play you," Feldspar gestures to Harmony.

"Oh, I'll do it. Better to have the genuine thing, right? Besides, it'll be fun!" The girl smiles at him.

"Oh thank you, Princess!" He holds her hands gratefully. He then stands in front of the crowd. "Citizens of Corona, I present to you, a masterpiece of my own making, The Triumph of Princess Rapunzel and Princess Harmony," He gets off the stage as Faith and Harmony get on, the crowd clapping. Harmony smiles and waves to all her friends and family. Varian and Rapunzel are standing right next to each other up in front for support.

"Psst, Faith, come on. Commence actoring," Feldspar whispers to her since she has the first line. She has a Rapunzel wig on.

"...No, Cassandra! Don't take the moonstone. We can make this right!"

"Please, reconsider!" Harmony holds out a hand to the wind, feeling a bit self-conscious.

"The moonstone is mine!" Vlad steps onto the stage with a Cass wig on.

"Wait, Vlad? He's playing C-Cassandra? Oh, that's just swell," Cass deadpans at him, finding it ironic since she saw him earlier.

"Your destiny belongs to me!"

Harmony had to bite back a laugh on how ridiculous he sounds. "Tremble in the face of my evil villainy," He pretends to create black rocks, which are being played by Catalina and Kiera. They both wave to Varian and he waves back.

"Okay, this is not accurate," Cass whispers to herself. "Cassandra," She places down the script. "I understand you've been feeling like...like no one ever gives you a chance, and that is my fault."

Harmony stares up at her in confusion. Vlad blinks and growls. "When I accepted this role, I specifically said I don't do improv!" He walks off, handing Feldspar the wig.

"Oh...oh, this is a catastrophe."

Rapunzel inches past the crowd and joins Feldspar. She grabs the wig and puts it on, joining the play. "You're right, uh, Rapunzel. It may be your fault, uh, partially, but maybe if I had been more honest about how I was feeling...things would not have gone this far."

She offers a small smile, the crowd feeling moved by her words. "Well...maybe it's not as easy for everyone to say how they're feeling. Not everyone can look someone else in the eye and say...I'm hurting. Or I'm sad or even I-I'm sorry..."

Harmony looks between the two of them. "Just because it's not easy doesn't mean you shouldn't do it."

"Wait, I'm confused," Monty speaks up. "So who's the bad guy in this story?"

"It's complicated!" All of them say in unison, causing him to cringe. Attila claps slowly, Feldspar throwing down the script.

"What's the point of writing, anyway?"

The three look to each other, feeling a bit awkward.

* * *

Once she's back in a tent, Cass puts down the wig, taking off the cloak and putting it down. She places a hand on her forehead. She couldn't believe she spoke like that to Rapunzel. She basically poured out her feelings despite the fact that she's supposed to be someone else...

"You didn't really think your plan to make things right would work, did you?"

"What are you doing here?" Cass glares at her in hatred.

"I don't understand," She stands up from the chair. "You could've just gone up to them and apologized, face-to-face."

"I said, get away from me!" She yells at Zhan Tiri, who doesn't listen.

"You've had more than a few opportunities and even still, you haven't done it. Why is that? I think-"

"Because I'm scared they won't forgive me!" Cass finally reveals.

"You're right to be scared," Zhan Tiri steps up to her. "I'm guessing they haven't told you about Project Obsidian. A weapon that was designed to destroy you. The two sisters just authorized it yesterday."

"What?" She asks in confusion. "No, I don't believe you. You lied to Harmi for years, so why should I? They would never-"

"You can ask them yourselves if you don't believe me. You might want something to defend yourself against them," She's holding a bottle in her hand. "This potion may be your only protection against the Princesses when they inevitably turn on you."

"It's that time, folks! The Gopher Grab is about to begin, so make your way to the stadium!" Cass looks between outside and the potion. She couldn't really trust her...but if what she's saying is actually true...

* * *

Rapunzel and Harmony are walking through the courtyard together with Pascal and Daisy. They wave to the people nearby.

"Holding the Gopher Grab in the courtyard will take some getting used to, but if Dad thinks it's safer than out of the woods..." She drops her shoulders.

"Oh, you know Papa," Harmony giggles in amusement. "Always worried about safety rather than convenience..."

"Oh, Faith!" Rapunzel notices her up ahead and the two run to catch up with her. Zhan Tiri is nearby hiding behind a tent. "There you are. So...about that play, that got kind of weird, huh? Can we ask you something? What...made you change the lines like that?"

"Yeah, you don't usually improvise on anything at all," Harmony raises a curious brow at her.

"Oh, I...you know...I just heard there's a lot more to the story," She smiles sheepishly.

"There is," Rapunzel looks away, Harmony frowning deeply. "Cass has reasons for doing what she did, and...though her methods may not be the best, I really believe that deep down, she is still a good person."

"Really?" Cass asks softly, glancing to Harmony.

"Well..." Harmony rubs the back of her neck. "In a way, she's sort of like Vari. And...it'll be hard to get past the fact that she almost killed me and lied to my face...and is with Zhan Tiri, but...with time...I'll be able to forgive her. I believe in second chances for those who have been through a dark path. Just like I was when I had the powers of the moonstone. I mean, just look at Vari or Edmund or heck, Eugene." She smiles softly. "Like my sister says, Cass isn't totally gone...she helped raised me, you know. I guess somewhere along the way...she got tired of having to look after me."

"...Raps, Harmi, I...I have something I need to tell you...um, can we talk in private?"

"Oh...okay," Rapunzel glances at her sister, who shrugs. They start to walk away, but Zhan Tiri walks behind them in the shadows. Behind the hay, she reaches out and takes off the cloak, revealing Cass herself.

The two sisters gasp sharply at the woman in front of them, backing away. "Cassandra?"

"You...you were Faith this whole time?" Harmony covers her mouth in shock. "The Shapeshifting Cloak...you stole it..."

"Cassandra?" Rapunzel asks again, people running off in fear.

"We have to protect the princesses!" A guard shouts as they run up to them.

"Girls, listen, I-I can explain," She stammers to them.

"Stwp away from them, now!" The guards arrive.

"Wait! Stand down!" Rapunzel holds out a hand, but Cass knocks them back.

"Cass, why are you doing this?" Harmony asks in slight fear.

"No, wait. I have something," Cass holds out a hand. She steps towards Harmony, who steps back.

"What's she doing?" Zhan Tiri grits her teeth. She wasn't made aware of this.

"To you, I return your power. Set the power free, and let it strengthen," Blue light transfers from Cass to Harmony, surrounding her moon symbol with it. This shocks everyone around them and when it stops, the moon symbol glows from the girl's hand. "I gave you back the powers I stole from you. Try it out if you don't believe me."

Harmony skeptically looks at her hand, raising it. A black rock emerges from the ground, her mouth opening in shock. Except this time, it goes back into the ground. "I can recall the black rocks...?" She murmurs slowly, looking up at Cass skeptically. "Why would you give me my powers back? There's no trick to this, is there?"

"No. It's not a trick, I swear. There's a reverse incantation that was taught to me, and I used half of it on you. Because…I truly want you to know that...I'm sorry for almost...killing you, Harmi. That wasn't my intention. Zhan Tiri told me to take it from you, but she didn't tell me what effect it would have on you."

"Captain," A guard runs up to Eugene and Varian. "Cassandra is in Corona. She's attacking Rapunzel and Harmony!"

Eugene turns to Varian and nods. The two horses take off. Varian hopes that by the time they reach Harmony that she won't be hurt or worse.

Cass is attacking the guards with black rocks, Rapunzel grabbing her wrist. "Cass, don't do this!"

She traps a guard with black rocks.

"It's not too late for us to make things right! If you gave Harmi her power back, and felt regret for what you did, that means we can fix everything!"

"Please," Harmony gives her a pleading look. "Leave the people of Corona alone and we can just talk this out."

She hesitates, stepping away from them slowly.

Varian and Eugene arrive at the scene. They jump off the horses and Varian prepares to fire. "Hold your fire," He whispers to the boy.

"Rapunzel, Harmony," Cass steps up to them. "I want to believe you, but..."

Zhan Tiri appears behind Varian and she pushes the button. The gun fires on its own...

Right towards Harmony.

Rapunzel and Eugene gasp sharply at this.

"NO! Mona!" Varian shouts, but she jumps out of the way, rolling to a stop. It hits Cass instead. She looks towards the amber, panting slowly. He sighs slowly in relief. If she hadn't moved out of the way...she could've been like his father 2 years ago.

She gets the bad feeling and looks up to see Zhan Tiri going into the shadows, narrowing her eyes. Of course: she's here to make trouble again, but she wasn't going to allow herself to give in, ever! She must've been the one behind that, she's behind everything.

Cass starts to get trapped in it, holding out a hand to the two. "No! We said we didn't need to attack her," She whips around to Varian.

"I don't know what happened! I-It must have malfunctioned!" Varian looks between the gun and Harmony in horror. He couldn't believe it, not only did it malfunction, but it was going to hit the girl he loves.

Cass manages to break free with black rocks. "Project Obsidian, huh? Zhan Tiri was right."

"What?!" Harmony exclaims at this.

"Cassandra-"

"You want me to be the bad guy? Fine...now I'm the bad guy," She declares, holding the potion. Rapunzel frowns as those were the exact same words Gothel said to her...

"Cassandra, no!"

"Please don't-"

She smirks and throws the potion onto the floor. The two are hit with its contents, coughing. They fall unconscious on the floor side-by-side.

"No!" Eugene shouts as he jumps on Max. He rushes over there as a guard throws a net. Cass throws a black rock just before it falls over her. Eugene picks up Rapunzel first. "Max, Pascal, Daisy, get the princesses as far away as you can, now!"

Varian picks up Harmony in his arms and places her at the rear end. "Please make sure they're safe."

He whinnies and runs off with them. Cass growls from her spot, creating a black rock to send Eugene on the ground. She then creates more to get herself free, growling in anger. This sends the guards on her flying and she traps them in cages. She stands up and tries to do the same with Eugene, but he rolls out of the way.

A guard pushes her onto the ground and she gets herself back up. She sends more towards the ground.

"Cassandra, please," She grits her teeth at Varian. "This is your home."

"Not anymore," Cass shakes her head. "Corona falls today!"

She creates black rocks surrounding the castle and herself. Cookies get thrown at her face by Monty and Feldspar. She deflects them with a black rock. Shorty and another citizen try this time with their own projectiles, only to earn the same result. She creates black rocks around them to create a hole in the floor, which they fall through. She does the same with Monty and Feldspar, and then to the guards. Nigel is running up the ramp as black rocks follow him. He runs over to the king and queen, pulling them away. Black rocks hit the balcony and she sends some towards Eugene next.

"Gah!" He finds himself surrounded by them. Zhan Tiri just giggles at the damage that Cass is ultimately doing for her.

"Cassandra, I'm putting a stop to this right now!"

"Oh ho ho ho, this oughta be good!" She smirks evilly, recalling some black rocks. She brings up another one with her sword impaled into it. Cass takes it out, grinning at him wickedly.

"Cass, please...you are like a sister to me," He holds out his hand.

"Save it!" She grits her teeth, propelling herself into the air with sword in hand. She swings at him.

"Stop-!" She knocks him into the air with a black rock, and they briefly sword fight. Then she does it again twice, sending him onto the ground.

"That was not fair..."

"Quick, everyone, to the castle! We'll be safe there!" Mary points to it and they take off into a run. Cass notices them leaving.

"Sorry, but the castle's off-limits," She smirks, holding up the Mind Trap. Lance and the others slide to a stop to see Hector and his animals blocking the way. Adira joins his side as he jumps off the rhino, approaching the citizens.

"Adira! Adira! It's me, Lance!"

She doesn't say anything to him as she just stares, the blue in her eyes. "What's wrong?" She pulls out her sword and starts attacking him. He pulls out his own weapon, confused by why she's attacking. "Why is love so fickle?"

"Be careful, Lance!" Eugene warns him. "It looks like she and Hector are under the influence of the Mind Trap talisman!"

Varian joins his side with his firearm, firing twice. He hits the black rocks and Cass flips onto the ground. She creates an X with the black rocks, and they break once touched with Varian's amber. She sends more of them towards the two, the people running away from the rhino. The guards attempt to catch it with a net, but it's too strong for them.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Lance exclaims as he defends himself against Adira. "I don't wanna fight you!"

She jumps towards him and he leaps away from her.

Badgers are chasing the citizens, with the guards attempting to catch them with the net. Hector jumps into the air and starts a fight with Edmund. He kicks the man away.

The badger drags the guards across the floor as Adira continues to attack Lance.

"We have to fall back!" He turns to Eugene and Varian.

"We are not falling back!" Eugene points his sword at his friend. Varian fires twice as Cass' hand touches the ground. This sends black rocks towards the boy, knocking the firearm out of his hand. Eugene stands up, gritting his teeth at her. The guards are sent flying by the rhino, Pete and Stan running after it. Adira is looking for Lance, who's hiding behind black rocks.

Monty and Feldspar run past Edmund, who knocks down Hector. "Son, you cannot save a kingdom by being trapped inside it!" Edmund calls out to him.

Eugene and Varian step back from the rocks that Cass is sending their way. He looks to everyone, as they're in no shape to fight back.

"Everyone, fall back!"

They run out of the entrance of the castle. Cass growls at this and attacks the two. Varian and Eugene run away from the rocks, Cass creating bigger ones...

* * *

Eyes open to see Eugene, Arianna, and Frederic. "Blondie, Brownie," Eugene smiles in relief. Both of them come to.

"What's going on...?"

"Why are we in the pub...?" Harmony looks around to see everyone's smiling faces.

"Mom!" Kiera and Catalina run up to her, hugging the girl.

"You're awake," Varian laughs in relief as the two step back and he wraps his arms around her.

"Thank goodness you're okay," Eugene hugs his girlfriend. Their eyes widen as they stare at him.

"What happened to Cassandra?"

"Is Corona okay?" Harmony asks next.

"...Aw, sunshine...I don't know if you should be-"

By his hesitation, they know that something is wrong. Harmony scrambles out of bed, following her sister out the door.

"Mona, wait-!"

They open up the door and run into the woods. They see Corona covered in black rocks. "No! I-I don't believe it," Rapunzel looks in horror.

"No, she didn't," Harmony murmurs slowly as she steps back.

It seems as if Rapunzel's greatest fear...has come true...

Eugene takes a hold of her hand, the others joining them from behind. Rapunzel narrows her eyes in determination. No matter what, they'd stop them once and for all...

Not a single soul is in the town or even the castle. Cass narrows her eyes, sitting at her new throne...

* * *

Harmony is firing arrows at targets outside the pub. It's now very dark as Varian is staring at her from the doorway. Judging by her rapid firing, she's blowing off some steam. Harmony huffs as she looks towards Corona, her eyes growing sad at the sight.

She then turns her attention to her next target, and gets a bullseye. She reaches for the last arrow, only to find it gone. She turns around and sees Varian holding it.

"Um, hi."

"Hey..." She murmurs at him, taking her arrow from him. She shuts an eye as she fires at the last target, and the arrow goes all the way into the middle, even touching the wood behind it. He watches her as she grabs all her arrows back.

"Mona, I'm so sorry, I never meant to...I swear I would never..."

"Vari, it's okay..." She steps towards him. "I know you didn't mean it."

"...Why aren't you mad at me for what I did?" Varian rubs his arm. "Mona, you could've been trapped in the amber for...for who knows how long until I made the solution again!"

"...I was already mad at you once," She speaks up, looking towards the moon. "When you betrayed me for the Sundrop Flower...and I was mad at everyone else for a little while too for what happened with you...and again when I was saying the decaying spell back at the Great Tree. And with Cass...multiple times with Cass, actually."

He flinches at the recalled memories, looking away. He didn't want to make another bad memory by an accident from his invention...

"But you wanna know the real reason why I'm not angry at you?"

He slowly looks up at her and she turns around, smiling weakly. "Because I don't have any for you, Vari. Or for my friends and family. All of it...is directed at _them_," She glares towards Corona. "And because I know what happened. Zhan Tiri messed with your invention so that it would look like you wanted to hurt me, because she's just that sneaky and demented."

His eyes widen slowly. She's so sneaky that she slipped right past them. "I...I should've realized, Mona, I'm sorry..."

She brings him into a hug and he returns it, smiling into her shoulder. "It's okay, Vari...the last thing you would do is hurt me. No one's gonna believe that you did it on purpose."

"I don't deserve you, you know that?" He whispers into her hair.

"Well, you're stuck with me."

Both of them laugh a little and then she turns back to Corona.

"Get ready, you demonic little _bitch. _I'm gonna show you just how strong my relationships are with my friends and family...Cause when I'm done, you're gonna stare at me in the face before I take. You. **Down**."

"And I'll be there right with you, Mona," Varian wraps an arm around her waist.

She is so tired of Zhan Tiri manipulating everything to destroy close bonds...her home...her dignity. And indirectly, thanks to Cass, she now has her powers back.

She just hopes that it doesn't mean the end for Corona...

"I just wish there was more I could've done. I took the moonstone with my hands when I was born," She kneels onto the ground. "I can't take that back…can't make sense of it either."

"It's going to work out," He sits next to her. "I'm sure of it."

She says nothing as she looks so sad and disappointed with herself. Varian takes a deep breath. She helped him with his problems, and now it was time for him to return the favor.

"Mona…I don't see a person who would willingly endanger her kingdom," He reaches out and gently touches her shoulders. "I see the real you. I see an adventurous, responsible, and caring princess that would do anything for her kingdom."

She slowly looks up at him. "And that's why I love you."

The girl smiles and he returns it. "Thank you, Vari. I love you too."

He lightly presses his head to hers and she smiles softly, closing her eyes and just enjoying the moment.


	69. Plus Est En Vous Part 1

**Angel: First to Matt, I'm talking about my poll that can be found on my profile. And I know what the season 3 episodes are, but they shortened the number of episodes from season 3. And to Megan...well, read the last part of the finale for the answer to your question. I don't wanna spoil it XD**

_This is the story of three best friends...okay, so they don't look like best friends at the moment. It's, uh...it's complicated. You see, her whole life, Cassandra has felt second best. Going back to when her own mother, Gothel, chose Rapunzel over her. And as a result...Cass has developed a, uh, a grudge. That little thing there? That's the moonstone, and it's the cosmic counterpart to...ah-ha, you guessed it, the sundrop. Now, I know what you're thinking. Yes, Harmony is technically the moonstone, but she's not evil. In fact, she only had half the moonstone and its power. The three belong together, but that's not the way Cass sees it. To her, the moonstone is her destiny. And now that she has it, she's out to take down Rapunzel, Harmony, Corona, and anyone who ever underestimated her._

"_You have to be careful who you trust," Cass glared up at the two sisters after taking the moonstone._

_Not only does Cass have a brainwashed Brotherhood on her side, she's also pals with this goat-headed monster._

_Milton is sitting on top of Shorty._

_No, no, not that one. This one. Zhan Tiri, an ancient, evil demon. Only now...old Zhan Tiri looks like this._

_Zhan Tiri in her tiny body took a breath as she was in human form. Cass ripped the picture of her, Harmony, and Rapunzel._

_Zhan Tiri manipulated the spite between Cass, Harmony, and Rapunzel to gain the power of both the sundrop and moonstone. It's enough to make even the resilient hero give up. But good thing these are Rapunzel and her sister Harmony we're talking about._

The two sisters have returned to the same spot they touched the black rocks 2 years ago. "There's got to be a way to fix all this, you guys," Rapunzel caresses the plaque. Pascal and Daisy are sitting on it as Harmony stands next to her. "But how?"

"I wouldn't even know where to start..." Harmony rubs the back of her neck.

The two shrug and she pets them. "Did I tell you two about the biggest fight your Aunt and I ever had?" Arianna speaks up behind them, touching a black rock. "We were just teenagers, but Willow was so mad, she actually built a brick wall in the middle of our bedroom."

Rapunzel gasps in surprise. "What?"

"I'm honestly surprised for all the years I've known her," Harmony giggles at this.

"I'm not kidding! Your grandfather nearly lost his mind," Arianna smiles at her daughters. "I tried talking to her through the wall, slipping notes between its cracks, but she refused to talk to me."

"Yeah...we've been through that," Rapunzel smiles a bit at her sister. Harmony was like that after Varian betrayed them. That was probably the biggest fight they ever had. The two don't usually fight, despite their different personalities and lifestyles. It just shows how well they get along.

"But we talked it out," Harmony gestures to her sister. "And after that, I put all my negative feelings behind...well, for the time being."

"What did you wind up doing?" The blonde asks her mother.

"I got a hammer and I knocked that wall down. But after that...Willow saw just how much working things out meant to me," She smiles at the memory. "How I wouldn't let anything stand between us."

Rapunzel looks away sadly. "Rapunzel...Harmony..." She cups a cheek from them with one hand each. "Only you two can get through to Cassandra."

She touches the goggles on Harmony's head. "Just like you did for Varian, Harmony."

The two smile at each other and then at their mother. She kisses their cheeks and walks off. They look to their pets and they beam in encouragement.

"She's right, guys. It's time for the fight of our lives," Rapunzel takes a deep breath.

"To fight for Corona, our family, and friends..." Harmony runs up to Silver and Rapunzel jumps on Max. Arianna is on Fidella and they race off together. The sisters gain the lead, jumping over some rocks, and then the two horses jump off a hill, followed by Fidella. They go through the entrance of Corona, the three family members smiling at each other. They go through a forest, the waterfall they touched, the lake, and then another forest.

* * *

The others are cooped up in the Snuggly Duckling. Varian is reading a book as Lance and the girls stand in front of the fire. Eugene is pacing nearby.

"Okay, spirits are at an all-time low. Think...what would Rapunzel and Harmony do?"

Ruddiger crawls up to him, shrugging. "Ooh! Got it! Hey, haven't anyone of you had a problem you just couldn't solve?" He asks the room. "One we could sing about, preferably a bouncy tune that makes you forget how bad..." They turn away sadly. "...Everything-oh, come on! We can't just give up!"

"Yeah! If Eugene can lose an entire kingdom in humiliating defeat and still hold his head up?" Lance moves away a marshmallow, blowing the flame. "Then so can we."

"That's right! I'm sure our Captain has a plan to victory..." Edmund looks away, chuckling. "Poor sap has no idea how doomed we are. Doomed, I tell you!" Hamuel falls off his shoulder and he picks up the crow. "Hold it together, Edmund...I believe in you, son."

"Thank you for the support, Dad..." Eugene replies slowly. "Now, come on. There's gotta be a way out of this."

"There is," Rapunzel opens up the door. "But there's only one way out, and that's through it."

"Everyone's gotta be prepared," Harmony follows after her sister.

"We're not gonna sugar coat this," Rapunzel walks past everyone to the piano, Harmony by her side. "This is the biggest challenge this kingdom has ever faced." She places Pascal down as the sisters sit together side-by-side.

"No offense, Varian."

"Eh," He shrugs with a smile.

_Time now to fight_

Rapunzel and Harmony start playing together.

_Let's turn our losing streak around_

Varian walks up to the three.

_Rise and unite_

_Let's do what we must do_

Varian starts playing, surprising Harmony. "Hey!" She exclaims in shock that he can play and they smile at each other, playing together.

**If we're to win**

**We can't turn back or sneak around**

Rapunzel moves around the piano, standing near Varian.

**Once we begin**

Harmony stands up to join her sister.

**The only way is through**

Harmony slightly picks up her skirt as they jump together. She releases the fabric and it flows around her once she lands.

_**Through the fire**_

They slide to a stop in front of the fireplace.

_**Through the rain**_

The sisters jump forward with a smile.

_**We'll face whatever the fates may bring and tear through every wall**_

They run around the parents' table, hugging their mother.

_**Through the fear**_

Rapunzel and Harmony stand at opposite tables, getting on top of them.

_**Through the pain**_

They pull out swords at the same time, pointing them towards each other.

_**And as one**_

_**We will rise**_

People around them glance at each other skeptically.

_**Marching tall**_

The sisters raise the swords in the air in unison as they sing the last note together. They stare at each other as they do so.

_**Through it all**_

Varian continues playing, smiling up at his girlfriend.

"We know that it's a tall order," Harmony looks around to them.

"It's not gonna be easy. But it's our only option. Who's with us?" Rapunzel asks the crowd and Eugene stands on a table.

**E: Time now to stand**

**F: Let's save our home and take it back**

Their father joins Rapunzel with a smile.

**L: At your command**

Lance pushes Varian out of the way, but Catalina helps him to a stop.

**A: I'm in!**

Attila raises his hand.

**V: And me!**

Harmony smiles as she jumps off the table.

**S: Me too!**

Shorty falls from the ceiling. Varian grabs Harmony's waist, putting her on Fidella. He jumps on behind her, holding a tambourine.

**V: Onward we ride**

**Who knows if we will make it back?**

They walk past Rapunzel and the others.

_QA: We're at your side_

Arianna holds Rapunzel's hand.

_R: Together we'll come through_

Rapunzel smiles as her parents let her down with big smiles. Harmony jumps off Fidella and picks up the left side of her skirt. She moves around her feet as she starts dancing.

_**Through the strife**_

Silver, Fidella, and Max tap their hooves to the beat as Varian plays tambourine. His mouth opens in awe of Harmony. Eugene and Rapunzel dance together.

_**Through the fray**_

Harmony giggles as she dances past him. She grabs his free hand and pulls him down. They start doing the same dance as Rapunzel and Eugene.

_**R and V: We can't hold back in this time of need**_

_**E and H: We all must heed the call**_

The girls separate from the boys.

_**Through the dark **_

Attila places down a few mugs for everyone as they sing along.

_**Through the day**_

Rapunzel grabs Edmund and pulls him forward.

_**And as one**_

Eugene gets Pete and Stan.

_**We will rise**_

Harmony and Varian get the king and queen. Kiera starts playing the trumpet.

_**Marching tall**_

_**Through it all**_

They throw their fists in the air as they all sing together.

_**Time now to fight**_

Varian and Eugene put the two sisters on a table.

_**To face whatever fate may bring**_

_R: Through it all!_

Ruddiger holds Hamuel as a makeshift sword, fighting with Pascal who has a carrot.

_**Right over might**_

_**Till victory and freedom ring**_

**H: Through it all!**

Varian, Monty, and Eugene clink their mugs together.

_**Stand and unite **_

Rapunzel and Harmony slide near them, smiling.

_**For home and hearth and land and king**_

Arianna and Frederic dance together.

_**For love and life and everything**_

Rapunzel and Harmony spin around, their feet jumping around as they go in opposite directions.

_**Through it all**_

Kiera and Catalina spin around on top of the piano.

_**Through it all**_

_**Through it all**_

Shorty is moved around over their heads as they carry him.

_**Through it all**_

_**Through it all**_

Everyone belts out the last note together. Then Shorty lands in the middle of the group, the chandelier having fallen.

"Yeah!" Everyone cheers as they storm out the pub together.

"Quirin!" Eugene calls out to him, throwing a pitchfork. He catches it and then he sees the Brotherhood symbol from the man's hand. His mouth opens in shock and Rapunzel joins his side.

"Eugene?"

"Ha..." He snaps out of it. "No one can rally the troops like you or your sister," He kisses her forehead. "Thanks, Sunshine."

"You're welcome," She smiles softly. "Huh...you know, after all this time, I've never come up with a cute little nickname for you."

"Well, I've already got three names, and two of them are awful," He rubs the back of his neck. "So I think I'm good."

"Harmi's got some nicknames for Varian. Maybe I should ask her to help me," She smiles in amusement, rubbing her chin. "She calls him Vari, her prince, and Raccoon Boy or even Ruddiger Boy."

"She actually calls him Raccoon Boy now?" Eugene chuckles at her.

"Yeah, but don't tell them I told you that one."

"We heard that!" Harmony and Varian call out in unison from inside the pub. Rapunzel giggles at the two, who don't look a bit happy that she told him that.

"Do you really think we stand a chance?" Eugene asks in worry, crossing his arms. "Cass has the moonstone, the Brotherhood, and we've got..." They look away to see Shorty and Hamuel wrestling.

"You're being rude!"

"Not to mention Zhan Tiri. I mean, I don't think any of us are up to fighting an ancient demon creature."

"Neither was Lord Demanitus," They turn to Varian, who places down his mug. He's reading from a book. "When I was researching the scroll, I found out Demanitus banished Zhan Tiri to some kind of netherworld. And the moonstone, with its power, released her when Mona wished to have a friend."

"Uh, unknowingly released her," Harmony points out to him.

"But the machine he used to do it was dismantled centuries ago," Varian continues, kissing the girl's cheek.

"Can you two build it again?" Rapunzel asks them.

"If we had the plans, but Demanitus took his only blueprints to his tomb," Varian states to her.

"Ha ha ha. Let me guess, the tomb is thousand of years old and no one knows where it is," Eugene replies knowingly, not noticing the smirks from the sisters.

"Well, we-we wouldn't say no one knows."

"...I've got a bad feeling about this," Eugene comments and he's right as they're standing in snow. "Snow...why did it have to be snow?!"

Luckily, Harmony brought them coats, scarves, and mittens again like she did with Kresten Loch.

* * *

Cass walks down the hall of the guard's tower in Corona. She stops and then looks to the door of her room. The door is slightly open and she moves it to see all of her furniture that Rapunzel insisted on keeping inside.

She steps into her old room, touching the bed frame. She flicks away the dust and approaches her armoire. She opens it up to see the various weapons and mementos. Such as the rose from Andrew, her punching dummy, the guard's helmet...She takes the helmet into her hands and narrows her eyes at something. The picture of her, the sisters, their pets, and Eugene's half-ripped face is still there. She puts it down, growling at the reminder of what they've done. She throws away the helmet out of rage.

Then she throws down some stuff from inside the armoire, before finally seeing the headdress she wore as a lady-in-waiting. She pants slowly, staring at the garment.

This object fuels her rage most of all. Because it reminds her that she used to be a servant.

With a black rock, she rips it in half and storms off. The fabric from the headdress slightly moves...

* * *

"Almost there, guys," Rapunzel tells everyone as they approach a wall they have to climb. "And by almost, I mean not really at all..."

"Come on, you old-timers!" Kiera runs up to the wall, earning looks from her surrogate parents. "Well, not you guys!"

"Last one up is a Saporian slug!" Catalina calls out as she follows after her sister.

"Princess, h-how did you two even know Demanitus' tomb was up here?"

"As acting queen and crown princess, we got to learn a lot of Corona's secrets," Rapunzel explains, looking towards her sister.

"Well, some of them. Growing up in the castle gives you a lot of knowledge," Harmony looks over her shoulder.

"You know the Great Oak Tree in Corona Park?" Rapunzel leans in to whisper to Lance. "It's not an oak...and it's not that great."

He gasps sharply at her explanation.

"I've said too much," Rapunzel starts climbing as Harmony shakes her head in amusement, climbing from the left.

"You think you know a tree..." Lance murmurs before he and Max start climbing. Eugene and Varian are the last ones left.

"So, Varian," Eugene speaks up to the boy. "We're buddies, right?"

"Team Awesome, remember?" He asks with a wide smile, earning a laugh in return.

"Yeah, right...that...yeah." He decides to just do this like pulling off a bandaid. "You know how Adira and rhino guy have fallen under the spell of the Mind Trap?"

"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll figure out a way to help them," Varian states to his friend, completely clueless as to where this is going.

"Well, yeah of course we will. Um...but, wasn't your dad a member of that club?"

"What are you saying? That...my dad..." Then he gets defensive. "Listen Eugene, my father is just fine!"

"Okay, I didn't mean...uh, l-look, just...forget I even mentioned it," Eugene starts climbing, leaving the boy to his thoughts. If his father really was mind-controlled, he would've known...he would've done something to stop him.

He climbs after Eugene, who sighs in relief once he's at the top. "Did you find it?"

Harmony helps up Varian and notices his expression. "Vari...? Something wrong?"

"It's just...nothing. I'll tell you later. I need to think," He walks away, confusing her.

"Oh...boy..." Eugene murmurs as he looks at the big wall of scriptures. "Um, Brownie, can we talk?" He leads her away a few feet.

"It's magnificent!" Varian comments as he stares at it.

"You asked him about his dad?!" Harmony screeches in a whisper to Eugene once he's told her. "Why?"

"I was just concerned for him, you know that!" He gestures to the boy. "Did he say anything to you about it?"

"No, because he just said that he needs some space right now. Look, I don't know what is going on with Quirin, but I don't really think he's in danger right now," She waves her hands.

"Wait..." He turns to her slowly. "You didn't sense anything from him?!"

"Not really, no," Harmony shakes her head.

"But...it could be a mistake, right?" Ever since she got the other half of the moonstone back, nothing seemed to be wrong with her power...

"No, I'm sure of it. He's been fine ever since we left," She shrugs at him. "...Wait, Cass must've used it right after we got back home, right?"

"Yeah...?" He raises a brow at her.

"I was with Varian at his house when she activated it, and Quirin seemed normal. So if the Mind Trap activated just around that time..."

"Then why didn't he feel the effects?" Eugene whispers in realization, looking up at the wall. "Is it just me, or is there no door to get in?"

"It doesn't look like there is," Rapunzel gestures to the wall. Harmony steps forward, looking at all the pictures. The blonde sees something. "But there is a riddle."

"Ha! Classic Demanitus," Eugene rolls his eyes.

"I grow but do not live. I need air but do not breathe," Rapunzel reads the riddle.

"A fish!"

"A rabbit!"

"A rabbit fish!" The two girls exclaim in unison. Harmony sees the riddle, lightly touching the writing.

"People, are you even listening to the riddle?" Eugene turns around as Lance is playing charades with the girls.

"Oh, heh, sorry," Lance chuckles a little. "We were playing charades. But the answer to the riddle is fire."

"Lance, it's not-"

"No, no, no, he's right. It is fire," Rapunzel smiles a bit.

"Fire grows but doesn't live like a person. And it needs air to be able to keep the flames going," Harmony holds up a finger. Rapunzel digs into Varian's backpack, holding up an insta-torch. She slams it open and holds it out to a fire symbol. The flames spread across the symbols, to their awe, especially Varian's. They look up at the monkey symbol as the door slowly opens with two mechanisms made of stone. Up ahead is a dark hallway.

"See, G-Bug? Easy peasy."

"Excuse me?" Eugene asks at the name. Harmony laughs at it.

"Sorry. I was trying out a pet name," She rubs her neck.

"Maybe try harder," Eugene crosses his arms. Varian takes Harmony's hand and leads her away so that she doesn't suffer from the cold.

"Ha ha ha! No, please, don't! G-Bug is a keeper!" Lance busts out laughing. "Come on, everyone! G-Bug doesn't like to wait," He follows after Rapunzel.

"Come on G-Bug!" Kiera runs past him.

"It's nice and warm in here, G-Bug!" Catalina runs next to Max.

"Ugh, G-Bug," He grumbles as he's the last one inside.

Varian sighs a bit as he and Harmony are at the front, walking down the hall together. Looking back, he feels bad for making her worry and brushing her off like that. "Listen...Mona, I-"

"I know. You're worried about your father," She interrupts him knowingly, shocking him. "But do you really think I wouldn't understand that, Vari? I know how much you care about him. So I'm not mad that you didn't tell me what Eugene said to you. I understand that you needed time to think about it."

He smiles softly at her. "I should've, though...sorry," He rubs his neck.

"It's fine," She waves it off. "Besides, he was fine before we left to find this place."

He blinks at her rapidly. "H-He was? You didn't sense any mind control?"

"No, and I would've. I wondered to Eugene that if the Mind Trap was in effect when we were at your house, we would've known. It seems as if the effects didn't work on him right away..."

He sighs in relief at her explanation. "But...t-they're still gonna affect him at some point..."

"...Yeah," She answers quietly. "But you'll figure something out."

They arrive in the room, stopping in shock and awe. "Why are there so many banana-" Eugene trips from a banana peel. Max picks him up by the back of his collar. He dusts himself off and sees that the room is full of flora and monkeys, with bananas to feed them. They stare at the newcomers.

"Hey, would you look at that? A family of-" They throw banana peels at him. "Hey, hey, hey!"

"Don't take it personally G-Bug, they're being territorial," Rapunzel tells her boyfriend, Harmony snickering at the nickname.

"They could've thrown something a lot worse," Kiera walks off with her sister.

"Yeah, well, let's just find those plans."

They split up to look for them. "This must be where Lord Demanitus found Vigor..."

"So these are his great, great, great, great grand-monkeys? ...Great," Eugene comments, the teens inspecting the symbols from the doorway.

"Whoa!" Kiera and Catalina swing from a vine, playing around. Rapunzel throws away a banana peel as there's a dusty, old book in front of her. She blows away the dust and opens it up to see the portal he used to banish Zhan Tiri. She flips to another page and gasps.

"This is it! Lord Demanitus' plans!"

"You did it! Excellent," Eugene smiles at her. "Now, could we get out of here?"

Lance grips the levers to a machine and the young couple examines it. "Absolutely fascinating! And I bet he used this to switch minds with a primate." He stands in front of the tip, bending down.

"I wish I knew exactly how he came to the realization that a monkey was the best choice...maybe those are just his favorite animal," Harmony shrugs at him.

"Genius," Varian whispers, looking over to Lance. He's about to press the button that activates it. "Don't press that."

"If it's still functional, you could do some serious damage," Harmony points at him threateningly. He pouts as they move away.

A monkey lands in front of Rapunzel and Eugene, startling them. Eugene glares at the animal. He closes the book and snatches it. "Wait! Come back here!"

"Stop!" The two chase after him. He runs up to a stone, and then jumps off when they dive for him. They fall off and he walks away, only to hear a whinny. Max runs up to him and the two teenagers hear the commotion. They run over to investigate. Lance whistles, looking over his shoulder. He looks at the shiny red button, glancing to the duo. All of them are busy chasing the monkey. Varian is hiding when he grabs the monkey.

"Gotcha! Ha ha!"

"Nice one," Harmony smiles at him. Then another monkey snatches it while swinging from a vine. "Geez, what are they, monkey ninjas?"

Lance presses the button as Varian is still holding onto the monkey he caught. Varian, as a monkey, lands and shakes his head rapidly.

"Lance, I told you not to-" His eyes widen as he looks at his hands. "Wait, what happened?"

"Wasn't me," Lance waves his hands rapidly.

"Did you just switch me with a monkey?" He chuckles in disbelief, holding his head. "And if I'm a monkey, then...ahh," He looks up at his own body as the monkey inside of him is picking at his ear, sniffing it. "LANCE! Look what you did, oh come on, we gotta switch our minds back! I cannot believe you did this! Look what you've done to me!"

Everyone runs past them, with Eugene and Harmony being the only ones to notice the dilemma. "W-W-What the-Lance!" They yell at him.

Monkey Varian looks up at Harmony and chitters, sniffing her.

Harmony giggles at him as she sees a monkey on her hair. She snatches it and then the beam hits the both of them. Harmony pats herself, screaming. "What the heck, Lance?!"

"Sorry! But hey...maybe we can set the mood," He wiggles his eyebrows at the monkey couple. Harmony slowly crawls over to him and crawls on his shoulder...and then flicks her hand, smacking him in the eye. "Ow!"

"I don't care, switch us back!" Harmony yells at him.

"Hold on, hold on. I can fix this!" Lance calls out as Monkey Harmony runs over to her human self. Her human self and Varian's human self chitter at each other, the monkeys blushing in embarrassment.

"Hurry up, I feel so embarrassed just watching this."

"Lance, leave it alone," Eugene warns him.

"You've got it, Max!" Kiera encourages the horse as he jumps up to the monkey. He swings on a vine to the stone monkey head. Lance aims for the two, but slips on a banana peel and ends up hitting Eugene.

"Lance-" He switches the man with a monkey swinging on a vine. "Oh come on!" He hits a tree, bananas falling out of it. Lance cringes as he looks around.

"Lance, you are so much trouble when this is over!" Harmony screams, pointing a finger at him. Rapunzel jumps to the one with the book.

"Hey," She holds out a banana. "Monkey want a banana?"

He chitters happily. "Then go get it!" She throws it and he drops the book. He grabs the banana as she jumps onto the nose of the statue and grabs it. "Got it! Finally!"

Suddenly, she gets her mind switched with the monkey above her. "Oh nuts..."

It was the monkey inside of Eugene that pushed it. "Get over there!" Lance pushes him away. "No more monkey mischief! Now, where was I?" He switches Varian back, to his relief.

"I'm back," He chuckles and walks over to Lance. Kiera then gets switched with a monkey.

"Now you're doing it on purpose! Let me-"

The girls, Varian, and Lance all start fighting each other, beams shooting out of control. One of them hits Harmony and a monkey, switching her back to normal. Harmony runs up to them as Rapunzel is jumping around with the book.

"Just stay right there," Rapunzel whispers to herself. She jumps across some vines, laughing before she snatches the book, landing on the statue. "Guys, I got it!"

They're too busy playing with the machine. "Guys, would you please just leave the monkey button alone?"

"Alright, ALRIGHT! Everyone move now!" Harmony shouts at them, getting them all silent. They move away from the machine, hands up in defense. "Eugene, Kiera, and Punzie, hold still...and no. More. Touching," She gives the others a warning look.

* * *

Once everyone is back to normal, they're all exhausted. A monkey is about to use it when Eugene shoos him away. "Get off!" He rips off the lever with the button, clearing his throat. "I think we can all agree...that we should never ever speak of this again." He eats a banana.

"Well, Varian, Harmi?" Rapunzel asks the two as they're reading the book together. "Is it something we can build?"

"Um, building it would be a snap. It's where we have to set it up that gets a little...tricky," He frowns a little.

"What do you mean?" Rapunzel questions, a monkey on her head.

"...Okay, I can't take you seriously with that monkey on you," Harmony states with a blank look and Rapunzel shoos it away.

"Yeah, It needs to be close enough to Zhan Tiri to suck her back in. And because she's with Cass at the castle..." He doesn't even need to finish that sentence.

"We wouldn't even be able to draw them out without tipping those two off," Harmony frowns a bit.

"Looks like we'll have to storm the castle and build the machine there," Rapunzel places her hands on her hips as she faces everyone. "Let's get to it."

Daisy and Pascal squeak in agreement.

* * *

Zhan Tiri is in the chamber underneath Corona again.

"This could have gone so differently, Demanitus," She says to herself as she walks down the stairs. "But because of you...I will finally lay waste to your beloved Corona," She takes a vial and grins evilly. She throws it onto a rock, the shadow behind her showing her true form. "And all who inhabit it." She then lets out an evil laugh as the rock melts.

She's not even concerned about the incoming attack...since Demanitus can't stop her himself...

* * *

Pascal is flying on Owl as they arrive back to the citizens. They fly past everyone as they're preparing themselves for the fight. Owl lands on Rapunzel's arm, Harmony holding out her finger. The duckling lands on it.

"What did you guys see in the castle?"

Pascal turns into a badger, then Hector, then the rhino, then Adira. "I was right. She has the Brotherhood standing guard," She lets Owl fly off her arm.

"We'll have to take them out to get inside, so that Varian and Harmi can build that machine," Eugene stares down at her.

"Meanwhile, I'll track Cass down. One way or the other, I'm going to get the moonstone," She slams her fist against her hand.

"Such pluck in the face of adversity! She will certainly make an excellent daughter-in-law one day," Edmund walks past them.

"Dad," Eugene puts a hand to his forehead in embarrassment. "You were thinking out loud again."

"No..." Edmund turns around with a smile. "I wasn't," He winks at them and the two smile softly.

"That reminds me..." She turns around to Rapunzel. "Aren't we about due for one of us to stumble through an awkward proposal?"

"Ha! Right, whose turn is it again?" He taps a finger against his chin. He notices her expression, looking towards the ground. "Look, I know everything is going to work out...but in case it doesn't-"

"It will," She takes his hands. "And no matter what happens today, you are still and always will be my dream," She puts his hand to her cheek. "Eugene." She kisses his finger.

"And you are mine, Rapunzel," The man smiles softly.

"Hey Dad," Varian walks up to Quirin. "Here. I found this with your old stuff," He holds out a helmet with the Brotherhood symbol on it. "I gave it a little polish."

"I never thought I'd have to wear this again, but now that I must..." He puts the helmet on. "I am proud to have my son fighting alongside me."

Varian smiles up at him and the man places a hand on his shoulder. "So...you really love her, don't you?" He looks up at Harmony, who's assuring the two girls.

"With all my heart, Dad," A small smile comes from Varian's lips as the girls hug the teenager.

"Take good care of her, son. After today...she might need it," He gives a sympathetic look at the girl. None of them knew what would happen to Harmony after this, and some are scared more than others thinking about the results. Mostly Rapunzel, her parents, and Varian himself.

Varian walks up to his girlfriend as she pushes the girls away to get ready. "Mona?"

She looks up at him and stands up. "Promise me that no matter what happens...that you'll take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will..." She notices his hesitance and places her hands on his shoulders. "Vari...I just want you to know that I love you. Very much, and that when this ends...we can finally be happy."

He smiles at her. "I couldn't agree more. I...gave him the helmet."

Her eyes soften and she wraps her arms around his neck, hugging him. "That couldn't have been easy."

"It wasn't...but it'll help. Hopefully we can figure out why he's not affected immediately like Adira and Hector," He glances over his shoulder.

"Okay troops! Suit up!" Eugene calls out, the two sharing a brief kiss before everyone gets into a line.

"Alright everyone, you know the plan. Charge the castle, build that machine, open the portal, and send Zhan Tiri back to the netherworld! Now let's move out!"

Everyone cheers along with her as Ruddiger is now in monster form and Catalina is in her wolf form. Varian pats the seat next to him and Harmony smiles, climbing on. They run off to charge the castle, Hamuel flying upside down. They reach the castle doors and Eugene pulls at it.

"It's locked!"

Ruddiger roars and smashes it open. "It's unlocked!"

Everyone rushes inside, Max turning around. They reach the throne room, but no one seems to be around. "Where are the bad guys?"

"I don't know..." Eugene feels like something's not right. "But let's just get that machine built before they get back. Alright?"

Fidella steps in with the supplies for the portal, Varian and Harmony walking behind her. "I'm going to find Cassandra."

"Sunshine," Eugene holds out a hand to her. "Good luck."

"You too," She continues walking off. "Harmi, you're in charge along with Eugene. Get that portal built."

"We will," Harmony nods sharply.

* * *

Rapunzel looks down the hall, turning a corner and stopping in her tracks. "Looking for someone? That old fool Demanitus would be proud of how far you've come, Princess..."

Pascal hides in Rapunzel's hair. "To be clear, we are talking about the same old fool who outsmarted you and trapped you in oblivion for over two millennia, right?" She says with a mocking grin.

"Joke all you want, but the eclipse is upon us," She gestures to outside with a big grin. The sun and moon are about to touch. Rapunzel glares at the demon in front of her, the symbol from her chest glowing.

"What? What's...what's happening?"

Varian is putting on the final screw to the machine. "And...there."

Harmony's symbol from her dress glows a bright blue next to him. "Okay, just pull that lever, and we've got ourselves a transdimensional portal!"

"Oh, you aren't kidding! That was fast," Eugene comments in awe.

"Okay, we've just gotta make sure everyone is clear of the portal or else, you know, we'll end up in limbo right along Zhan Tiri."

"What...what's going on?" They turn to Harmony as she touches the glowing symbol, shocking them. She suddenly faints onto the ground, but Eugene catches her.

"Brownie! I gotcha, kid."

"Harmony," Frederic and Arianna run up to her in concern. Quirin's eyes glow blue and he steps forward towards them.

"Although, I gotta think, this all feels a little too easy-"

Quirin reaches out and grabs the lever, but the helmet is sparking yellow. "For Cassandra!" Before he can pull it all the way, he gets shocked from the helmet. Varian cringes as Eugene's mouth is open in shock. He falls onto the ground as Eugene gently hands Harmony over to her parents.

"Dad, Dad! Don't worry, you'll be okay. I promise," Varian bends down to him.

"What happened?" Eugene asks as Frederic and Arianna place Harmony next to Quirin.

"I thought about what you said, so...I took...precautions. I rigged his helmet with a temporary stun mechanism. Mona helped me find his helmet, and...together, we put it at the top of it."

"Score one for Team Awesome!" Eugene smiles, elbowing him.

"Heh. Yeah...Team Awesome," The boy looks back to the two people he loves on the floor.

"Let's say we get them someplace more comfortable, huh?" He offers to Varian, who smiles.

"Wait a minute," His eyes widen as she looks to Harmony. He sees the glowing symbol. "She's...the other half of the moonstone. That's why he didn't feel anything until now. S-She passed out right before he reached out for the lever..."

"She...she prevented it for as long as she could...she probably doesn't even know that she did," Eugene whispers slowly in recognition. Varian sniffles slightly in happiness. When she wakes up and he sees her, he's going to reward her with a big kiss. She saved him from being mind-controlled until now... "Is that why she passed out? Because she couldn't take it anymore?"

"No...this is something different," Varian shakes his head.

Rapunzel tries to stand up as the sun and moon symbol glows. "Come, child. Give up while you still can," Zhan Tiri grins at her, knowing fully well what's going on. Rapunzel pants slowly, glaring up at her.

"There's something you should know...I'm not big on giving up!" She gets onto her feet, the symbol turning into a gem.

Harmony's body lifts up into the air, her hair flowing around. The symbol from her dress glows a bright blue.

"Ah...the sundrop," Zhan Tiri smiles at the sight before her. Both the princess are surrounded by light in their perspective colors, sending a huge blast. It shakes the throne room, getting their attention.

"W-What just happened? What was that?" Eugene asks, turning to his father. Harmony is still floating in the air.

"Could she always do that?" Attila points up at her.

"No..." Varian shakes his head.

The two blasts had worked together to knock down Zhan Tiri. She hisses at Rapunzel and runs off. Her symbol is still glowing and she gasps at it.

Harmony floats slowly to the ground, her eyes still closed. But the symbol from her has turned into only half a gem.

Eugene walks off to investigate as Varian bends down to the girl. "Stay here, Hamuel. Keep an eye on things with the others," Edmund follows after him, Hamuel flying into the air. The two men run off as the crow soars into the air. He winks at Daisy and she rolls her eyes as he lands on the lever. He turns around and keeps an eye...but lowers the lever so that it turns on. The machine starts to spark as it activates.

"Ohh, that's not good," Varian cringes at this. Wind starts to suck them towards it.

"What's going on?!" Feldspar is sucked in first, followed by Monty and Pete.

Eugene and Edmund hear the screaming. "Leave 'em alone for two seconds...Dad, I'm going back!"

Shorty hangs onto the lever. "Look at me! I'm a flag!"

Harmony's hair activates as it grows 70 feet, wrapping around the girl to protect her. "Hey, is everyone-" Eugene comes into the room and sees that almost everyone is gone, the portal still open. Shorty pulls it just as he's sucked in, Eugene looking in horror. "Okay...?"

"Well, ain't that a humdinger?" Edmund frowns a bit.


	70. Plus Est En Vous Part 2

Rapunzel slams open a door to the guards' tower, which is covered in black rocks. A rat passes by as she steps forward and she takes a look around. She ends up in the same hall as Cass' room, the door wide open. She peeks inside and sees all the damage that Cass had done in her rage. She has a look of shock as she steps forward to the broken armoire. She touches the sun and moon symbol on top, her hand hesitant at the ripped headdress.

She takes the headpiece into her hands.

_I know we've grown apart,_

_It breaks my heart in two_

She hugs the headpiece to her chest, walking up to the frame.

_I miss your company_

She moves the photo see the same picture she painted.

_The closeness we once knew_

_Rapunzel stepped up to Cass, giving her the same portrait. She also gave a different one to Harmony, who smiled happily._

_I won't pretend to know just what you're going through_

_She ripped Eugene's face in half, to the shock of Rapunzel. She gave a look of disapproval._

_But I'd give anything for you_

Rapunzel stands in front of the bed, putting the headpiece close to her heart.

_Yes, I'd give anything to relive everything with you_

She puts the headpiece onto the bed, twirling and landing on the bed. She turns to look at Pascal, smiling and tapping his head. He jumps back onto her shoulder and she looks at a photo of a warrior. Just like Cass wanted to be...

_So if you find that you're in darkness or despair_

_Fidella ran across the forest with Cass, followed by Max and Silver with the sisters._

_Though you won't turn to me _

_Rapunzel looked up ahead, smiling at her sister. She smiled back and Silver took off._

_Please know I'll be right there_

_Cass had a smirk on her face._

_Name any sacrifice_

_They ran past the lake._

_I'll pay the price that's due_

_Fidella jumped over a gap, Cass throwing off her headpiece and landing on the other side._

_Cause I'd give anything for you_

_She pumped her fist in triumph, Rapunzel catching the headpiece and smiling at her friend. Harmony joined their side, grinning._

_Yes, I'd give anything to relive everything we knew_

_The two sisters shared a happy hug with Cass._

_Yes, I'd give anything for you_

Rapunzel twirls back onto the bed, folding the headpiece and placing it on the bed. She stands up and walks away with a sad look on her face. She stops in front of the window, smiling towards Pascal.

"I know Cassandra can still be saved, Pascal..."

The gem from her dress starts sparking, and she looks up at the incoming eclipse.

* * *

The moonstone from Cass and the half gem from Harmony glow in unison. She touches it lightly as they're standing in Rapunzel's room. "The eclipse has already begun to weaken the sundrop and the other half of the moonstone, and their strength. It is time for you to face the Princesses and take the power that is rightfully yours!" She curtsies to Cass, who doesn't seem to be buying it.

"Yes...it is time..." Cass and Zhan Tiri walk off together. "There's just one other thing..."

She traps Zhan Tiri in a cage, similar to what she did to Varian. She smirks a little. "It's not that I don't trust you...no, that's exactly it."

After what Zhan Tiri did to her, there was no way she wanted her to fit in the picture.

She bows to the demon and walks off. Zhan Tiri doesn't seem to be fazed one by Cass' actions, laughing. "I've been in far worse prisons," She smiles widely.

_Thousands of years ago..._

"_Zhan Tiri! This is your last warning!" Demanitus shouted at the sorceress, the portal machine right behind him. They were right in front of his tomb that was closed off. "Give up this foolish quest for power!" _

"_This quest for the sundrop and moonstone was both of ours!" She yelled back, looking much older with longer hair._

"_It was...until you made it about something darker," The scientist gritted his teeth. A baby monkey was on his shoulder. "You made it all about gaining power for yourself. You turned your back on what was right!"_

"And y_ou turned your back on me! As long as I live, I will never stop until I have that power!" She pulled out a boomerang and the monkey leaped off the man._

"_I know..."_

_The monkey hid behind a tree. Zhan Tiri threw the boomerang, and Demanitus pushed the lever forward. The machine activated, forming the portal as the weapon flew into it. Zhan Tiri flew towards it, gripping the edge with her hand. The baby monkey held on as much as he could to the tree._

"_This is far from over! I will have that power! And when I do, I will destroy your beloved Corona! I promise you!" She declared before she disappeared. Demanitus pulled the lever again and stopped the portal. The baby monkey fell into the snow. He looked up at the scientist and ran up to him. He sighed slowly, taking the animal into his hands._

"_I had no choice, Vigor," He looked back at the portal. "I had to send her...to the Lost Realm..."_

"_I will find a girl to bring me back, and then I will bring the sundrop and moonstone to bring Corona to its knees!" She shouted before she landed on a green cloud in the Lost Realm._

* * *

Everyone drifts through the dimension in the present day. There are bubbles, strange creatures, and green clouds. It seems as if they'd never stop floating. A bird with a tentacle on top of its head rows a boat past Lance. He gasps, giving a weird look at it. They finally land on a cloud, lifting their heads up.

"Okay, so I'm gonna come right out and say it...this is just awful!" Kiera throws away a rat-pig. Daisy has a sad look from Varian's shoulder.

"I'm not sure if I should be fascinated or terrified," Varian comments, a shadow looming over them. They look up to see a giant eyeball looking down at them. Then it multiplies into tiny little eyeballs. "And we have a winner!"

"Everybody, let's just relax," Lance has a unicorn on his head. "I'm sure Eugene and Princess Harmony will have us back in no time!" He sees the unicorn on him and then is lifted up into the air by a blue giraffe. "I hope..."

"Is Mom gonna be okay?" Catalina asks Varian, who bites his lip.

"I'm sure of it...hey," He turns to Daisy, petting her. "We'll see her again."

She smiles at the contact, chirping. Thankfully she has the boy with her to comfort her. She had a feeling that if Harmony runs into Cass...

It's gonna get really hairy, pun intended.

* * *

Eugene stares at the portal that they disappeared from. Quirin is leaning against the wall. "Come on, Dad! If we don't get our friends back and get this up and running, the princesses' whole plan will fall apart!"

"Then let's get moving. Although...they really are more...his friends."

Harmony slowly sits up, holding her head. She remembered that something was glowing from her body, and then she passed out... "Ow...my head is spinning."

"Brownie!" Eugene cries out in relief as they run up to her. Together, they help her stand up. "What happened?"

"I-I don't know, I..." She looks out the window and sees the eclipse.

"Did you have something to do with that, then?" Edmund points to her glowing half gem and she turns her head to look at it.

"What...?" She lightly touches it.

"Why'd you fall unconscious? Do you know?" Eugene asks her softly.

"It's gotta be because of the eclipse. If I'm right, I-I must've passed out because I'm way younger than Cass or Rapunzel...so I'm more affected by whatever this is than either of them at the moment."

Then she notices that they're the only two that she's seen so far. "Wait, where is everyone?"

"They...disappeared into the portal," Eugene closes his eyes and she covers her mouth in shock.

"So Daisy, the girls, Vari, my parents...are all in the Lost Realm...?" She glares towards Hamuel, who just caws.

"The next time you wanna leave that crow to keep a lookout, don't," Harmony warns Edmund.

"Oh, it seems that she's angry...perhaps some more figgy pudding will change her tune."

"No," She holds up a hand to stop him. "Guys, we have to bring them back right now! Who knows what could be happening to them right now?"

The badgers crawl up to Quirin and rip off his helmet. They take it away as Hector steps on it.

"Hello, your majesty..." He steps forward as Quirin's eyes are blue. The badgers stand in front of the two men as Hector pulls out his sword.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying about _my_ friends?" Eugene gestures to himself. The animals run forward, followed by Quirin and Hector. "Brownie, your black rocks!"

"I-I can't, I'm too weak to do much of anything!" She stammers at him as they block the opponents from touching her.

"Then you go find Rapunzel and rest up. Hurry!" Eugene urges the girl and she nods.

"Promise me that when you bring back Vari, that he's safe. Please," She pleads with the two.

"We will, now go, before they start to attack you."

"Thanks," She turns around and runs off.

* * *

The blonde is walking down a hall when a candle is suddenly blown out. "Cassandra?"

"You know, Raps, it's funny," Cass speaks up, some black rocks moving away to reveal her in the ceiling. "I look at you, and I see a girl who was used for her gifts and lied to her entire life. I look at your sister, and I see a girl who missed out on having fun and resorted to being proper after giving up. People afraid of her just for what she can do, wondering if it's safe to even be near her." She lands on the floor. "And I think if there's anyone who should know what it feels like to be taken for granted and cast aside for something better, it'd be you two," She points at the blonde. "Where is that darling sister of yours anyway?"

"Who says I don't, and that is none of your business," She retorts back. "Cassandra, I am not giving up on you. We can work this out, trust me!"

"Trust you? The last time I heard those words, you had Varian imprison me in amber," Cass gestures to herself angrily.

"You know that wasn't my plan! Harmi told me what really happened, it was Zhan Tiri!" She sighs in frustration. "This isn't you, Cass."

"This isn't me?" Cass asks in defense, pointing at her. "Don't you get it by now? You don't get to tell me who I am. No one does!" As they circle each other, the two gems from their chests glow. "Only I decide that."

"And have you decided, Cassandra? Is this who you are now?" Rapunzel gestures to the black rocks around them. "Is this what you really want? Because I think Zhan Tiri has your head so clouded with anger and hate...that you don't even know what you want anymore."

"I know exactly what I want!" Cass grits her teeth. "I want you and Harmi to know exactly what it feels like to fall short, despite your best efforts. I want you both and the rest of the world to know that I come second...to no one," She pulls out her sword and black rocks surround her. Rapunzel glares at the woman.

Harmony slides to a stop in a nearby hall, having sensed Cass' black rocks. She looks around as she tries to pinpoint where it's coming from, and then she gets a warm, sunny feeling...it feels so familiar to her and she knows exactly what it is.

"The sundrop..." She whispers to herself, running in the direction of her sister.

* * *

Eugene reaches out to the lever, only to be stopped by Hector. Hamuel is being chased by a badger. Edmund is trying to hold back Quirin as Eugene comes to a stop in front of the lever. He clashes swords with Hector, who leads him away. Eugene stumbles onto the ground, backing away from the man. He swings his sword forward and the former thief ducks his head.

"These guys are tough!"

"Well, they were trained by the best," Edmund calls out as Hector kicks Eugene. Edmund punches Quirin in the face. "...Probably should not be proud of that fact at this moment."

Quirin knocks him onto the floor.

Hamuel flies away from the jumping badger before being pulled away by it on a string. A badger tugs at Eugene's pants. He pulls him away from the lever as the other badger knocks him onto the ground. Edmund lands right next to him.

"Alright, alright, look. The only way I see us getting to that machine...is to get the Brotherhood back on our side."

"Yes, but we'd have to know where Cassandra's hidden the Mind Trap," Edmund informs his son.

"I have an idea where she'd keep it," Eugene looks up at ahead at their opponents. "It's getting there that's gonna be a problem..."

They stand up and run off, the four chasing after them.

Max and Domino ride the two all the way into the forest, as they're headed towards her fortress.

* * *

"Cass, hand over the moonstone so we can end this," Rapunzel demands her. "You are playing right into Zhan Tiri's plan."

"I've already taken care of Zhan Tiri! Now, give me the sundrop," She points to the blonde's gem with her sword.

"I'm warning you, Cass. I am prepared to do whatever it takes to protect this kingdom with my sister," She lets down her hair. She opens her eyes and they flash gold. She runs up to Cass, who reaches her. Rapunzel swings her hair at her. "I was hoping we'd be able to talk this out, but now that you've made that impossible, I am not holding back!" Her hair glows and she knocks Cass back with a golden blast. Cass rolls to a stop.

"I can't tell you how disappointing that is to hear, Raps. Because if you're not holding back, that means this is the best you could do!" Cass mocks her.

"Oh yeah?"

They turn to Harmony in shock as she suddenly arrives in the hall. She stands next to her sister, hands on her hips. "What about now? Two against one. Well, three."

Pascal punches his hands together.

"Harmi!" Rapunzel gives her a big hug. The girl returns it with a small smile. Her sister's hugs could always make her feel better even through the worst of times like now.

"Punzie..." She murmurs softly.

"Are you okay?" The woman places her hands on her shoulders, checking over for injuries. She also notices the half blue gem from the left side of Harmony's chest.

"Facing against Cass?" She glares towards the woman, clenching her fists. "I'm just fine."

"Ready to do this, sis?" Rapunzel stands by her sister's side.

"Ready," Harmony's bangs glow blue.

Rapunzel swings her hair, sending golden blasts towards her opponent. Harmony sends moonlight orbs to Cass. She spins around her sword, the blasts slightly knocking her back.

"And your best is pathetic," She stands a bunch of black rocks towards them and some of them form into wolves, barking. Pascal hides in Rapunzel's hair in fear. Rapunzel knocks them back with her hair as Harmony flings her hands, sending black rocks of her own that destroy Cass' into pieces. The two step forward, their whole bodies flowing. Cass flings black rocks at the two, but with one touch, they're destroyed. They stand right in front of her, and she glares at them.

* * *

"Come on! Cassandra's tower is just up this way!" Eugene and Edmund are almost there.

"Oh boy..." Edmund glances behind him.

"What? What is it?" Eugene asks and he doesn't answer. But he had a feeling that it's not good.

Crows fly up above as trees fall onto the ground behind them. They jump over a large rock, which the rhino breaks into pieces. Hector glares at them.

"Fantastic."

"Ah! Why did I ever let him get a rhino?" Edmund chastises himself.

"Well, your old pals are persistent, that's for sure!" Eugene comments back. "Max, let's shake 'em!"

Max whinnies in determination, the rhino almost behind them. He knocks down trees in his path with ease, roaring.

"You said the tower was that way!" Edmund shouts at his son.

"Yeah, well, we're taking a scenic route! Rhinos are fast and can get through just about anything, but I'm willing to bet there's one thing they can't do."

"What's that?" The king asks curiously. Thankfully Eugene has been through enough ways to get around this part of the forest. He knew of one path that they could lose them at.

Up ahead is a gap. "Jump!"

They both holler as they start to jump and the rhino slides to a stop. The horses land on the other side, the badgers bump into the rhino. This causes Hector to fall off the rhino and into the water below. Eugene salutes to them and they continue on to the fortress.

Hector stands up with a growl towards them.

* * *

"Guys, I know we gotta get out of here," Lance speaks up in the Lost Realm, "But is it weird these delicious looking things are...making me hungry?" He notices the flying sentient food that goes past him. He's still on top of the giraffe.

"Not to me," Shorty holds up some lettuce, a baby creature flying out of it. He takes a bite out of the lettuce.

"Oh yeah, I think-I think we're safe up here...for a while," Varian chuckles nervously. Feldspar, the girls, Pete, and Stan are all staring at him for some reason, unsure of what to say. "What?"

"Uh, V, I don't wanna alarm you, but the stripe in your hair...it's alive!"

The blue streak in Varian's hair is now a snake with goggles on. It snaps its teeth as Daisy, who chirps in alarm and flies to Varian's other shoulder, slightly shaking.

"Ah!" Varian screams at it and it screams back. The boy runs off. "Get if off! No! Why?!"

"Oh, man, I can't look!" Lance covers his eyes, but an eyeball appears on his beard. "Why can I still see this? I shouldn't be able to see this!" A bunch of eyes grow on his body. Frederic looks at himself and sees that he's basically a king card.

"Um, Frederic?" Arianna has rabbit ears, Ruddiger has flowers all over him, Big Nose's nose flies, Pete and Stan are joined at the hip, and Daisy is covered in pink fur.

"Welcome to my world," Shorty smiles, waving to the flying nose. "Oh hi Big Nose's big nose!"

"I think I know what's going on here," Varian examines the snake. Monty is like a ball and Milton has a giant buff body. "This place...it's changing us!"

"Oh," Lance lands from the giraffe, his body like an egg as he's covered in eyeballs. "Really Professor Snakehead? How'd you figure that out?!"

"And if we don't get out soon, these changes could be..." Varian rubs his chin, not finishing his sentence.

"Irreversible," The snake finishes in a creepy way. Daisy slowly inches away from Varian, slightly unnerved.

* * *

The moon is just about to cover the sun as crows fly past. "Oh, Cassandra..." Zhan Tiri can see it from outside her window. "So predictable. Have you learned nothing from me? No matter how formidable an obstacle...everything has its weakness." She digs into her dress, pulling out the acid. "And I have a gift for finding it." She pours it on the floor and it creates a hole, allowing her to slip through.

The three girls crash through a wall. "Huh, these are new," Cass notices the vases.

"Yeah, we thought this hall could use a little sprucing up. What do you think?" Rapunzel stands up, having to duck as a vase is thrown at them. "Whoa! A simple 'not my style' would've been fine, but okay!""

"Uh, I think interior design is the least of her worries right now," Harmony cringes as she pulls her sister down slightly, dodging another vase. Cass continues throwing them using her sword when they notice the next one.

"Wait!" They shout in unison as she's about to throw it.

"Our Aunt Willow made that one, please...!" Rapunzel begs her.

"She sent it over from her travels," Harmony frowns a bit. Word gets around when a kingdom is attacked by Saporians with a king and queen having no memories. So when Aunt Willow found out, she offered to send some vases over to decorate the hall. They could just remember the looks on their faces when they received them.

Cass decides to put it down, but throws all of the other ones. The two spin around as they break the vases, and Rapunzel grabs her waist with her hair. She pulls Cass down, causing her to drop her sword. Harmony's hands then release a rope made of moonlight to secure her with.

"Ha! Bet you didn't see that coming!"

"You forget who taught you that move," Cass turns around to them. "Not to mention rule number one of combat: turn your enemy's strength into a weakness." She grabs the hair and the rope, turning them into black rocks. She traps their arms with it and then their body. She makes her hand into a fist to secure them, pointing black rocks at the duo.

"Can't...move," Harmony grunts in a strained voice. She can't even summon black rocks while trapped like this.

* * *

Back at the fortress, Edmund and Eugene are just arriving. "Huh. And you said my old place was creepy."

"No, I said your old place was disturbing. I said the bear hood you used to wear was creepy."

"Dabney? You think Dabney is creepy?" Edmund asks in offense. Eugene simply walks up the stairs in silence. "Well, fine. I thought your, uh, kneepads were...uh, not fashionable!"

"That's a good come back, Dad," The former thief deadpans. The two horses turn to each other, looking back at the two. Edmund may be on their side, but he really needs to come up with better comebacks...

* * *

The two sisters struggle to get out, Cass pushing them out the window and to a balcony. "This fight is over, Princesses."

"What are we doing here?" Rapunzel questions her. Harmony glances behind them at the eclipse.

"I want the entire kingdom to see me get that sundrop and the other half of the moonstone that belongs to me," Cass turns her back to them.

"How are you going to do that when everyone besides Eugene and Edmund are in the Lost Realm?" Harmony spits back, Rapunzel turning to her.

"What?!"

"Don't worry, they're gonna get them back," Harmony whispers to her sister. "The portal is still functional, after all. All they have to do is pull the lever in reverse!"

However, she had no idea that they're actually at Cass' fortress at the moment.

"And then what, Cassandra? If you win, what will you do? Have you thought about that? What will be left for you? _Who _will be left for you? Huh?" Rapunzel murmurs to her, and she just laughs.

"Who will be left for _me, _girls? Let me tell you something," She walks back up to the two. "This whole ordeal has taught me I don't need anyone."

"Please," Rapunzel retorts back. "I _know _you don't believe that."

"You needed Zhan Tiri at first, until you stopped trusting her for some reason," Harmony points out, causing Cass to clamp her mouth shut. "That's right, I can still sense her in the castle. What I don't get is why she's not by your side like she has been ever since this whole feud started. Which means that you two don't really trust each other."

"You two don't get to tell me what I believe or how I handle my partnerships!" Cass shouts, trapping them in a black rock cocoon of sorts. Rapunzel squeezes her eyes shut as Harmony's hair flies in all directions. The older sister grips her hair in her hand as she bursts out of it, golden light from her hair. Harmony's cocoon breaks as she emerges from it, her hair growing again while glowing blue. Together, both of them break completely free with a blast, sending Cass flying into Rapunzel's room. She growls up at them.

"Your hair grew again!" Rapunzel gasps at her sister, who looks at her long hair.

"I guess it's because of you being the sundrop and me having half the moonstone...we can now share abilities," She smiles a bit, the woman smiling back. "Now I know just what you go through, I mean, geez! How do you keep this so neat or even wash it?"

* * *

Eugene peeks around the corner and steps into the room. "The Mind Trap! There it is!"

It's sitting all alone floating. He reaches out to it, but a hand grabs it first. "I'll take that," Adira is holding it in her hand. She kicks him away and steps forward. The Brotherhood symbol is glowing from her hand.

"Adira..." He murmurs slowly, hearing something from outside. "Uh...Dad?" He stands up, pulling out his sword and backing away. "Wanna tell your friends to back off?"

His back hits the man, who strangely does nothing to help or even moves. "Dad?" He looks up at him.

"I don't think that's going to happen," Edmund opens his eyes, revealing that he's mind-controlled now as well. The temporary prevention that Harmony unknowingly did has worn off...

* * *

"Listen to me, Cass," Rapunzel speaks up. "Give up the moonstone. Together we can unite it with the sundrop and Harmony's power and put an end to all of this right now," She takes a few steps forward.

"Yeah," Cass pulls out her sword. "Like that's going to happen."

"We said to give it UP!" Harmony shouts as they swing their hair in unison, breaking her sword. She tosses it away and Rapunzel captures her again.

"It's over, Cass."

She gasps as she notices the eclipse about to start and chuckles lowly. "I was thinking the same thing."

* * *

"Dad..." Eugene looks up at him in horror. He slips on his sword, kneeling. He turns around to Adira, who steps up to him from behind. Then he sees Hector with his badgers to Adira's right. "Wait. Wait, wait, wait. You were a member of the Brotherhood all along?"

Edmund pulls off the glove from his left arm with his mouth, showing the symbol. "We all took an oath of allegiance to the moonstone, son."

Adira throws the Mind Trap to him and he catches it. "Now that I've managed to keep this out of your hands..." He puts the talisman into his coat. "That allegiance will remain to Cassandra."

"Father...I don't wanna fight you, and I know deep down you don't want to fight me," Eugene pleads with him.

"You don't stand a chance," Adira grins at him.

"Yeah?! Well I'm not one to walk away from a fight when my friends are in danger, no matter what the odds!" He yells back at her, getting onto his feet. He points his sword at Adira. "It's just something I picked up from Rapunzel and Harmony."

Hector and Adira smirk at each other. She shakes her head and spins around, raising her leg in the air, kicking him.

* * *

In the field of black rocks outside the castle, the eclipse is starting as the dark shadow from the sun and moon wash over. It goes over all the houses and then the gateway to the castle. The moon completely blocks the sun, and they spark.

"Time's up, Raps," Cass chuckles as they start feeling weak. Cass' moonstone sparks as they hold their heads. She stands up, releasing herself free. "It's the eclipse...when the moon blocks out the light of the sun. And when my power...overshadows Harmony's." Black rocks swarm the two, capturing them.

"Cass, wait!" The two call out.

"Tell me something...how does it feel to be in the shadows?"

* * *

Eugene pants as his hair is a mess. "Any possibility we call this a draw?"

The three members are standing in front of them. Adira narrows her eyes at him. "No? Okay, well don't say I didn't give you a chan-"

Adira smacks him away towards Edmund, who pushes him to the floor. Adira takes his sword and throws it outside. "Great! Well now you owe me a new sword!" He yells at the woman.

Hamuel is drinking from a puddle, bringing his head up and down. The sword lands right in front of the crow, who doesn't seem fazed by it. Max whinnies as he recognizes the weapon, looking up at the fortress.

Eugene lands on the ground weakly. "Well, Horace," Edmund starts off as they surround him. "Looks like the long line of dark kings ends here..."

"...Dad," Eugene calls out softly as he's too weak to fight back for himself. "I beg you...if there's an ounce of compassion left in your heart...please stop calling me Horace."

A whinny is heard from not too far away. "Max," He murmurs in realization, relieved to hear him. The three turn around to see the horse dragging his hoof. He stands there bravely, the three preparing themselves. He lets out some smoke from his nose and charges forward, knocking Adira into the wall. He catches her sword into his mouth, sword fighting with Hector. He steps on the man's foot. He then sends him flying. Edmund runs up to him with his axe, kicking away the badgers. He then kicks Edmund away, turning around to deal with Hector.

"You guys ticked off the wrong horse!" Eugene grins, pointing to him. Hector lands on the ground, the badgers growling and charging at the same time. Max grabs them both and slams their heads together. He throws them away and Hector gives one of them a sack. They run off, climbing black rocks. The three surround Max with weapons out. He looks between the members, failing to notice in time the badgers jumping from above. They capture him in a net and hold him down.

"Nice try."

Eugene manages to get the strength to get up and approach him from behind. "But even with your horse, you'll never defeat all of us." Being the former thief he was, Eugene snatches away the Mind Trap from his satchel.

"You know what, you're right," Eugene speaks up behind him. "But Dad...the good news is, we don't have to beat all of you. Just the guy with the Mind Trap!" He holds it up and throws it, but Edmund hits him. He drops the Mind Trap onto the ground. They're now out the window, standing on a spike. "Okay. Okay, Eugene, that was not your best idea, ahh..."

He crawls over to the talisman, but he's still too weak. Edmund stands in front of it, pointing his axe at his son.

"No, Dad, Dad! Wait," Eugene pleads with him. "When I first found you...I resented you...for leaving me and for what you did to my little sister. But-but now...I realize you were just trying to protect me. I understand the sacrifices you were forced to make. And I...I forgive you." He closes his eyes.

Edmund stares at him, raises his arm...and hits the Mind Trap! It flashes and sends a blast so that Adira and Hector are back to normal. Edmund shakes his head rapidly, opening up his brown eyes. He sees Eugene on the ground, bending down to him. He pulls up the weak Eugene, hugging him.

"Thank you, son."

Eugene hugs him back with a smile. "Dad...I know this is a moment, but Rapunzel and Harmony are fighting for the fate of our kingdom right now."

"Oh, right," Edmund pulls him closer. "Bigger fish."

* * *

"You're my best buddy, bud, don't ever change," Lance finishes singing. "Well, I hate to say it, but it looks like we might be here for the long haul..."

Everyone sighs in despair, Varian frowning to himself. If he never gets out of here...he'll never see Harmony again.

"You know, if I was trapped in this place for thousands of years like Zhan Tiri, I'd be pretty ticked off too," Kiera comments, opening her eyes. "Wait, where'd everybody do?" Her head is floating with only a string attached like a balloon.

"You...kind of floated away...again." Catalina pulls her sister back to her with the string. She seems to be a weasel with only her human head.

"Oh, I wanna go home!" Feldspar says as he's an actual shoe. "Mommy!"

The portal opens up nearby and they look up at it. It starts to suck them back in and then they disappear. The various animals and creatures bid them goodbye.

They emerge in the throne room, back to normal. Varian sits up first, seeing his father had brought them back. "Dad! You're back!" Varian runs up to Quirin and hugs him. The man smiles at his son, returning the hug.

"Wait...where's Mona?" He looks around for the girl, who's nowhere to be seen. Daisy chirps, searching the room with her eyes.

* * *

"I helped you two find your power within," Cass brags to the princesses. It's true...if she hadn't led them to the black rocks, they would've never gotten their powers back. "It's only right I take them out." She reaches out her hands to their gems, taking them out.

"Cassandra, no!" They call out as they float over to her. This causes Rapunzel's entire hair to turn brown. Harmony's hair turns fully brown, but it stays at 70 feet length.

"Sorry, Rapunzel," She smirks, but Zhan Tiri jumps from behind, landing on her head. She practically acts like a cat as the stones fall at her feet. She snatches the other half of the moonstone from Cass.

"How did you-?!" She doesn't get a chance to finish her question. Her hair and her clothes turn back to normal.

"Finally..." She murmurs, picking up the other half of the moonstone. She brings the halves together and they attach to form the full gem. She picks up the sundrop stone. "They're mine," She gives a wicked grin.

The black rocks drop from the two sisters due to Cass losing her power. "No..." Harmony murmurs weakly at this.

"I'd like to thank all three of you for taking care of what rightfully belongs to me!" She laughs evilly as she looks at them with her eyes. They spark, giving off a reflection of her eyes. "At long last. THEY. ARE. MINNNE!" She spins around and the stones absorb into her gloves. She opens her eyes, one of them gold and the other blue. Cass turns to her in horror as she starts growing bigger. She finally shows her true self as she gains tentacles and horns. Yellow and blue lights spark as she laughs, rising towards the ceiling.

Varian screws a bolt back. "Everything is up and running. Alright, all set to send Zhan Tiri back!"

"Now all we've gotta do is figure out how to lure Zhan Tiri into that portal!" Lance points behind them.

Unfortunately for all of them, rocks fall onto the portal, deeming it inactive. "Aw come on!" He exclaims at this. The ceiling crumbles above them.

"Everybody get out!" Arianna shouts as they run out of the room. They meet Eugene, Edmund, Adira, Hector, and the animals in the courtyard. They all look up as Zhan Tiri emerges from Rapunzel's room. She looks at all of Corona with a big grin.

"Let the age of Zhan Tiri begin!"

"Okay, if that thing is that little girl, then she has hit a really unfortunate growth spurt," Eugene cringes at this.


	71. Plus Est En Vous Part 3

**Angel: Here it is...the final part. I legit cried when I wrote the final word. I just wanna say that I had a lot of fun writing this story, and I will definitely miss it. Thank you to all of you who had ideas, who favorited, who followed, and who left reviews. And thank you to those who PMd me saying that Harmony was a great OC, I appreciate that. Pretty soon, I'll be releasing other stuff like the opening themes, an epilogue...and the Ever After short! The short will be uploaded before the epilogue, since Rapunzel and Eugene don't look that much older in it.**

Zhan Tiri chuckles evilly, the three girls stepping forward. "At last...the power is mine. I've dreamt of wielding the moonstone and sundrop for centuries!" She laughs manically, only to get her arms snatched by the sisters' hair.

"I am all about people living out their dreams. But today, not so much!"

"You two may have been worthy adversaries once, Princesses," She smiles widely as she steps up to them. "But now you are nothing!"

She flicks her arm, throwing the two off her. "And you," She picks up Cass with her hand. "You lost before you even began, girl...just like your mother. Failed by your own ego."

"Leave her alone," Rapunzel stands up, gripping her hair. Harmony spins her hair like a lasso.

"I'm sorry if I gave the impression we were having a conversation," Zhan Tiri retorts, tossing Cass onto the floor.

"Cass!" Rapunzel runs up to her.

"You're a selfish demon, and I'm glad I never joined you," Harmony glares at the demon.

"Oh, but it's all thanks to you that I was around..."

The princess narrows her eyes. "Now watch as I finally deliver on a promise I made LONG AGO!" Golden rocks instead of black appear, pushing Harmony to the two women. She traps them inside the rocks. "Time to destroy Corona..."

And with that, she leaves and Rapunzel could only stare...

Zhan Tiri bursts through the wall, causing everyone to run away from the pieces of debris. "Okay, listen up!" Eugene turns to everyone. "I need everyone to get away from here as far as possible."

"But what about you, son?" Edmund asks him in concern.

Zhan Tiri emerges in front of them with a roar. "I'm going after Rapunzel."

"If Mona's with her, then I should come with you," Varian frowns in worry.

"No. She'd want you to be safe. Come on, Max," The horse runs forward.

"You're not doing this alone!" Lance pulls out a word. "I'm going with you."

"So am I!" Varian declares and Ruddiger runs towards the demon, who just laughs.

"We are not going down without a fight!" Catalina shouts while holding a wooden sword.

"That's right!" Arianna agrees with her. Frederic spins a frying pan in his hand.

"Our fight!" They shout in unison as they charge forward.

"For Corona!" Eugene yells as he and Max ride past the gold rocks. "For the princesses!"

"For Corona! For the princesses! For Corona! For the princesses!" Everyone chants as they all charge together. Zhan Tiri chuckles at them.

* * *

Rapunzel pulls at the vines in front of them, Harmony doing the same from the other side. "Cassandra, come on! We need your help."

Cass just sits there without saying a word. Rapunzel kneels in front of her as Harmony lets go of her hair. "Snap out of it, Cass!" Rapunzel holds her shoulders. "We gotta stop Zhan Tiri before it's too-"

"Too late?" Cass speaks up and Harmony drops her hands, staring at the woman. "Raps, Harmi, look around," She shrugs off Rapunzel's hands. "We failed, _I've_ failed."

"You can't succeed in life without failures," Harmony sits next to her sister.

"No! You can do-"

"I can't do anything!" Cass gestures to where the moonstone was. "Why won't you just give up on me?! Can't you see what I've done? Look around you! This is all my fault!"

The two stare at her softly. "I've done terrible things! I almost killed your sister!" She suddenly reaches out and hugs them, and they return it. "All this time, I tried so hard to prove that I was more than everyone thought, but they were right..."

"...No, Cassandra," Rapunzel murmurs almost quietly. "No," Rapunzel hugs her tighter.

"They're wrong...and Rapunzel's helped me see that numerous times when I didn't want to believe it," Harmony looks up at her sister.

"Raps...Harmi...I am so sorry," She rests her head between their shoulders as she truly means it. If she hadn't wanted to try so hard, Harmony would've died. And that would've been on her. She felt so guilt-ridden deep down inside since that day...

* * *

Zhan Tiri laughs as Varian jumps away from her. She lands in front of the golden rocks, using to push them further. Old Lady Crowley steps backwards, holding a pitchfork.

"I'm not cleaning that up," She murmurs under her breath. She runs forward to the demon.

"Have you come to watch me obliterate your kingdom?"

"Ha ha! You hear that, guys?" Eugene calls out while holding his sword in the air. "Lady Squidbottom here thinks we're calling it quits."

Max jumps and Eugene strikes at one of her tentacles. She throws her arm, sending more gold rocks to them.

"You do not know Coronans very well, now do you?" He mocks the demon.

"Coronans have always been the same—pathetic!" She replies with a smile.

"Come on, let's hit her with everything we've got! Charge!" Eugene raises his sword and they all charge again, even Milton. He hits at a tentacle with his horns, but they don't have much effect.

* * *

The ceiling crumbles around the three friends again, getting their attention. They separate from the hug.

"Cass..." Rapunzel speaks up. "I was thinking about when we first met. Do you know it was nearly three weeks before I heard you laugh for the first time?" Cass looks away as she remembers it clearly. "I guess there wasn't much to smile about, you know, after being put in charge of a free-spirited, flower child who painted smiley faces all over your things." She chuckles a bit.

"Or having to take care of another princess who would rather read books than live a life," Harmony smiles a little. Cass chuckles too, frowning.

"But that first laugh was so remarkable...because I knew you meant it," Rapunzel tells Cass.

"...What do you mean?" She looks to the older brunette.

"When you laughed. You had this look in your eyes...I don't know, it was like seeing you, the real you...for the first time," Rapunzel smiles softly. "And that's the Cassandra we became best friends with."

"For like 5 years, you took care of me, but you never warmed up to me as fast as you did to Rapunzel," Harmony smiles, leaning back. "Of course, I didn't make much of an effort either...but it was worth the wait," She hugs her knees.

"W-Why are you two telling me this?"

"Because..." Rapunzel has them join hands. "Even when I look at you now, after all that's happened, no matter what we've done to each other...I still see that look in your eyes. You're our best friend, Cassandra. And we will never give up on you."

"...Are you still mad at me for what I did?" Cass looks to Harmony, who closes her eyes with a deep breath.

"I'll admit, that it's still hard to imagine that you did that to me...but I could tell afterwards that you didn't mean it. After I saw that horrified look on your face before I fell unconscious...I knew that I'd forgive you, Cass. You helped raised me. That's not something I'd forget."

The three smile at each other.

* * *

Zhan Tiri lets out another laugh, slamming a tentacle down. Big Nose and Attila jump away from her. Ulf steps up to her and pretends to be in a box.

"Is this the best that Corona has to offer?" She teases, laughing again. The two pub thugs pull Ulf out of the way. Something gets thrown at her and she looks at the ground. "And what do we have here?"

Kiera and Catalina are throwing rocks at her. She reaches out to them. Catalina pushes Kiera out of the way out of instinct, Zhan Tiri grabbing her instead.

"Catalina!" Kiera cries out. Zhan Tiri holds up her fist, hearing a roar. Wolf Catalina moves away the fingers, howling. She rolls around the arm.

"Enough!" She throws Catalina onto the ground.

Hector and his rhino run up to her. The demon just laughs, sending golden rocks their way. They're so strong that not even the rhino himself can break through them.

Varian mixes two chemicals together, closing the beaker and shaking it. "Hey Zhan Tiri! Catch!" The beaker goes flying and it hits her. "Yes!" He pumps a fist with a happy smile, but the chemical seems to have no effect on her.

"You're only prolonging your own demise..." She growls at him and traps both of them with golden rocks. She does the same with Kiera and Catalina.

"You could have taken the form of a chimp, like your buddy, but nooo!" Eugene and Max charge towards her. "You just had to be whatever that is."

She attacks them with the rocks, Max running out of the way. He stops in front of a bunch, sending Eugene flying. She grabs him by the back of his vest, holding him upside down. "Okay, okay. I've got you right where I want you," He struggles to break free.

"I've grown tired of this. At last, Corona DIES!" She throws the man onto the ground, closing her eyes. "Wither and decay...end this destiny..."

"Oh no," Eugene murmurs at the decay incantation.

"Break these earthly chains, and set the spirit free!"

She sends a blue and yellow blast, and suddenly everything around her turns grey and black. The rocks turn black as the spell reaches the king and queen. They start looking pale as they grow weaker. Varian squeezes his eyes shut from his cage, feeling the effects as well.

"The spirit free," Zhan Tiri finishes, Eugene holding his side as he kneels. The colors change in Corona, the bridge leading to the crown cracking. Zhan Tiri laughs at what she's done, Eugene hanging his head. They are now in the clutches of her...

* * *

Rapunzel moves away a slab of rock. "There's gotta be something we can use to get out of here..."

Pascal and Daisy are crawling around trying to help. Harmony is inspecting the ceiling for any weaknesses. Rapunzel turns to the woman, who's doing no effort on her part.

"You know, Cass, if it makes you feel any better, when you grabbed the moonstone before Harmi or I could...there's a pretty good chance you saved our lives."

"What do you mean?" Cass turns to her.

"Well, we know that the sundrop and moonstone have to be reunited, but we still don't know what will happen when they actually are. And if I believe Adira..."

Cass groans at the mention of her name.

"It could be really bad for whoever puts them together. Like," She makes an explosion. "Bad. That could've happened to Harmi..."

"Well, I guess we'll never find out," Cass turns around, facing the wall. "Now that Zhan Tiri has them both."

"See, I refuse to believe it's hopeless."

"We're gonna get out of this. We have to, for Corona," Harmony looks at them both.

"Ha. There's a surprise," Cass smiles in amusement. Rapunzel runs her hands through her brown hair. Pasal and Daisy suddenly emerge with their journals, putting them in front of their owners. The two sisters take them into their hands, and the two pets smile. They smile back and wipe off the dust from the books. They open up to the pages where Cass took the moonstone. They flip back to when Rapunzel lost her memory, when they were both cursed, and their adventures on Tirapai Island like destroying the idol, Rapunzel eating that fruit...

Harmony bites back a laugh at that one.

Then it's meeting Adira, her feelings towards Eugene when she saw him practicing a proposal, Cass with her father, them with their mother, and the three ends standing together with smiles. They finally go back to the first page and see the quote that their mother wrote for them

_Plus est en vous_

_Love, Mother_

"_It means there is more in you."_

"Plus est en vous," The two sisters murmur in unison.

"What?" Cass turns to them in confusion. They look up at each other and smile.

"Plus est en vous means...there is more in you, Cassandra," Rapunzel stands up.

"In all of us," Harmony gestures to outside. Cass puts her hand to where the moonstone was, smiling. After all that's happened...their words are assuring. Especially considering all that she's done to them and their home.

Suddenly, a blue glow is coming from where the moonstone was, to her shock. They step towards her and she realizes what it is.

"Our first fight at my black rock tower..."

_Cass slammed her hands together at the same time that Rapunzel fired back with a blast of her own. The two clashed together, resulting in the moonstone cracking._

Cass holds up the tiny piece that remains, which Zhan Tiri forgot about. "Our last hope...Cass, do you understand what this is? It's power. We can use it fight back against Zhan Tiri!"

"We can help the others!" Harmony bounces up and down a bit. "I hope they're okay."

"No...no, you two can use it to fight Zhan Tiri. Rapunzel, Harmony, these are your destinies." She puts the piece in her palm, holding it out to them. Rapunzel looks up at her and smiles. Both of them reach out to the moonstone and touch the piece. Once they do, a blue glow sparks from the piece, and causes the rocks to crumble. Rapunzel's hair glows gold again as Harmony's bangs are still blue. Their hair falls around them as the golden color from Rapunzel flickers. The turquoise bangs from Harmony are doing the same thing.

"Uh, these don't look like they're gonna last very long..." Rapunzel inspects their hair.

"One shard should do it," Harmony looks up at her in amusement.

"Well...then you better get a move on, Blondie and Brownie," Cass smirks at the two. They return the gesture and together, they run off. The woman stares after them with a smile.

* * *

Zhan Tiri crawls past the unconscious Eugene, a sadistic grin on her face. She looks at all the homes destroyed by black rocks.

"What have you done?!"

She turns around to the sisters, narrowing her eyes. The two have looks of horrors on their faces as they look at the damage she's done.

"She...she used the decay incantation on Corona...on everyone..." Harmony murmurs slowly.

"I am fulfilling my promise to Demanitus by destroying Corona," She crawls up to them. She gets smacked across the cheek not once, but twice, by their hair.

"How dare you?" Harmony grits her teeth before they charge together with a yell. The sisters jump into the air, wrapping one horn around with their hair each. Harmony and Rapunzel pull her down onto the concrete. Rapunzel gasps as she runs up to Eugene.

"Eugene!"

"Big brother..." Harmony murmurs at him in worry. Then she turns around and sees the others affected by the decaying spell.

"Vari!" She runs up to the boy, who gives no reaction. Pascal crawls onto Eugene, chirping up at Rapunzel. Eugene suddenly opens his eyes and touches Rapunzel's cheek.

"Sunshine..."

"...M-Mona..." Varian murmurs quietly and her eyes sadden at his state. Zhan Tiri looms over the two sisters.

"Do you honestly think you can stand up to my power?"

Harmony clenches a fist as she looks over her shoulder. She did this to all of them...but now, with the limited power that they have, they can stop her.

"We are NOT backing down!" Rapunzel hisses, gritting her teeth. Harmony runs up to her as Zhan Tiri raises a hand that has the sundrop. She slams it down, Rapunzel sliding out of the way. The demon attacks Harmony next, but she flips away. Their hair flickers again as they charge, jumping over her arms. They duck their heads as she swings her arms at them. She raises her fists to punch them, but their hair wraps around the two, protecting them.

Their hair falls down around them and she growls at the duo. She raises her hands to create floating gold rocks. They start spinning in mid-air, and she throws them. They hit the ground as the two run past. One of them stops right in front of them.

"And now, the sun finally sets on Coro-"

Something hits her from behind and she falls onto the ground. Cass is standing on her back, holding up a frying pan.

"Frying pans. Who knew?" She jumps down to the moonstone arm. "Quick, get the other hand!"

Rapunzel runs to the opposite side while Harmony joins Cass. "Remember what Adira said about the moonstone and sundrop coming together?"

Rapunzel grins at her and the two women join hands. Then they use their other hands to bring Harmony in. "Pull, guys!" They all pull together to bring them in close. "Pull!" As the two stones get closer, they start sparking in their respective colors. Just as they're about to touch, Zhan Tiri opens her eyes and pushes the three away from each other.

"She's too strong!" Cass grits her teeth.

"With both the sundrop and the moonstone, she's powerful," Harmony looks between Rapunzel and Cass. The demon roars at the trio.

"You're right," Rapunzel murmurs as they step back. "What did you say the number one rule of combat was?"

"Turn your enemy's strength into a weakness," Cass grins knowingly. Zhan Tiri charges forward with a growl, Rapunzel and Harmony throwing their hair at Cass. "Like old times, huh?"

Together, the sisters wrap an arm each around Zhan Tiri's arms.

"Sure, uh, I could do without the ancient demon monster, though," Rapunzel comments as she watches Harmony link her hair to hers.

"I know all of us could," She mutters under her breath. Cass pulls at both of their hair, while they're on the other side, pulling Zhan Tiri's arms away.

"Ditto!" They run around her so that they're behind her, pulling her onto the balcony.

"Is it your plan to keep me here forever?!"

"Nope," Harmony answers her as they step back.

"But that's kind of the point," Rapunzel adds in as Cass sees two sharp pieces of golden rocks nearby.

"Rapunzel! Harmony!" She stomps on them and they fly over Zhan Tiri's head. The two catch the rocks and Rapunzel puts her arm behind her neck. Harmony puts her hand behind her back and together, they cut off their hair. Rapunzel's is back to shoulder length while Harmony's is back to waist length. They release the hair at the same time, bringing Zhan Tiri's arms together to bring the two stones together. A blue and yellow glow comes from her, knocking the three of them back.

"No! No! No, no, no! NOOOO!" Zhan Tiri shouts as there's a huge explosion. All of the black rocks at the place where the sundrop flower was found disintegrate. Cass' fortress disappears and so do all of the rocks in Corona. Their particles gather around at the castle as the moon moves past the sun. A yellow-blue orb gathers around before forming into a gem. Suddenly, the sky has turned blue and everything has its colors again.

The two sisters stare at the gem. "It's beautiful," Rapunzel smiles softly. "Cass...we did it!" She doesn't get a response back, concerning her. "Cass? CASS!" She turns around and sees her lying on the ground. "NO!"

The two run up to her. "Cassandra..." Rapunzel lets out a cry as she holds her friend's cheeks. "It can't end this way...you can't leave...I won't let you." A tear falls down onto Cass' cheek and it rolls away.

"Having the other half of the moonstone...and then eventually getting mine...it was getting to be too much for her," Harmony reveals, closing her eyes. "No person had ever equipped the moonstone for a long amount of time before...that's why she had pale skin. It was slowly..."

She opens her eyes as she couldn't finish that sentence, tears streaming down her face. It killed her...it killed Cassandra...if Harmony really had taken it, she would've been dead a long time ago.

She'd rather have that than this...

Rapunzel looks up at the unified gem. "I'm bringing you back. Harmi, are you with me?"

Harmony nods slowly and they stand up. Together, they approach the ultimate power and reach out to it. A defensive blast knocks both of them onto the ground.

"Rapunzel, don't," Eugene calls out weakly. "The power, it's too much."

"I'm willing to take that chance," Rapunzel stands up again.

"All of us had banded together. Kept our spirits up," Harmony slightly shakes as she gets up again. "Fought for this kingdom even when we were battered and weak! I am _not _letting all of that go to waste! Even if it ends in us meeting our demise, I'm not changing my mind."

"She's right. We did not fight so hard to bring our friend back, only to lose her now," Rapunzel steps forward with her sister, the two holding hands.

"Flower...gleam and glow," They recite together, holding their hands out to the gem. They manage to grab it in their hands. "Let your power shine..." The lights surround the two as they hold up the gem together. "Make the clock reverse...bring back what once was mine. Heal...what has been hurt. Change the fate's design."

The power begins to spread towards Cass. "Save what has been lost."

Slowly, Cass starts to breathe again, opening her eyes. She slowly sits up to look at them. "Raps? Harmi?"

They open their eyes to see her, smiling. They turn around to all their friends that are unconscious on the floor. "Bring back what once was mine..."

They squeeze their eyes shut. "What once..." They open their eyes as Rapunzel's are gold, and Harmony's are blue. "Was mine." Their bodies are lifted up into the air as they have while silhouettes. "What once...was mine."

It spreads to everyone, who start to wake up. They raise their hands in the air and a huge blast is sent into the sky. However, it doesn't go up into space to be lost forever.

The yellow and blue light surround Harmony, lifting her up into the air. "Huh? What's going on?"

When it stops, Harmony lands on the ground. Her hands glow as her bangs are now golden yellow/blue and she stares at them in confusion.

"What? Rapunzel, what did you do?"

"I gave it all to you..." Rapunzel murmurs to her. "Harmi, I may not have these powers anymore, but...you've grown up so much. I think you're finally ready to use them for the good of Corona. I believe in you. Use them wisely."

"...Rapunzel," She laughs in awe, sniffling. The ultimate power...that she'll use for good...she gave it up to her just like that... She jumps forward and hugs her big sister tightly, who returns the gesture. Rapunzel suddenly falls onto the ground. "Punzie!"

Pascal scampers up to her, shaking her shoulder. Daisy flies around her...then Pascal flings his tongue into her ear, waking her up immediately.

"Gah! Oh, so that's how that feels. Ugh."

Harmony smiles widely in relief, Eugene sliding up to her in a hug. "You did it, sunshine..."

"Heh..." She smiles up at him. "We did it..." Pascal nuzzles her cheek and she smiles.

"Mona!"

She turns around, only to get a huge hug from Varian.

"Vari," She smiles, hugging him back. He pulls back and plants a kiss on her lips, causing her to blush. The others see them and smile at the moment. Varian pulls away from her a few moments away later. "W-What was that for?"

"Mona, you saved my dad when Cassandra activated the Mind Trap!" He reveals with a happy smile. "When we were there in the pumpkin patch, your presence was enough to delay the effects temporarily!"

"I...I did?" She smiles bashfully, moving a bang away from her face.

"Well, you didn't know you did until now," He chuckles at her, smiling. "You're amazing! And...what happened to your hair?"

"Well...I now have the ultimate power from the moonstone and the sundrop," She reveals slowly, smiling at her sister. "I wanted to use the moonstone for good, and now that I have both...I can finally do that. Isn't it great? Or do I look weird?"

"No matter what you look like, we'll always love you," He replies, touching her cheek with his hand. "Me most of all."

She smiles and they share another hug.

Rapunzel hugs Eugene, Cass stepping up hesitantly. She wasn't sure if she should say anything or leave. She had done terrible things to all of them...

Eugene holds out a hand with a smile, and she sees the gesture. She takes it and he pulls her into the hug. Harmony steps over and they open their arms so she can join in too. Everyone watches the moment between them.

* * *

Eugene looks out to the sun, covering his forehead. "You know, I'm not gonna lie...the massive hole in the room really does open up the space. I mean, sure, it could get chilly in the winter, but that's what blankets are for, am I right?"

Pascal gives him a thumbs down and raspberry for his answer. Daisy simply shakes her head.

"I'm not a big fan on skylights. Not after what happened to the Rooster," Harmony deadpans next to Rapunzel. Varian is holding her hand.

"Ehhh, I think I agree with her when I say we'll put the walls back up," Rapunzel states, holding her boyfriend's hands.

"You're the boss, sunshine."

"Well, that's right, Eugitles."

"Ehh..." Eugene shakes his head as Harmony cringes.

"Yeah, yeah. You're right. I'll keep working on the nickname," Rapunzel smiles a bit.

"G-Bug is better," Harmony giggles, getting a glare from Eugene. Cass chuckles as she's standing in the doorway.

"Oh, I could come up with a couple of choice names for him." She has a new outfit with a black cape, and a green tunic with a light blue purse along with red lipstick on.

"Well, would you look at that?" Eugene takes the two pets into his hands. "Cassandra's back to normal: dark and icy as ever."

Rapunzel and Harmony smile as it feels like they're back to normal again. Varian kisses his girlfriend's cheek before leaving the room. Eugene turns to face her. "But Cass...you were worth fighting for."

"I, uh...I missed you too, Eugene," She smiles at him and he smiles back. "Look after 'em, you two," She nuzzles the pets' cheeks with her fingers. "Something tells me they're gonna need it."

Eugene follows Varian out and she turns to face the sisters. They just stand there, enjoying the moment for a bit.

"Any idea where you're headed?" Rapunzel asks her after a few seconds.

"You know, someone very wise once told me there's more in me," Cass steps up to them. "And it's telling me I need to go out there, and find my own destiny." She smiles at the environment outside the hole: the mountains, the water, and the sun...

"It's funny," Rapunzel holds her arm. "This whole time, I believed your place was here in Corona, with us...but, as much as I hate to let you go...I know you're right."

"Because we support you and your decisions," Harmony smiles at her.

"...I love you, guys."

"We love you too, Cass," The sisters say in unison and they all hug, smiling. They let her go and she walks up to something.

"Speaking of destinies..." Cass lifts up a piece of debris to reveal their crowns. She tosses them to their owners and they look up at her in surprise. "What are you two waiting for?"

She goes over to the door, where she meets her father, who has grown his beard back. They share a hug and she looks at them one last time before they leave. Harmony looks at her crown as Rapunzel steps up to her mirror. Harmony joins her side.

_Is this life happily ever after?_

They slowly put their crowns on their heads.

**Is this who we have always been meant to be?**

They look at the family portrait where Rapunzel had her blonde hair, and Harmony was standing next to her.

_I can tell now, we're different somehow, than what we were before_

_**And maybe at last...this is really us**_

They spin around in the throne room, sitting at their seats. Pascal and Daisy appear, nuzzling them. Rapunzel takes a deep breath, standing up. She grabs her sister's hands and helps her stand. They giggle, spinning around happily.

_After all that we've done we've seen and been through_

The sisters spin around in the air, catching their pets.

**After all of the choices, both right and wrong**

They do a split in the air, throwing up the two small animals. They soar into the air.

_Through the doubts, fears, the joy and the tears_

They can just imagine themselves fighting Lady Caine's henchmen, holding up the box of kittens, and the girls with Lance and Eugene after they were caught.

**All that and so much more**

_**We've somehow come back to where we belong**_

They see themselves helping their friends, celebrating Eugene's real birthday...

_**And now there's no boundaries**_

They start doing cartwheels in the hall.

_**No limits**_

_**No bars**_

_**Now there's no tower**_

They open up the doors to the balcony, where their parents are waving.

_**No wall**_

The two turn around and smile at their daughters.

_**Now life's wide open from here to the stars!**_

They hug their father before they share a group hug.

_**And we're happily ever after, after all**_

Pascal and Daisy hug them too.

_And so, here we are, at long last...the real happily ever after._

_For everyone._

Rapunzel and Harmony wave to the crowd.

_Rapunzel and Harmony actually became co-queens of Corona once their parents stepped down._

_And let's not forget how Captain Eugene Fitzherbert ran the tightest ship Corona has ever seen._

**Let's not forget Max.**

_Yup, I can't take all the credit, sunshine. I do have my by-the-book right-hand horse to thank. _

The two fist bumped after Max saw Stan was wearing a hankerchief.

_Varian became the royal science nerd-_

Rapunzel clears her throat as Varian is in his lab, throwing a wrench to his father, who now supports his experiments.

_Expert._

_Eugene, he's the most trusted Royal Engineer! And thanks to him, Corona was the first of the seven kingdoms to have hot, running water._

Varian turns the wheel and smoke comes out.

_And let me tell you, people, the body and bounce a hot shower can give a head of hair is totally worth-_

The machine explodes, but Varian laughs.

_The occasional explosion!_

Quirin laughs along with him, wrapping an arm around his son.

**I couldn't be anymore proud of him. And we officially adopted Catalina and Kiera a few years later.**

Catalina and Kiera run around the castle courtyards. Harmony and Varian watch them with a smile.

_If you can believe this, Lance and Adira are now a couple! _

_Which we were all thrilled about._

Lance and Adira hold hands with a smile.

_Even after she found out his legal last name...was Schnitz._

**But she didn't care.**

_As for my dad, he was so inspired by the royal sisters' spirits, that he decided to return home to rebuild the Dark Kingdom. And, we never lost touch again._

Edmund, Hector, and Adira stand on a hill that looks over to the kingdom. Adira smiles at the two, wishing them luck before she leaves for Corona.

Cass is riding on Fidella.

_In a way, everyone found exactly where they were meant to be._

She looks up ahead to the environment in front of her, Owl flying over her. "Yah!" She snaps the reins and Fidella runs off.

Rapunzel, Harmony, and Eugene are lifted up by the people, who cheer. The couple hold hands before they're thrown into the air. The couple land in the middle of a circle and Harmony steps back with a smile. Varian holds her hand, smiling fondly.

_Somehow at last we were all truly home_

**Living happily ever after**

_**Living happily ever after**_

Varian and Harmony step forward, followed by Arianna and Frederic

_**Living happily ever after**_

_**Living happily ever after, after all**_

Everyone signs the last note together as their journals have finally been filled...

_Ahem. Actually, wait a second, there's a little bit more._

* * *

"A lot has happened since the first time we were out here, huh?" Rapunzel asks casually. She and Eugene are on another boat ride. Harmony and Varian are hiding behind a few barrels on the dock.

"Has it? I hadn't noticed," Eugene smiles widely, causing her to laugh.

"So much has changed..."

"Well, I can think of one thing that hasn't," Eugene places his hand on top of hers. "I love you just as much now as the first time I laid eyes on you."

"Hmm, I feel the same way, Eugene," She smiles at him.

"Oh, and that reminds me, I brought you a celebratory cupcake," He turns around, smiling to himself.

"Eugene! You read my mind!"

Pascal hands him the cupcake, winking. He winks back as he turns to Rapunzel. "Look, Rapunzel, I don't know if you remember, but a while back, I made you a promise."

"Of course I remember," She says to his joy. "I asked you to be patient with me."

"And I want you to know that I intend to keep that promise for as long as you need," He hands her the cupcake. "But after everything we've gone through, I thought that now might be a good time to check in and see if..."

Pascal removes the cherry as the two teens cross their fingers. Rapunzel looks down and sees the ring, gasping. It's a golden bang that's surrounded in gems. She bites her lip, smiling up at him.

"Will you marry me...Rapunzel?"

"...Yes," She answers happily. "Yes!" She tackles him onto the boat. "Yes! Yes, yes!" She giggles happily and Eugene looks behind her.

"Guys, you can come out, she said yes!"

They put away the 'better luck next time' banner and hold up the congratulations banner. Rapunzel turns around and sees them, gasping.

"YEAH! Whoo hoo!" The two teens cheer as loud as they could so she could hear. Rapunzel giggles as Pascal swallows the cherry. Eugene puts the ring on her finger.

"I...love you, Eugene Fitzherbert."

"I love you, Rapunzel."

The two smile at each other and share a kiss in the moonlight. Varian and Harmony smile happily as they drop the banner.

"I'm so happy for them," Harmony walks away with Varian, who holds her hand.

"Me too," He glances over his shoulder, grinning widely. "Makes me think when we'll tie the knot."

She blushes deeply as they keep walking. He chuckles at her face, squeezing her hand. "Gotcha. We're still young. But if I were to propose, I'd definitely do it more personal."

"Stop teasing!" She pouts, pushing him away. He laughs and then chases after her. Harmony squeals and runs off. It's not long before he hugs her from behind, tickling her sides. "Vari!"

"I love you, Mona," He kisses her cheek and she hums.

"And I love you, Vari..."

She knew that tonight, that he'd be the one forever and always...and he felt the exact same way about her.

**Angel: Well...this is the end of the special...But here are some fun Harmony facts!**

**Harmony's name wasn't almost Harmony. I was gonna go for a name that was associated with the moon. I was first considering Luna, then Aria, but nicknames for her wouldn't have worked as well if I went with either one. So I decided to go with Harmony because of the music in this show, which I love. Hint, those two names did get spoken by Eugene in Forest of No Return as a reference to the possible names for Harmony!**

**For her birthday, I wanted to pick an October date because the month associates with Halloween, and she had the moonstone's power. I was gonna pick The Way of the Willow for her birthday, but Arianna had her birthday then, so that was obviously not the right choice XD Max's Enemy wouldn't have fit since there was already so much focus on Max and Axel's rivalry, and with Lady Caine. And with Big Brothers of Corona, she was already sick in bed so that would've sucked. So I finally decided to go with October 8****th****, aka the air date for The Wrath of Ruthless Ruth. **

**At first, I was going to have Harmony be a resident of Old Corona like Varian when I first thought about writing this story. She also wasn't going to be Rapunzel's sister. But several people had already done the peasant aspect with this show, and I wanted to do something different. I went with her being a princess from Corona because it's different from Varian's economic status, but also so that it shows just how different the two are outside of having the same hobbies. Kind of like Titanic XD And with that choice, a sister was born!**

**Blue is Harmony's color scheme instead of purple like her sister because it's associated with intelligence, knowledge, calm, and concentration. I almost considered the color of the moon, but thankfully didn't go through with it. Plus her father wears blue, so they match.**

**The reason why Harmony's hair was never fully blue was because of how long she had touched the moonstone and because she never had its full power. I had to hint it at somehow without it being super obvious, which is why I went for just her bangs. She is so far the only person to not have a full change in hair color associated with the moonstone or the sundrop.**

**Speaking of hair color, I went with brown for hair and eyes so that she could match her parents even while Rapunzel had her blonde hair. This just shows how different looking the sisters are, and I just always felt it would've been weird if she looked exactly like Rapunzel since it wouldn't make sense for her to be a blonde if she's not the sundrop.**

**For her personality, I wanted her to be slightly similar to Rapunzel, but not to the point where she'd get along with her sister right away or where she'd be unfriendly because of the moonstone, you know, like Cass? She is a teenage girl, after all...since Rapunzel has a heart of gold, I knew right away that she'd help her sister become a different person. Whereas Harmony is more grounded, but accepts Rapunzel for who she is.**

**I don't know when Varian's birthday is, but I think that Harmony would be a few months younger than him, since she has her birthday later in the year. I'm mostly basing this fact on what the wikis on him say about his age from season 1 to season 3. As far as I know, he was 6 in No Time Like the Past and 5 in You're Kidding Me.**

**Even before I was planning this story out, I was never planning for her to take the moonstone at the end of season 2. I wanted people to see Harmony as a reluctant person of the power that she had, in opposite of Rapunzel. Plus, if she had taken it, certain storylines would have been cut and/or missed out. I definitely would've skipped No Time like the Past, Day of the Animals, and Islands Apart.**

**I had no clue at first what to do for a pet. I knew it had to be something different than from the ones we see, but something common, especially for the time period in which the universe is set in. So I went for a duckling and named her Daisy for reference to Daisy Duck!**

**She is 5 feet and 2 inches tall at the start of the story, and I think besides Shorty, she is the shortest out of the main characters. I didn't want her to be taller than everyone because that'd just look weird. She did grow one inch during the trip, but she'll always be shorter than Varian XD**

**And finally, for her future, well…stay tuned!**


	72. Ever After

**Angel: Okay, so now we have the short! I will upload the epilogue next, then the opening themes to finish it off. And then afterwards, I will upload my One-Shot story for Tangled. And you can find my other stories on my profile XD Or at Ninja Turtles, Code Lyoko, and Big Hero 6 categories. And that's just a few to name.**

**I so wish they had this in the show's animation...but to answer what happened to the Baron, I assume he is still in prison (didn't know that was a question in the first place).**

_This is the story of the day my life ended..._

_Eugene?_

_I'm kidding! It was the happiest day of my life: our wedding day._

A poster shows the two smiling at each other. All of Corona was decorated with ivy and flowers and banners.

_The biggest shindig to hit the kingdom in forever._

**Hey! What about when I was born?**

Tables have been set up as there's a carriage for when the two would leave the castle for their honeymoon.

_Of course your birthday was big, Brownie. Everyone dying to catch a glimpse of me, us! I meant us!_

Various items were being sold of the two couple such as plates or figurines.

_Everything was perfect, just like I've always dreamed it would be..._

A big banner is being put up for the two.

_Yeah, everything was perfect._

To this day, Eugene's nose still hasn't been drawn right.

_Oh come on! They still can't get my nose right?_

**Nothing you can do about it. You already know the guy has broken glasses.**

_It was a magical day. And everything went just as we planned._

_Well...almost._

Hook Hand is playing for the ceremony. Harmony and Varian had managed to get him to come just for today, along with some other surprise guests...He smiles as he watches Lance in a black suit walk. He grins widely as he sees Adira, winking at her. She gives an annoyed look before it turns into a small smile. Two people walk up to the doors, which are surrounded by Pete and Stan. Both of them are wearing bow ties. Varian has his arm out towards the girl.

"My lady, shall we walk down this aisle?"

She giggles, bringing her arm around his. "We shall."

Harmony is in a pink satin dress with a sweetheart neckline and shoulder sleeves that hugs her hips nicely. The skirt is all the way down to the floor and is thankfully not poufy. The top has sparkles on it as she's barefoot, as usual. Her hair is down and wavy, a flower crown on top of her head. In the middle of her flower crown is her crown princess crown. Varian is in a black suit with a white shirt and a brown vest over it, and black pants. His goggles are off his head and his hair is combed for the occasion.

Both of them were very happy to be the maid of honor and best man, much to Lance's dismay. At least he's a groomsmen, but he'll never let Eugene live it down...

As they walk, Harmony smiles at the various guests. Ruthless Ruth, Staylan, Morgan, Brock, Hook Foot, Seraphina, Hector, Aunt Willow, Edmund, King Trevor, the Lorbs, Calliope, the Keeper, Madame Canardist, Vigor, Quaid, and Vex all showed up today. The two wave to everyone as they walk past...and when they reach the front, they see Cassandra and her father sitting in the front row. They smile softly at the two, and they return the gesture. Quirin smiles at the two teenagers as they wave to him in the crowd.

"Hi," Harmony smiles at Kiera and Catalina, who wave to their surrogate parents happily.

Once they reach the front, the teenagers separate so that Harmony is on the left, and Varian is on the right of the priest. He's also right next to Lance.

"So, best man, huh?" Lance asks him casually, hands behind his back.

"Lance, it was only natural. Mona's maid of honor," Varian gestures to her.

"Mm-hm," Lance looks away.

Max, the ring bearer, walks down the aisle next. Daisy and Pascal are flower girls as they throw down the flowers. One of them lands on Max's nose, and he blows it away.

One of the girls gasps and everyone turns around to look at the doors. There's Rapunzel at the end in her dress. Eugene smiles and Hook Hand throws his axe at the accordion player. He plays 'Here Comes the Bride' as Frederic joins his oldest daughter. They step out into the sunlight and the woman smiles happily.

"Wow," The priest comments.

"Wow," Eugene says next.

"Wow," Shorty replies, the man pushing him off.

"She looks beautiful," Harmony murmurs happily with a smile.

Rapunzel finally reaches Eugene, wearing her queen crown. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the joining of Rapunzel and Eugene to be married."

A flower from Pascal's basket flies into Max's nose. He sneezes and they fly over his head.

"As husband and wife..." The priest finishes as the rings roll away from them. "In ever lasting peace."

The three animals turn around wide-eyed. "May I have the rings?"

Rapunzel turns to them, gasping sharply to see them gone.

"Those were my grandmother's wedding rings!" Arianna points at them.

"The kingdom is lost!" A guard shouts and they all start screaming and then explosions occur. Then the whole kingdom is destroyed, but that was just a dream.

Max rapidly looks around and Eugene glances at them. Max holds up the pillow with a wide smile, Pascal beaming as Daisy whistles slightly. Harmony notices their expressions, glancing at Varian. He just shrugs at her from behind the priest. Eugene turns back to the priest.

"And friendship and guidance you have given."

Max slowly backs away with Pascal and Daisy, quickly leaving the throne room. The three chase after the rings as they roll down the stairs. Pascal scrambles after them and then they fly off in different directions. They look to each other in alarm and decide to separate. Daisy decides to go with Pascal since she can actually carry him. The two small animals go left and Max goes right.

One of the rings lands in the soup, Pascal diving into it. Daisy chirps at him as the soup spoon falls. He rises out of it with the ring just as one of the maids was putting the spoon back. She screams at him, the soup falling over. Pascal lands on a few tables, making a mess as people either attack him or fall onto the ground. The ring rolls all the way to an ice sculpture, which the chameleon gets his tongue stuck on...

Daisy facepalms at him with her wing once she's reached his side.

Max is on the other side of town chasing the other ring. He bumps into a dress stand that seem to be the same as Harmony's. Then he bumps into the shoe cart, then the make-up one, then the hats. When he comes to a stop, he actually looks like a lady.

A horse hits on him and Max pushes him away out of annoyance. He scrambles after the ring, having no time to change his clothes. He dives for it underneath a cart the same time Pascal pulls at his tongue. He manages to get free and lands on a man's shoe. He falls onto the ice sculpture, which flies into the air. Max gets the ring with his mouth, but the ice sculpture lands on the wheelbarrow he was sitting on. The 1,200 pound horse is sent flying into the air without the ring.

"Held in reverence, dignity, and honor, respect..."

Harmony notices something flying past the windows, a muffled whinny heard from outside. She turns to Varian wide-eyed and by the look on his face, he saw the same thing she did.

Max lands on the wedding wagon, the ring rolling past him. He moves the wheels as fast as he can to get them.

Pascal scrambles after the ring, Daisy flying over him. It lands in a lantern that the people are going to release for the wedding, and it flies away. Pascal looks around, his mouth opening wide in shock once he sees it. Daisy flies after it as Pascal follows her, and they stop in horror to see a bunch of lanterns underneath a net.

Max holds open his mouth as the ring is rolling at his right, but it's too far away. He manages to grab it.

"Frying pans! Get your frying pans here!" Men are holding them out for sale right in front of Max. He gets hit in the face multiple times, especially with the large sign that says 'Frying Pan Warehouse'. However, it sounds like a gong that the guard did not ring.

"That's the signal! Release the doves!"

The doves fly into the air out of cue. "There's the doves! Release the lanterns!"

Daisy is flying around lanterns looking for the ring when Pascal finds it. He jumps onto the string, but the ring falls. He catches it just in time before seeing how high up he is. He squeaks to the duckling, but she can't find him since there's so many lanterns.

Max is slightly knocked out as he looks at the ring from his hoof. He looks up ahead and whinnies in alarm. The carriage hits the edge and the horse goes flying again. He soars right past Pascal and Daisy, landing on the big banner. The doves fly past Pascal, causing him to fly around. The ring flies out of his hands, hits a weathervane, then the fountain, and then a banner. It hits a hook and latches onto a dove's claw. Max rips the banner, giving Eugene the appearance of a bigger nose than before. The hook flies off and it lands in a keg of drinks, sending a whole bunch of wine down the street.

Pascal squeaks loudly and Daisy looks up, finally seeing him. Max lands on the ground, bringing up the ring from his mouth. He looks to his left and sees the wine going towards him.

Daisy flies Pascal onto the ground, but he's a bit dizzy. Max runs right up to them, snatching them on his snout. Pascal holds onto his hat, looking back at the giant wave. Daisy scolds Max slightly as Pascal sees the lost ring from one of the doves. Max runs up to an alley, where a chef was, and he lights pots on fire. Max jumps onto a banner, flying over the wall. He then spins around as Daisy flies Pascal up to the ring, but he can't reach. He uses his tongue and grabs it, the tongue flying back. He digs into his mouth and pulls out the ring, to their relief.

But they land right in the tar works...

"In ever-lasting peace," The priest finally finishes his speech, Harmony and Varian smiling softly at the couple. "May I have the rings?"

Harmony and Rapunzel turn around, gasping. But not because they're not there.

Max is holding the pillow with the rings, tarred on and dressed like a lady. Pascal gestures to the rings as they have wide smiles. None of them had any idea what they had been through for the whole ceremony...

"Ahh..." Harmony and Varian glance between them and their friends getting married. Both of them have their mouths slightly open, unsure of what to say to them. Max walks up to them with the rings, everyone just staring, wondering what happened to them. He stops near Rapunzel, holding out the rings eagerly. Eugene steps over and quickly grabs them.

"Whenever we get married, don't let them fill in these roles. I'm not sure what happened," Varian whispers to Harmony and she blushes. He said when and not if...

"Ah..." Eugene quickly puts the ring on Rapunzel. "I...I now pronounce husband and wife." Rapunzel puts on Eugene's ring in the same manner. "You may kiss."

Rapunzel kisses him eagerly and he returns it. Everyone cheers as they throw confetti into the air. Frederic hugs Arianna from behind as Varian and Harmony clap with smiles. The four little girls all cheer.

"Happy birthday!" Shorty cheers, falling onto the floor. Patchy and Sideburns are even crying. Max sits down in relief, accidentally knocking into the table that holds the cake. It rolls away out the door.

"So, who wants a piece of cake?" Eugene announces, the three animals wide-eyed

Now they'd have to go out and get it back...


	73. Epilogue

**Angel: This should answer questions about Harmony and Varian, more specifically, their future. I didn't forget about them XD It's not like I was gonna leave the two out, I DID say there was an epilogue. I just couldn't address it because that would've been a spoiler. Speaking of spoilers, I can't really talk about any movies yet since the poll is still open. Yes, Rise of the Guardians is still in the lead, but you never know what could happen in the future.**

**And I've already read the fanfic from here and the story from Wattpad in the past, I just don't review stories very often ^^'**

**It's not that I'm ignoring people, it's just that this story is not technically over until I deem it's over. I know people have questions, but you gotta be patient! So please don't constantly ask what happened if I wasn't finished with the story yet. And this is technically the end, but I still have some things to upload in this story. I'm not gonna say what the last one is, but just wait, people. I also won't mention any new OCs for movies until we get to that point, which we are not at yet. The poll ends in 5 days, votes are still coming in.**

The two co-queens, the king, and Princess Kiera and Catalina look bored out of their minds. They have to listen to the citizens of Corona today...

And who else but Shorty is speaking. Except this time, he doesn't have a pig, he has Milton.

"And so I say, why have bells if Milton hates 'em? Here I have a petition to remove all the little chimes, bells, and whistles."

"Okay, Shorty, but we need bells," Eugene tells him. "I mean, shops can't open without 'em."

"How would people know when the shops are open without bells, Shorty?" Rapunzel smiles a bit. Kiera pinches her nose as Milton chews on the paper.

"How do you think they're doing?" The king leans towards Co-Queen Harmony, looking at Kiera and Catalina. "Honestly."

"I get that my sister wants to show them what to do whenever they become co-queens, but don't you think they're still too young?"

"You were too young, and here we are."

She rolls her eyes in amusement. It is true: Harmony is the youngest queen to ever be deemed as such in Corona, but traditions can change over time. Rapunzel insisted that she couldn't rule without her sister, and thought it was unfair that only one of them could be queen. So they filed a new rule that Corona can have co-queens, to show partnership and peace within the family. People loved both equally: Rapunzel was compassionate, protective...and a great party planner. Harmony was a little bit more fair, and mostly oversaw the ships coming in...

Along with the approval of inventions from the Royal Alchemist himself.

"Can we please just get this over with, Mom?" Kiera pleads with Harmony about Shorty, who's still speaking on Milton's behalf. The woman sighs a bit. She's a bit skeptical to let the girls see citizens today, as it requires a lot of patience...which was really more Kiera's problem than Catalina's. Not to mention that being princesses was still something they were getting used to, but they still loved their adoptive mother and their new lives.

"Shorty," Harmony speaks up, getting his attention. "How about we tackle this another day? We do have other people in line."

"Of course, milady," He bows, winking. The two girls giggle as the co-queen looks on in annoyance. The little pub thug takes his leave.

"Now we have to hear him again?" Eugene complains at the woman, gesturing to where Shorty was.

"Here's the thing to remember about Shorty: He moves on to another ridiculous motion every single time he leaves," She holds up a finger. "So we may be safe for today, but...I'd still be prepared for his next visit."

"I'm so glad to have you help us out," Rapunzel tells her, clasping her hands with a happy smile. "You know how everyone works way better than I do. It feels like back when we did audience with Dad before he left during their anniversary."

"But didn't the storm happen afterwards and then Mom ran away and almost died?" Kiera points out, causing everyone else in the room to cringe awkwardly. That was definitely something she'd rather forget...for the most part.

"I spent years watching Papa work and memorizing how everyone tends to speak to us," Harmony gestures to herself. "But you'll get the hang of it, eventually."

"Which is going to be...never."

Harmony giggles and then Nigel leans in towards the royal family. "Queen Harmony, you have a guest."

"Hm?" She raises a brow. They look to their left as Varian walks into the room. His hair has gotten longer to the point of being kept in a ponytail, and he's grown some facial hair. He still wears the goggles on his head as Ruddiger is on his shoulder.

"What's Dad doing here?" Catalina whispers to the others.

"I dunno," Kiera shakes her head.

"Well, it's obviously important if he had to come all the way from his lab," Rapunzel gestures to the man. "Varian, something wrong?"

"Well...yes and no," He rubs the back of his neck. "You see...I kind of have a problem with someone."

"Making a lot of noise in that lab of yours will do that," Eugene replies, causing Harmony to snort.

"No, nothing like that," Varian chuckles, looking right at Harmony. "I'm wondering if you could help me with this. See, there's this woman that I hold true dear to my heart...and I have something I'd like to ask her. But I don't know if she'll say yes. So, Mona, will you please join me?"

He holds out his hand with a small smile. She looks to her family, who encourage her to go to him. With ease, she gets onto her feet and holds up her skirt, stepping down. In just a matter of seconds, she's standing right in front of him.

"Vari, what's going on?"

He simply pulls her close. He pulls out dead flowers out of nowhere and drops a chem ball onto it. They come back to life within seconds, revealing them to be roses, gardenias, and lilacs.

"Well, first, here you go."

"Aww, thank you, Vari," She says softly, taking them into her hands. "This is so nice."

"Mona...I love you so much. I really care for you, and even though we had some rough times...I betrayed you, I got your powers sucked away, but...you stuck by me, and I can't say how thankful I am for that. You don't find something like that everywhere. You know what's in my heart. You are everything I have always wanted and more. So I really want you to be mine."

He gets down on one knee and she covers her mouth in shock, trying not to cry. He smiles, taking a hold of her hand. Rapunzel is squealing so loud that it gets the attention from everyone in the line. Eugene smiles proudly while Kiera and Catalina are jumping up and down.

He looks to Ruddiger, who hands him a tiny box from his little paws. Varian opens up the box, showing the Harmonium front and center on top of a silver band. It's surrounded by blue diamonds and her eyes widen in awe at the ring. Judging by the gems, he made this himself...

"Queen Harmony of Corona...will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

She nods slowly as she sniffles. "Yes..."

He smiles happily, placing the ring on her finger. He gets onto his feet and kisses her. She kisses back, hugging his neck.

"Yaaay!" Everyone who saw it cheers, and they pull away, laughing. They wave to the people as Rapunzel hugs them.

"I'm so happy for you two! You're getting married!"

"Congratulations, kid," Eugene joins them in on the hug. Kiera and Catalina run up to their adoptive parents, hugging them too.

* * *

A few days later, news has broke out, and Corona is in excitement for both of them. Harmony knocks on the door to Rapunzel and Eugene's room, peeking in.

"Eugene? My sister said I'd find you here."

"Oh, Brownie!" He smiles at her as he's adjusting his clothes. "I'm just getting ready to train some guards. I made the request personally should anything happen on your special day."

"Aww," She beams slightly. "Thank you. Um...so you know how Papa walked Rapunzel down the aisle at your wedding?"

"Best moment of my life that day when I saw her," He closes his eyes in bliss.

"Well...I was wondering...would you walk me down the aisle at my wedding?"

He blinks in shock, dropping his gloves. By the look in her eyes, he's not dreaming. "Wow! Uh...y-you're picking me? Well, why not your dad?"

"Don't get me wrong, I love my dad, but...you're like a second father to me, Eugene. And...my father supports my choice. You've been there for me through so much, and...I think you'll do great. So...will you?"

"Of course I will!" He brings her into a hug, lifting her up slightly into the air. She laughs at his happiness, hugging him back. "Oh, I can't believe it! So what do I do? Pick out your dress? Do your hair? OH! Emcee!"

"Um, let's not get too carried away..."

* * *

She adjusts her train and looks at herself in the mirror. This is it, her big day...she can't help but smile at the thought of seeing Varian at the end of the hall.

"Oh Harmi, you look so beautiful," Rapunzel dabs away a tear. Pascal and Daisy nod in agreement.

"Punzie, I thought only Mom and Papa get emotional at weddings," Harmony chuckles at her older sister.

"I can't help it! My little sister is finally getting married!" Rapunzel jumps forward and hugs her gently, so she doesn't wrinkle the dress. Harmony smiles back, holding in her tears so she doesn't ruin her makeup. "Varian is so lucky to have you."

"And I'm lucky to have him," Harmony murmurs happily and Rapunzel pulls away.

"I'm not too late, am I?"

They turn to the doorway to see Cass and her father standing there. "Cass!" Harmony beams and Rapunzel hugs her. Cass smiles and returns the gesture. It had been a few years since they saw them last. "What are you doing here?" Harmony steps down from the podium.

"I'm here to see you get married, of course," Cass smirks slightly. "You think I'd miss that? I was the one who got you two together by signing the book on the Day of Hearts."

"I'm so glad you're here," Rapunzel smiles at her.

A knock is heard at the door as Frederic and Arianna enter the room. "Oh, you look gorgeous, sweetheart," Arianna gasps, hands to her heart.

"Indeed," Frederic smiles happily, trying not to cry. She smiles and hugs them both. "Just remember that we will always be there for you."

"I know, Papa," She murmurs, looking up at them. "And you're really okay with me marrying Varian?"

"Of course," Arianna smiles softly at her. "As long as you're happy."

Eugene and Lance peek in the door. "It's time."

Harmony bounces slightly at his words and everyone leaves the room. Eugene holds out his arm to Harmony.

"Shall we?"

Varian is already at the altar, sweating a little. "I don't know if I can do this..."

Frederic is performing the ceremony. He leans in towards Varian. "Son, that better not sound like cold feet."

"Of course not!" Varian replies, turning to him. "I love Mona more than anything. She's the reason that everyone in Corona doesn't hate me. I'm just...nervous, that's all."

"Ah, I was the same when I married her mother," Frederic smiles towards Arianna sitting on one of the seats. "Just remember all of the good things that you love about Harmony."

He makes a good point. She still loves him after he committed treason, sent an automaton, kidnapped her and the queen...punched her unconscious...she's been so happy and he can tell she was with him. No matter what he did, her love for him never changed. Sometimes, he still questions how he deserves her, but she's always there to remind of who he is now.

The doors open to let in Rapunzel and Lance as they've linked arms, walking together as maid of honor and best man. Varian gulps, tugging at his collar. Followed by them is Quirin, Vex, Morgan, and then Kiera and Catalina. Vex and Morgan are in purple dresses with white sashes around their waists, holding bouquets made out of white roses. They only agreed to be in the bridal party because of Harmony. Kiera and Catalina are in lighter purple dresses as junior bridesmaids. Then Daisy flies in, throwing down some flowers.

After what happened at her sister's wedding, Harmony wasn't sure if she should have Pascal and Max be ring bearers, but they promised to not lose the rings...and they won't, because there's a temporary glue on the pillows so that the rings can stay on them. She'd rather not take any chances.

Hook Hand is of course playing again on the piano. He throws the axe towards the accordion player, who plays out of fear.

Everyone turns their head to the doors, gasping. Varian looks up and his jaw drops. Harmony is dressed in a white ball grown with a veil over her head. Her crown is resting on her head. She's holding lilies in her hands. Half of her hair is pinned back, decorated with tiny little diamonds. The rest of it is out, curled in waves. The light behind her makes it look like she has a halo.

"Wow..." Varian says dreamily. He feels like he's falling in love with her again. Rapunzel giggles nearby behind her hand.

She links arms with Eugene and walks with him down the aisle. Everyone that was there for Rapunzel's wedding was here as well. She waves to all of them with smiles before they reach the king. Eugene lets her go and she turns to Varian with a warm smile. He smiles back at her.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses, to join Varian and Queen Harmony in matrimony commended to be honorable among all; and therefore, is not to be entered too lightly but reverently, lovingly, passionately and solemnly. Into this—these two people present now came to be joined. If there is any person, who can show cause why they should not be joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

She smiles at her father as the crowd stays silently.

"Let us continue. The couple have decided to read their own vows. Varian, you may begin."

Harmony hands her bouquet to Rapunzel as Varian takes her hands.

"Queen Harmony, when I first met you, I knew that you were the one. Everytime when things are bad, you're always there for me. And...because of you, I'm a better person. If I had stayed the way I was while my father was stuck in the amber...I would've never felt regret for what I've done. I wouldn't have everyone as my friends again, and I could've been evil...self-centered...deranged...and ruthless..." He closes his eyes as they take a moment of silence to think about Cass.

"I promise to give you the best of myself always, and to ask you no more than you can give. I promise to love you as you are, and to realize that your interests, desires, and needs are no less important than my own. I promise to share with you my time and attention, and for us to always have joy, strength, and love. I promise to keep myself open with you. I promise to grow along with you, to love you in the good times and bad, with all I have in my heart. And I'm truly happy to be marrying you today."

Everyone 'awws' at his words, Rapunzel dabbing away some tears.

"...I don't know if I can top that. Dang it," She murmurs giddily, earning some laughs from the crowd.

"Varian...I don't even know where to start. When we met, I never thought you were the one to make me feel like myself again. It's because of you that I'm not afraid to show who I am inside. If it wasn't for you, I would have gave myself to evil a long time ago. I pledge to remain your companion and friend. I promise to be with you always, to care for you, and to love you no matter what comes our way. I will always show interest in the things that you do and your ideas...and to be there with you when they fail. I will be with you in your heart, and keep you in mine. When you're happy, I'll be happy with you. And when you're sad, I'll be there to make you smile. I will encourage you to continue your alchemy. I stand with you and acknowledge that you are intelligent, kind, and courageous. I promise to give you trust, love, commitment, and honesty. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything that you've done for me..."

Varian smiles softly at her, touched by her vows.

"And anyone who tries to kidnap him, they'll have to go through me!" She declares, shaking a fist to the crowd, earning another round of laughter.

"May I have the rings, please?"

Max steps up to the couple, holding out the pillow as Pascal gestures to the rings. "Thanks for not losing them this time," Varian whispers gratefully as he takes them. The audience watches happily as Varian slips on her finger. Harmony takes his hand and puts the ring on his finger.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss."

Varian lifts up her veil. He leans in and kisses her, holding her cheeks. She smiles happily, lightly touching his arms. Everyone cheers as he pulls away, hugging her happily. They turn to the crowd, waving to all their friends and family.

* * *

"And so, with everyone finding their happily ever after, they were all happy. The end," The queen closes the book, as she was reading her journal to the local children of Corona.

"Yaaay!" They all clap and she smiles. Sometimes in the afternoons, she'll read her adventures to them. She just loved reliving those moments by saying them out loud, even the bad things.

"Alright everyone, that's it for today. I hear my sister's made you guys cookies in the kitchen!"

They run off at the mention of cookies just as Varian and Quirin walk into the throne room.

"Hey you two!" Harmony smiles up at the father-son duo. Varian waves to the kids as they run by, giving his wife a brief kiss.

"How are you today, your highness?"

"I'm great!" She gets onto her feet. "How's your latest experiment going?"

"Oh, you mean to give Old Corona a better way to pull weeds?" Varian chuckles, crossing his arms. "W-Well, it, um...let's just say I owe our neighbor a new farming patch."

"Of course," She gives them an amused eye roll. "Um...Vari, I have something to tell you."

"...What is it?" He asks softly, holding her hands.

"In private..."

Varian looks to his father, who smiles. "I'll keep things steady here. Go, son."

He leads her away into an empty room, watching as she sits on the guest bed. He sits next to her, holding her hand.

"Is something wrong?"

"...Well," She sweats a bit. "Maybe?" She has a pit in her stomach growing from excitement, fear, and anxiousness. A knock is heard on the door before she can continue and they look up to see Rapunzel, Eugene, Lance, Kiera, and Catalina.

"Harmi, uh...sorry to intrude, but...I'm getting worried about you, and whatever it is, we can get through it. Some people have said that you look lightheaded...and-and nauseous. Please...tell us what's wrong." Rapunzel's brown hair has gotten a bit past her shoulders as she's wearing her white and pink dress. Kiera and Catalina are in their teenage years now, and Lance still has no hair, while Eugene still looks the same (and he was going to keep it that way!).

"Mom?" Catalina asks in worry. "Are you sick?"

"Guys, I'm sure that she's not sick," Varian speaks up, holding up his hands. "But let's give Mona a chance to explain."

"Um...so, I love you and you're my best friend. And...I hope that with what I say next, that you're not mad at me," She holds Varian's hands.

"No matter what happens, nothing you say would ever make me angry with you," He tells her softly.

"Everyone...I-I'm...pregnant," She squeezes her eyes shut. Everyone gasps, Rapunzel covering her mouth in shock. Harmony bites her lip as no one has said anything, and it was making her nervous.

"...I-I'm gonna be a dad?" Varian stammers slowly.

"...Congratulations!" Rapunzel cheers to the both of them as the man hugs her tightly. Harmony smiles into his shoulder, relieved. "I'm gonna be an aunt!"

"Oh, your kids are gonna call me Uncle Eugene. None of that Horace stuff."

"We're gonna be big sisters, Catalina!" Kiera beams happily and Varian kisses his wife all over her face, causing her to laugh.

"Why were you so afraid to tell me?" He holds her cheeks, looking at her in the eye.

"I didn't know how you'd react," She smiles sheepishly. "And part of me was afraid that we weren't ready."

He rapidly shakes his head. "Mona, I promised I'd be by your side through everything, and I'm not going to forget that. And we'll love our child no matter what." He places a hand on her tummy. "You hear that, little one? I'm gonna be your father."

She smiles happily as the others chatter in excitement.

* * *

It's early morning as the sun shines down on two people in bed. The man groans at the sunlight, letting out a tired yawn as he sits up. He rubs his eyes, snuggling into his blanket more. Thankfully, neither of them had much to do today, because Sundays are lazy days. His eyelids weigh like a ton. He looks to his wife at his right side, who looks to be just as reluctant to wake up.

He hums as he brings her close, smiling at her face. "Good morning, my love."

"Good morning," She greets sweetly and he pecks her lips softly. "What time is it?"

"Almost 10 in the morning."

"Ugh," She groans, tilting her head up in exhaustion. "The one day neither of us are working, and I wanna get up and build..."

He wraps an arm around her as she hugs his neck, resting her cheek on his chest. "You know what we promised your sister and Eugene. No work on Sundays." He kisses her forehead.

"They made that rule because of you," She chuckles at him. "I'm not the one who spends all day in a dark room to come home late at night."

"I know," He winces a bit. "But I got better!"

She raises a skeptical brow. "...Okay, I improved a little."

Harmony giggles, pecking his lips again. "I know you did, Vari. But I love you no matter how long I see you."

He smiles, holding her cheeks. He brushes away a yellow/blue bang. "What about you? I mean, you're co-queen of Corona. You've gotta be just as tired as I am."

She closes her eyes with a small smile as he strokes her hair. "Touche. But I love working with my sister. It's draining, but not as much as you working non-stop without breaks."

He chuckles at his wife. "Okay, a valid point. I'll visit you every day for lunch, as long as I get to be with you." He holds her tighter.

"I told you, I'm fine with you being in there as long as you take care of yourself," She looks up at him. "Why do you think I get my handmaiden to go down there with ham sandwiches?"

"Eh, it's not the same if you're not there," He murmurs into her hair.

"What about breakfast?" She wonders softly.

"We can get Pascal to get it."

"No!" She laughs at him, standing up. "Stay here, I'll be back with some chocolate chip pancakes and orange juice."

"No," He whines, holding her hand, pulling her back into bed. "Just a little longer..."

"Vari...it's 10 am."

He pouts up at her, his beautiful blue eyes staring at her. "I don't want you to leave my side. It's Sundaaaay. We promised we wouldn't do any work."

"Look, if we don't eat now, we're gonna have to get up eventually to get lunch..." She sighs as he continues to hold her. "Alright, how about if I get Rapunzel to help me with breakfast? With her help, it'll take less time."

"But that'll be time without yooou," He complains as she gets him to let go, the woman biting back a smile.

"I promise I'll come back. Less than half an hour, tops."

She ignores his whining and closes the door behind her, walking down the hall. He must've had a really hard week if he's acting all cuddly and like a baby.

True to her word, she comes less than 20 minutes later with fresh pancakes and orange juice. He smells the delicious breakfast and looks up to his wife with a sleepy smile on his face. She giggles at him and places the tray on the drawer nearby.

"Breakfast is ready."

"Later," He mutters, holding her hand. "Come back to bed."

"I worked so hard to wake up my grouchy sister, make you fresh pancakes and orange juice from scratch, and you're gonna leave it?" She raises a brow with an amused smile.

"Mona...I appreciate it and I love you so much, pleeeease come back to bed? I promise I'll eat later, but I just wanna hold you."

She laughs at his begging and lets him pull her onto the bed, right back to their original position. He stares into her eyes as he combs through her hair. His expression softens as she hums, closing her eyes. Varian smiles down at her. He couldn't ask for anyone better to be his wife.

"You're so warm."

"Being alive will do that," She smirks in amusement, causing him to chuckle lightly.

"Hey," He murmurs and she looks up at him. "I love you. I swear I'll spend less time with work."

"It's fine," She kisses his nose. "You're worth the wait."

"Mm, no, you are," He kisses the top of her head. "How about we spend the rest of the day in bed?"

"Hmm, I wouldn't say no to that," She hums as he trails kisses down to her lips. She smiles and then he flips them around so that she's underneath him. A soft yelp comes from her mouth as she hugs his neck, humming softly as he kisses her passionately.

A knock is heard, causing them to stop.

"Mommy! Daddy!" A male baby voice calls out from outside. "Can we go visit Uncle Lance and Monty and Grandpa and-"

"Ugh," They both groan slightly at the interruption as the boy, Reid, lists a bunch of people he wants to visit today.

"That's right...we have kids," Varian mumbles, causing Harmony to giggle.

"So much for a lazy day in bed...Reid, go and get your sisters! Ask your cousins Anxelin and Ruby if they want to come, and we'll meet you in the dining room!"

"Okay Mommy!" He races down the hall. While they do love their biological son...sometimes he reminds them too much of his Aunt Rapunzel. Maybe that's where he gets his personality from. But he's definitely their child: he's already dressing like his father used to when he was young and practicing archery like his mother.

"Next week for sure, we'll stay in bed," She laughs up at the man as he kisses her neck.

"...But we have time to spare, don't we?"

"No! ...Maybe a little."

**Angel: Okay...so this is the end. But in truth, not really since I'm doing a one-shot book for Tangled! I'll post the story soon, I promise.**


	74. Opening Themes

**Season 1**

Rapunzel rides on Fidella, followed by Eugene on Max. The royal carriage is chasing after them.

_**We've got the wind in our hair and a fire within**_

The two sisters reach out to the black rocks at the same time.

_**Cause there's something beginning**_

Varian gives Harmony a butternut.

**I've got a spring in my step, and each one that I take, it's a new horizon**

Harmony smiles up at Rapunzel and Cass, her hair down after they fixed it. Daisy flies towards the hunter for the first time.

_I've got a mystery to solve, and excitement to spare_

Rapunzel, Cass, and Harmony run across the bridge, the two sisters having their powers back. The two then hug their father together.

_**That beautiful breeze flowing through**_

Rapunzel jumps around with her hair, giving a frying pan to a smiling Eugene.

_**We're ready to follow it who knows where**_

Cass swings her sword at the black rocks and it breaks.

_**And we'll get there, we swear**_

_**With the wind in our haaaaaaair!**_

In a split screen, the two belt out the last note on their balconies, their hair flying past them in opposite directions.

**Season 2**

The two sisters smile up at all the lanterns, stepping out of Corona.

_**We've got the wind in our hair and a fire within**_

Rapunzel steps up to Eugene, who's on his knees with a ring in his hands.

_**Cause there's something beginning**_

Harmony moves away Varian's hands and he smiles at the new caravan.

**I've got a spring in my step, and each one that I take, it's a new horizon**

Harmony rides on Silver, smiling as he jumps over a log. She fires an arrow in mid-air.

_I've got a mystery to solve, and excitement to spare_

The three houses and two caravans walk past the sunset. Max whinnies as he comes to a stop.

_**That beautiful breeze flowing through**_

Pascal beams on top of a leaf. Daisy flies into the air, beaming.

_**We're ready to follow it who knows where**_

Hook Foot, Harmony, Rapunzel, and Cass get surrounded by Vardarian citizens. Cass punches one with a huge grin.

_**And we'll get there, we swear**_

Adira kicks away Cass' sword with no sweat.

_**With the wind in our haaaaaaair!**_

In a split screen, Rapunzel holds out her arms on top of a waterfall as Harmony soars across the sky to jump into the lake.

**Season 3**

Rapunzel points happily as they arrive back in Corona in a hot air balloon.

_**We've got the wind in our hair and a fire within**_

The sundrop and moonstone fall from the night sky.

_**Cause there's something beginning**_

Rapunzel steps up to Cass after she betrayed them.

**I've got a spring in my step, and each one that I take, it's a new horizon**

Harmony blushes, moving a bang away from her face after Varian said he loved her. Daisy smacks away Hamuel.

_I've got a mystery to solve, and excitement to spare_

Rapunzel smiles at Varian and he smiles back.

_**That beautiful breeze flowing through**_

Pascal hugs Rapunzel's fingers.

_**We're ready to follow it who knows where**_

Edmund throws around Patchy and he throws him past Eugene.

_**And we'll get there, we swear**_

Cass takes a few steps forward, in her new form.

_**With the wind in our haaaaaaair!**_

The two sisters soar on lanterns together, holding hands.


	75. Princess Harmony

**Angel: I decided to do a profile on Harmony to end the story, and this was a last minute decision on my part. And you don't have to read it if you don't want to, since those who have read the entire story knows who she is at this point. I'm not gonna list clothing since that would take a while since she has so many outfits. This is the last thing I will upload for the story. I'm not sure when I'll re-upload mistakes from season 3, but I know I won't forget them XD**

Name: Princess Harmony of Corona (A/N: I don't know if Rapunzel or her parents have a last name...)

Alias: Princess Harmony, Queen Harmony, Mona, Brownie, kid, Harmi, moonstone.

Age: 14 at the start of the series, 15 during season 2, and 16 by season 3.

Height: 5 feet and 2 inches tall.

Powers: Control of moonlight, black rocks, sensing evil, sensing the sundrop, and sensing the moonstone.

Likes: Freedom, adventure, art, archery, dragons, blueberries, ham sandwiches, inventing, cooking, her friends and family, mystery-solving (this one isn't as obvious), alchemy, helping others, Varian, lilies, reading, sweets, Corona, the color blue, animals, ancient artifacts, Lord Demanitus.

Dislikes: Being confined, Eugene and Cass fighting, Calliope's personality, King Trevor and his nephew, Zhan Tiri, trickery, the extent of the moonstone's power, Hector, bugs, being betrayed, getting dirty, arrogance, wearing shoes, liars, being called dangerous, Varian being seen as dangerous, seeing Varian upset, Lance's lies, people being out of line, Madame Canardist, Dr. St Croix, Fernanda, Morgan (formerly), Staylan (formerly).

Background: 4 years after Rapunzel was taken, Harmony was born. Unfortunately, at the same time, King Edmund decided to give her the moonstone to escape the responsibilities that came with it on her birthday. This was 11 years after his son had to leave. Not knowing what the powerful object was, the newborn Harmony touched the moonstone. However, before she could get the full power of the moonstone, it was taken away, and she was left with only half its power. This left the newborn with blue bangs and a moonstone symbol, signifying her power. To protect her, King Frederic had her locked in her room. She spent those years drawing her sister, honing her skills, but would occasionally sneak out without her father knowing. One night while she was out, she encountered a baby duckling near Corona, that had ran away from her home. Harmony took her in, cleaned her up, and named the duckling Daisy, inviting her to live with the girl.

Appearance: Harmony is, at the start of the series, a 14-year-old teenager with fair skin like her sister, light rosy cheeks, chocolate brown eyes, brown eyelashes, brown eyebrows, and light freckles on her cheeks. Her hair was naturally brown when she was born like her parents. After touching the moonstone and getting her powers back in the special, she has turquoise blue bangs. Her hair is also black when she sings the decay incantation, turning 70 feet in length like her sister. After Plus Est En Vous, she has one blue and yellow bang to signify having both the moonstone's and sundrop's power.

Personality: Harmony is at first the opposite of Rapunzel. She sticks by the rules, but tries to help out her kingdom anyway she can. She doesn't show affection at first due to living in the castle for most of her life, and tends to be a loner. She is also intelligent, having spent her life expanding on her intelligence by inventing or playing puzzles. But soon she warms up to Rapunzel, and now she's kind, free-spirited, supportive, and rational. She loves hanging out with her friends and her sister. She is loyal to them, and will do whatever she can to help. Sometimes she'll be the voice of reason in certain situations. She's a friendly person, and Rapunzel gives her adventure and the strength to endure the moonstone's power. She didn't like what it did to her life and to herself, but she eventually learns to utilize it for her own use. She also is forgiving, as she forgave Rapunzel and her friends for what happened to Varian. She shows no ill will for her friends' wrongdoing, or for Varian's actions. She instead understands what they've gone through. Sometimes, she can get frustrated by people such as Calliope, but learns to adjust to personalities such as the Keeper's. She is very nurturing at times, especially with animals and children. She doesn't back down from a battle, not too different from Cass or Rapunzel. No matter what challenge she has in front of her, she steps up to conquer it. She is very honest with her friends and family, but she does have some insecurities. Because of the moonstone's weight on her, she does feel like she's feared, similar to how Varian was seen as dangerous. She's very insecure about herself at times, but Rapunzel, her family, or her friends are there to remind her of who she is. All in all, she's a mature, well-meaning princess.

Pets: Daisy (duck), and Silver (horse).

Love Interest: Varian.

Weapons: Black rocks, bow and arrow, sword, and frying pan.

Hobbies (though it's kind of obvious): Reading, archery, horseback riding, inventing, alchemy (beginner), cooking, and art.


End file.
